Demystifying Ansible Automation Platform

Explore Ansible Automation Platform and understand how the different pieces interact to standardize and scale automation Key FeaturesCurated by a senior consultant at Red Hat with real-world examples to maximize use of Ansible Automation PlatformUse roles and modules to create interactive playbooks in Ansible Automation PlatformDiscover best practices for simplifying management of Ansible Automation PlatformBook Description While you can use any automation software to simplify task automation, scaling automation to suit your growing business needs becomes difficult using only a command-line tool. Ansible Automation Platform standardizes how automation is deployed, initiated, delegated, and audited, and this comprehensive guide shows you how you can simplify and scale its management. The book starts by taking you through the ways to get Ansible Automation Platform installed, their pros and cons, and the initial configuration. You'll learn about each object in the platform, how it interacts with other objects, as well as best practices for defining and managing objects to save time. You'll see how to maintain the created pieces with infrastructure as code. As you advance, you'll monitor workflows with CI/CD playbooks and understand how Ansible Automation Platform integrates with many other services such as GitLab and GitHub. By the end of this book, you'll have worked through real-world examples to make the most of the platform while learning how to manipulate, manage, and deploy any playbook to Ansible Automation Platform. What you will learnGet the hang of different parts of Ansible Automation Platform and their maintenanceBack up and restore an installation of Ansible Automation PlatformLaunch and configure basic and advanced workflows and jobsCreate your own execution environment using CI/CD pipelinesInteract with Git, Red Hat Authentication Server, and logging servicesIntegrate the Automation controller with services catalogUse Automation Mesh to scale Automation ControllerWho this book is for This book is for IT administrators, DevOps engineers, cloud engineers, and automation engineers seeking to understand and maintain the controller part of Ansible Automation Platform. If you have basic knowledge of Ansible, can set up a virtual machine, or have OpenShift experience, and want to know more about scaling Ansible, this book is for you.

Get enterprise framework for building and operating IT automation at scale, from networking to operations KEY FEATURES ● Efficient application deployment using Ansible playbooks, content creation, and containerized workflows. ● Use Hybrid cloud environments with Kubernetes for scalable containerized applications. ● Get Architectural insight into Ansible Automation Platform. ● Dashboard management with Ansible Tower dashboard for efficient platform administration. DESCRIPTION This book equips you to revolutionize operations across Cloud Infrastructure, Applications, Networks, Containers, and Security. From foundational concepts to advanced strategies, the readers will navigate Ansible Automation intricacies, covering architecture, syntax, and installation scenarios, including single-machine setups and high-availability clusters. Authentication mastery encompasses Role-Based Access Controls (RBAC) and external authentication, ensuring a secure user management foundation. System administration intricacies, such as metrics, logging, performance monitoring, and backup strategies, are explored, providing readers with holistic insights. Application deployment takes center stage in this book, emphasizing creating Ansible playbooks and content, automating deployment processes, and managing container applications. The book explores hybrid cloud environments, integrating Ansible with Kubernetes to manage applications across major cloud providers. The concluding chapter encapsulates key learnings, offering a reflective mastery of the Ansible Automation Platform. This guide provides practical skills for designing, deploying, and orchestrating end-to-end automation. WHAT YOU WILL LEARN ● Automate security patching for enhanced system uptime and resilience. ● Orchestrate multi-cloud deployments with unified playbooks for consistent and efficient control. ● Apply RBAC for secure collaboration and auditable workflows. ● Integrate metrics and logs for actionable insights and optimized automation workflows. ● Implement granular user roles and permissions for access control and team collaboration. WHO THIS BOOK IS FOR This book is for IT operations teams, Automation engineers, DevOps engineers, Sysadmins, Software development teams, and cloud management teams with prior knowledge of the basics of Ansible. TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Getting Started with the Ansible Automation Platform 2. Ansible Automation Platform Architecture 3. Platform Installation Scenarios 4. First Steps 5. Settings and Authentication 6. IT Operations 7. App Deployments 8. Hybrid Cloud and Kubernetes 9. Automate IT Processes 10. Wrap-Up

Learn the Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform with some real-life examples. As an expert in Ansible automation with over a decade of experience, I can confidently say that the Ansible Automation Platform is an excellent solution for automating IT infrastructure management. The installation process is straightforward and requires key steps to ensure successful implementation. The first step in installing the Ansible Automation Platform is setting up the necessary dependencies, which include installing Python and its related libraries. These dependencies are essential to the proper functioning of the platform, and it is crucial to ensure that they are installed correctly. Next, the Ansible Automation Platform packages are installed, which include the control node, the managed node, and the web-based interface. The control node executes Ansible playbooks, while the managed nodes are Ansible-managed systems. The web-based interface provides a user-friendly interface for managing Ansible operations. It is essential to ensure that the control node and managed nodes are correctly configured to prevent any operational issues. This includes setting up access control and security measures to protect sensitive information. One of the key benefits of the Ansible Automation Platform is its compatibility with various operating systems, including Linux, macOS, and Windows. This allows for greater flexibility in deployment and ensures that the platform can be implemented in virtually any environment. In conclusion, installing the Ansible Automation Platform is a critical step in automating IT infrastructure management. By following the proper installation procedures and configuring the platform to meet the organization's specific needs, the Ansible Automation Platform can greatly enhance productivity and streamline IT operations.

Leverage the power of Ansible to gain complete control over your systems and automate deployments along with implementing configuration changes Key Features Orchestrate major cloud platforms such as OpenStack, AWS, and Azure Use Ansible to automate network devices Automate your containerized workload with Docker, Podman, or Kubernetes Purchase of the print or Kindle book includes a free PDF eBook Book DescriptionAnsible empowers you to automate a myriad of tasks, including software provisioning, configuration management, infrastructure deployment, and application rollouts. It can be used as a deployment tool as well as an orchestration tool. While Ansible provides simple yet powerful features to automate multi-layer environments using agentless communication, it can also solve other critical IT challenges, such as ensuring continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD) with zero downtime. In this book, you'll work with the latest release of Ansible and learn how to solve complex issues quickly with the help of task-oriented scenarios. You'll start by installing and configuring Ansible on Linux and macOS to automate monotonous and repetitive IT tasks and learn concepts such as playbooks, inventories, and roles. As you progress, you'll gain insight into the YAML syntax and learn how to port between Ansible versions. Additionally, you'll understand how Ansible enables you to orchestrate multi-layer environments such as networks, containers, and the cloud. By the end of this Ansible book, you'll be well versed in writing playbooks and other related Ansible code to overcome all your IT challenges, from infrastructure-as-a-code provisioning to application deployments and handling mundane day-to-day maintenance tasks.What you will learn Explore the fundamentals of the Ansible framework Understand how collections enhance your automation efforts Avoid common mistakes and pitfalls when writing automation code Extend Ansible by developing your own modules and plugins Contribute to the Ansible project by submitting your own code Follow best practices for working with cloud environment inventories Troubleshoot issues triggered during Ansible playbook runs Who this book is forThis book is for DevOps engineers, administrators, or any IT professionals looking to automate IT tasks using Ansible. Prior knowledge of Ansible is not a prerequisite.

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Learn how to automate and manage your IT infrastructure and applications using Ansible Key FeaturesDevelop Ansible automation use cases by automating day-to-day IT and application operationsUse Ansible to automate private and public cloud, application containers, and container platformsImprove your DevOps workflow with AnsibleBook Description Get ready to leverage the power of Ansible's wide applicability to automate and manage IT infrastructure with Ansible for Real-Life Automation. This book will guide you in setting up and managing the free and open source automation tool and remote-managed nodes in the production and dev/staging environments. Starting with its installation and deployment, you'll learn automation using simple use cases in your workplace. You'll go beyond just Linux machines to use Ansible to automate Microsoft Windows machines, network devices, and private and public cloud platforms such as VMWare, AWS, and GCP. As you progress through the chapters, you'll integrate Ansible into your DevOps workflow and deal with application container management and container platforms such as Kubernetes. This Ansible book also contains a detailed introduction to Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform to help you get up to speed with Red Hat AAP and integration with CI/CD and ITSM. What's more, you'll implement efficient automation solutions while learning best practices and methods to secure sensitive data using Ansible Vault and alternatives to automate non-supported platforms and operations using raw commands, command modules, and REST API calls. By the end of this book, you'll be proficient in identifying and developing real-life automation use cases using Ansible. What you will learnExplore real-life IT automation use cases and employ Ansible for automationDevelop playbooks with best practices for production environmentsApproach different automation use cases with the most suitable methodsUse Ansible for infrastructure management and automate VMWare, AWS, and GCPIntegrate Ansible with Terraform, Jenkins, OpenShift, and KubernetesManage container platforms such as Kubernetes and OpenShift with AnsibleGet to know the Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform and its capabilitiesWho this book is for This book is for DevOps and systems engineers looking to adopt Ansible as their automation tool. To get started with this book, basic knowledge of Linux is necessary, along with an understanding of how tasks are done the manual way before setting out to automate them.

Learn how to write and run Ansible Playbooks, from the basics to launching complex multi-tier applications across public cloud platforms such as Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure Key Features Write roles to automate everything, from basic apps to the entire cloud infrastructure Leverage Ansible's module ecosystem to streamline tasks across cloud platforms, operating systems, and apps Adopt DevOps practices and integrate Ansible with CI/CD platforms to streamline automation workflows Purchase of the print or Kindle book includes a free PDF eBook Book DescriptionAre you tired of manually deploying and managing your infrastructure and looking for ways to streamline your deployments, introduce consistency and collaboration, and save time? If so, then Learn Ansible is for you. Written by a DevOps practitioner and system administrator with 30+ years of experience, this book will teach you how to automate repetitive tasks and effortlessly manage several resources from a single code base. From installing Ansible and writing your first playbook to deploying multi-tier applications across different cloud platforms, this book will take you on an exciting learning journey. By learning the art of defining highly available cloud infrastructure using code, you’ll find it easy to distribute configurations alongside your application. You’ll explore Ansible Galaxy, learn about community-contributed Ansible roles, and discover how to create and share your own roles. Later, the book delves into the capabilities of Ansible AWX and integrating Ansible with your CI/CD pipelines, using Azure DevOps and GitHub Actions. With real-world examples and hands-on tutorials, you’ll build a solid foundation to tackle any automation project. By the end of this book, you'll be able to confidently implement Ansible in your environment and day-to-day workflows, taking your deployments to the next level.What you will learn Understand how to install and configure Ansible on Linux, macOS, and Windows Write Ansible playbooks to automate system configuration and deployment Deploy applications such as LAMP stacks and WordPress using Ansible Create reusable roles and use Ansible Galaxy for sharing Automate infrastructure deployments on cloud platforms such as AWS and Azure Execute your Ansible playbooks with GitHub Actions and Azure DevOps Scan playbooks for security issues and secure systems using Ansible Centralize and manage Ansible deployments using Ansible AWX Who this book is for Learn Ansible is for system administrators, developers, and infrastructure engineers who want to implement infrastructure automation and configuration management using Ansible. The hands-on tutorials make this book ideal for both beginners as well as intermediate users looking to take their Ansible skills to the next level. Technology professionals working with public cloud platforms like AWS and Azure will also find valuable insights into automating deployments.

Unleash the Power of Automation: Your Guide to Ansible Mastery KEY FEATURES ● Comprehensive coverage of Ansible essentials and practical applications in Linux and Windows environments. ● Step-by-step guidance for setting up and configuring Ansible environments. ● In-depth exploration of playbook development for automating configuration management, deployment, and orchestration tasks. ● Advanced techniques for leveraging Ansible Automation Platform and Morpheus for enhanced performance. ● Troubleshooting strategies and best practices to overcome roadblocks in Ansible implementation. ● Enhance Ansible workflows with troubleshooting, best practices, and integrations for optimal performance and expand capabilities in configuration management, GUI, RBAC, and third-party systems. DESCRIPTION Hands-on Ansible Automation is a comprehensive guide by expert Luca Berton that equips readers with the skills to proficiently automate configuration management, deployment, and orchestration tasks. Starting with Ansible basics, the book covers workflow, architecture, and environment setup, progressing to executing core tasks such as provisioning, configuration management, application deployment, automation, and orchestration. Advanced topics include Ansible Automation Platform, Morpheus, cloud computing (with an emphasis on Amazon Web Services), and Kubernetes container orchestration. The book addresses common challenges, offers best practices for successful automation implementation, and guides readers in developing a beginner-friendly playbook using Ansible code. With Ansible's widespread adoption and market demand, this guide positions readers as sought-after experts in infrastructure automation. Suitable for system administrators, network administrators, developers, and managers, this book empowers readers to revolutionize IT operations, unlocking new levels of efficiency and productivity. Embrace Ansible automation today and transform the way you work. WHAT YOU WILL LEARN ● Gain a comprehensive knowledge of Ansible and its practical applications in Linux and Windows environments. ● Set up and configure Ansible environments, execute automation tasks, and manage configurations. ● Deploy applications and orchestrate complex workflows using Ansible. ● Learn advanced techniques such as utilizing the Ansible Automation Platform for improved performance. ● Acquire troubleshooting skills, implement best practices, and design efficient playbooks to streamline operations. ● Revolutionize infrastructure management, automate routine tasks, and achieve unprecedented efficiency and scalability within organizations. WHO THIS BOOK IS FOR This book is targeted towards beginners as well as developers who wish to learn and extract the best out of Ansible for automating their tasks. Whether you are a system administrator, network administrator, developer, or manager, this book caters to all audiences involved in IT operations. No prior knowledge of Ansible is required as the book starts with the basics and gradually progresses to advanced topics. However, familiarity with Linux, command-line interfaces, and basic system administration concepts would be beneficial. By the end of the book, readers will have a solid foundation in Ansible and be ready to implement automation solutions in their organizations. TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Introduction to Ansible Automation 2. Ansible Basics and Core Concepts 3. Extending Ansible’s Capabilities 4. Managing Linux Systems with Ansible 5. Automating Windows Infrastructure with Ansible 6. Troubleshooting Ansible Deployments 7. Scaling Up with Ansible Enterprise 8. Advanced Ansible Techniques