Ansible Configuration Guide

Ansible is a powerful automation tool used to manage and configure servers. This guide provides examples of how to structure your inventory files, which are essential for defining the servers and groups that Ansible will manage. Additionally, it covers common Ansible commands for interacting with your servers.

Inventory File Examples

INI Format

The INI format is one of the simplest ways to define your inventory. Below are two examples showcasing different use cases.

Example 1: Single Group Inventory

In this example, all servers are grouped under a single [all] group. Each server is defined with specific connection details:

[all]
<server-name> ansible_host=<server-ip> ansible_ssh_pass=<password> ansible_port=<ssh-port> ansible_connection=<connection-type>

<server-name>: A label or hostname for your server.
<server-ip>: The IP address of the server.
ansible_ssh_pass: The SSH password for connecting to the server.
ansible_port: The port used for SSH connections.
ansible_connection: The connection type (e.g., ssh, winrm).

Example 2: Grouped Inventory with Variables

This example demonstrates grouping servers by roles (e.g., web, db, bk). Group-specific variables are defined under [all:vars]:

[all]
<server1-name> ansible_host=<server1-ip>
<server2-name> ansible_host=<server2-ip>
<server3-name> ansible_host=<server3-ip>

[web]
<server1-name>

[db]
<server2-name>

[bk]
<server3-name>

[all:vars]
ansible_user=<username>
ansible_port=<ssh-port>

Groups: Servers are organized into different groups (web, db, bk).
[all:vars]: Common variables for all groups.

YAML Format

The YAML format provides a more structured and readable way to define your inventory, especially useful for larger or more complex environments.

Example: Grouped Inventory with Host-Specific Variables

This example illustrates how to define an inventory with nested groups and host-specific variables:

all:
  children:
    webservers:
      hosts:
        192.168.1.100:
          ansible_port: 22
        192.168.1.110:
          ansible_port: 1357
      vars:
        http_port: 8080
    dbserver:
      hosts:
        db.main.local:
          db_user: admin
          db_pass: secret

children: Groups within the all group, such as webservers and dbserver.
hosts: List of servers under each group, with their specific variables.
vars: Group-specific variables, such as http_port for webservers.

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