Ansible

Ansible is an automation tool for configuration management, application deployment, and task automation using YAML playbooks.

What is Ansible?

Ansible is an open-source IT automation platform that automates cloud provisioning, configuration management, and application deployment. It uses human-readable YAML syntax and operates without requiring agents on managed systems.

Ansible Concepts

Playbook: YAML file containing automation tasks
Inventory: List of managed hosts
Module: Unit of work (package, service, file)
Role: Reusable collection of tasks and files
Task: Single action to perform
Handler: Action triggered by task changes

Ansible Architecture

Control node pushes configurations to managed nodes over SSH (Linux) or WinRM (Windows), no agent required.

Common Misconceptions

"Ansible requires agents" - Agentless by design
"Ansible is only for Linux" - Supports Windows too
"Playbooks must be complex" - Start simple, grow as needed