Ansible - Variables

Ansible - Variables🔰

Automation makes it easy to repeat things, but not all systems are the same. Variables in playbooks are very similar to variables in other programming languages. Useful for assigning values ​​to variables and using them anywhere in your playbook. You can add a condition to the value of your variable and use it in your playbook accordingly.

Before you can start using variables, you need to know valid variable names. Variable names must consist of letters, numbers, and underscores. Variables must always begin with a letter.

List variables📃

A list variable is a combination of a variable name and multiple values. Various values ​​can be stored as an itemized list or in square brackets [] separated by commas.

Defining variables as lists✨

You can interpret variables with multiple values using YAML lists. For example:

region:
  - northwest
  - southeast
  - mideast

Registering variables💠

You can use the task keyword register to create variables from the output of Ansible tasks. Registered variables are available for later tasks in the game. For example:
 

- hosts: webservers
  tasks:
     - name: Run command and register its output as a variable
       ansible.builtin.shell: /usr/bin/foo
       register: foo_results
       ignore_errors: true
     - name: Run a shell command using the output of the previous task
       ansible.builtin.shell: /usr/bin/bar
       when: foo_results.rc == 5

Registered variables are stored in memory. Registered variables cannot be cached for use in future games. Registered variables are valid only for the rest of the current playbook running on the host.

Variables Defined in a Playbook🔖

In a playbook, it's possible to define variables directly inline like so:

- hosts: webservers
  vars:
    http_port: 8080

This can be good as it's right there when you read the playbook.

Other components of Ansible

Ansible - Playbooks📑

Ansible Playbooks offer a repeatable, reusable, simple configuration management and multi-machine deployment system that is well suited to deploying complex applications. If you need Ansible to run a task multiple times, create a playbook and put it under source control. You can then use playbooks to publish new configurations or check configurations on remote systems.

Playbooks are expressed in YAML format with minimal syntax. The playbook runs from top to bottom. Each game's tasks are also executed from top to bottom.

Error Handling in Ansible Playbook ✅

Managing errors is one of the significant challenges while working with any code; the same goes with ansible. 

It has ways of handling errors; whenever ansible encounters an error, it stops the execution by default like most programming languages. It throws an error, and in most cases, these errors leave the hosts in an undesirable state.

Ansible - Tower🗼

Ansible Tower is an enterprise version of Ansible that helps organizations and teams scale quickly and effectively. Costs are associated with deploying, installing, and deploying the software in your environment.

Ansible Tower is a web-based solution that makes Ansible even easier for IT teams of all kinds.

Ansible - Roles📇

Ansible roles allow you to develop reusable automation components by grouping and encapsulating related automation artifacts, like configuration files, templates, tasks, and handlers. Because roles isolate these components, it's easier to reuse them and share them with others. 

Roles are the primary mechanism for splitting playbooks into multiple files. This simplifies the creation of complex playbooks and makes them easier to reuse. Breaking a playbook allows you to split the playbook into reusable components.

Ansible - Tags🏷️

If the playbook is extensive, it's helpful to be able to run only certain parts of the playbook instead of running the entire playbook. For this reason, Ansible supports the "tags:" attribute.

Tags can be applied to many constructs in Ansible, but their most straightforward usage is for single tasks. 

Frequently asked questions🤔❓

Which areas can Ansible target for automation?

Ansible can target automating IT environments, like cloud, servers, or virtualization platforms, irrespective of where they are hosted. It can also automate a wide range of systems configuration and devices such as networks, databases, firewalls, storage devices, and more.

How many core modules does Ansible consist of?

Ansible has around 450 modules that can be used to automate nearly every part of your environment.

Does Ansible need coding?

Ansible doesn't require any coding knowledge. It can be used to perform basic tasks such as rebooting from the command line or ensuring that a service is operating. 

What are Ansible tasks?

Tasks are action units that help break a configuration policy into smaller code files. These blocks are used in automating a process like installing a package or updating software.

How many types of Ansible modules are present?

Core Modules - These modules come with Ansible itself. The issues that are reported are fixed on priority.

Extras Modules - These are used less frequently, and issues reported will be updated on low priority.

Conclusion🏁

In this article, we have discussed most of the vital things you need to know about Ansible and its components. Also, Look into Introduction to Ansible, Ansible Doc, Ansible - Block, Ansible - awx, and Ansible - Interview Questions. 

Thank you 

Happy Learning!