Ansible playbooks run multiple tasks, assign roles, and define configurations, deployment steps, and variables. If you’re using multiple servers, Ansible playbooks organize the steps between the assembled machines or servers and get them organized and running in the way the users need them to. Consider playbooks as the equivalent of instruction manuals.

Task 1

Write an Ansible playbook to create a file on a different server

• Create a playbook file for creating a file on the server.

  

• Execute the playbook using the ansible-playbook command followed by the playbook filename.

    ansible-playbook file-name.yml -i <inventory-file-path> --private-key=<private-key-path>
  

  

• Check the file if it is created on the server.

  

Write an Ansible playbook to create a new user.

• Create a playbook file to create a user on the server.

  

• Execute the playbook using the ansible-playbook command followed by the playbook filename.

    ansible-playbook file-name.yml -i <inventory-file-path> --private-key=<private-key-path>
  

  

• Check the user on the server if it is created.

  

Write an Ansible playbook to install docker on a group of servers

• Create a playbook file to install the docker on the server.

  

• Execute the playbook using the ansible-playbook command followed by the playbook filename.

    ansible-playbook file-name.yml -i <inventory-file-path> --private-key=<private-key-path>
  

  

• Verify that docker is installed on the server.

  

Task 2

Write a blog about writing Ansible playbooks with the best practices.

Ansible playbooks are YAML files that define a set of tasks and configurations to be executed on remote systems. Playbooks allow you to automate various infrastructure management tasks, such as provisioning servers, configuring services, deploying applications, and more.

Here are a few examples of Ansible playbooks to demonstrate their usage:

Installing Packages

---
- name: Install packages
  hosts: web_servers
  become: true
  tasks:
    - name: Update package cache
      apt:
        update_cache: yes
      when: ansible_os_family == 'Debian'

    - name: Install nginx
      apt:
        name: nginx
        state: present
      when: ansible_os_family == 'Debian'

    - name: Install httpd
      yum:
        name: httpd
        state: present
      when: ansible_os_family == 'RedHat'

In this example, the playbook installs the Nginx package on Debian-based systems and the Apache HTTP server package on Red Hat-based systems.

Configuring Services

---
- name: Configure Nginx
  hosts: web_servers
  become: true
  tasks:
    - name: Copy Nginx configuration file
      copy:
        src: nginx.conf
        dest: /etc/nginx/nginx.conf
      notify: restart nginx

  handlers:
    - name: restart nginx
      service:
        name: nginx
        state: restarted

This playbook copies a customized Nginx configuration file to the remote servers and triggers a restart of the Nginx service by notifying the handler.

Deploying Applications

---
- name: Deploy myapp
  hosts: app_servers
  become: true
  tasks:
    - name: Clone Git repository
      git:
        repo: https://github.com/myusername/myapp.git
        dest: /var/www/myapp
        version: master

    - name: Install application dependencies
      command: npm install
      args:
        chdir: /var/www/myapp

    - name: Start the application
      command: npm start
      args:
        chdir: /var/www/myapp

This playbook clones a Git repository, installs application dependencies using npm, and starts the application.

User Management

---
- name: Create user accounts
  hosts: all
  become: true
  vars:
    users:
      - username: user1
        password: "{{ 'user1_password' | password_hash('sha512') }}"
      - username: user2
        password: "{{ 'user2_password' | password_hash('sha512') }}"
  tasks:
    - name: Create user accounts
      user:
        name: "{{ item.username }}"
        password: "{{ item.password }}"
        state: present
      with_items: "{{ users }}"

This playbook creates user accounts on all hosts specified in the inventory file, with defined usernames and hashed passwords.

Firewall Configuration

---
- name: Configure firewall
  hosts: web_servers
  become: true
  vars:
    allowed_ports:
      - 80
      - 443
  tasks:
    - name: Allow incoming HTTP and HTTPS traffic
      ufw:
        rule: allow
        port: "{{ item }}"
      with_items: "{{ allowed_ports }}"

This playbook uses the ufw module to allow incoming HTTP (port 80) and HTTPS (port 443) traffic on web servers.

Database Backup

---
- name: Backup database
  hosts: db_servers
  become: true
  tasks:
    - name: Stop database service
      service:
        name: mysql
        state: stopped

    - name: Backup database
      command: mysqldump -u root -p{{ db_password }} my_database > /tmp/my_database_backup.sql
      args:
        warn: false

    - name: Start database service
      service:
        name: mysql
        state: started

This playbook stops the MySQL service and takes a database backup using mysqldump, and then starts the service again on database servers.

Thank you for reading!!
~Shreya Gupta

Great initiative by the #trainwithshubham community. Thank you Shubham Londhe

#devops #90daysofdevops #ansible #ansibleplaybooks