Featured resource
2025 Tech Upskilling Playbook
Tech Upskilling Playbook

Build future-ready tech teams and hit key business milestones with seven proven plays from industry leaders.

Check it out
  • Lab
    • Libraries: If you want this lab, consider one of these libraries.
    • Cloud
    • Security
Google Cloud Platform icon
Labs

Working with Confidential Data in Ansible

The Red Hat Certified Ansible Specialist Exam (EX407) requires an understanding of working with confidential data within Ansible. This hands-on lab goes over how you can use the `ansible-vault` command to encrypt sensitive files within a vault file and also how to work with those vault files in an Ansible playbook. The exercise assumes basic proficiency with several common ansible modules and general ansible playbook use. Upon completing the lab, you will have developed an improved understanding of `ansible-vault` and vault files. *This course is not approved or sponsored by Red Hat.*

Google Cloud Platform icon
Lab platform
Lab Info
Level
Intermediate
Last updated
Sep 11, 2025
Duration
30m

Contact sales

By filling out this form and clicking submit, you acknowledge our privacy policy.
Table of Contents
  1. Challenge

    Encrypt `/home/ansible/secret` using the `ansible-vault` command.

    Note: Please give the lab an extra 5 minutes before connecting via SSH.

    • Switch to the ansible user with su ansible
    • Run ansible-vault encrypt /home/ansible/secret and provide a simple password of your choosing.
    • Be sure to remember the password!
  2. Challenge

    Create */home/ansible/vault* as a vault password file that may be used to access the encrypted secret file without prompt.
    • Run the command echo '<Your_Vault_Password>' > /home/ansible/vault.
    • Substitute <<Your_Vault_Password>Your_Vault_Password> with the password you chose in the previous task.
  3. Challenge

    Run the playbook */home/ansible/secPage.yml* using your *vault* password file to validate your work.
    • Run the command ansible-playbook --vault-password-file /home/ansible/vault /home/ansible/secPage.yml.
    • If your encryption was configured correctly, you should get no errors.
  4. Challenge

    Verify that the secure page deployed correctly by attempting to access http://node1/secure/classified.html as the user *bond* with the password *james*.
    • Run curl -u bond http://node1/secure/classified.html and supply the password james when prompted.
    • The command should return the contents of classified.html regarding the weather in a certain city.
About the author

Pluralsight Skills gives leaders confidence they have the skills needed to execute technology strategy. Technology teams can benchmark expertise across roles, speed up release cycles and build reliable, secure products. By leveraging our expert content, skill assessments and one-of-a-kind analytics, keep up with the pace of change, put the right people on the right projects and boost productivity. It's the most effective path to developing tech skills at scale.

Real skill practice before real-world application

Hands-on Labs are real environments created by industry experts to help you learn. These environments help you gain knowledge and experience, practice without compromising your system, test without risk, destroy without fear, and let you learn from your mistakes. Hands-on Labs: practice your skills before delivering in the real world.

Learn by doing

Engage hands-on with the tools and technologies you’re learning. You pick the skill, we provide the credentials and environment.

Follow your guide

All labs have detailed instructions and objectives, guiding you through the learning process and ensuring you understand every step.

Turn time into mastery

On average, you retain 75% more of your learning if you take time to practice. Hands-on labs set you up for success to make those skills stick.

Get started with Pluralsight