Ansible is an open
source IT configuration management (CM) and automation
platform, provided by Red Hat. It uses human-readable YAML templates
so that users can program repetitive tasks to occur automatically, without
learning an advanced language.
Ansible replaces ad hoc scripting or
manual CM with an automated and repeatable process. The tool pushes application
code, programs and IT infrastructure setup instructions via modules to managed
nodes, whether physical servers, virtual machines (VMs) or cloud instances. The
tool also gives users the option to invert its setup to a pull architecture,
where managed nodes request instructions from the tool, typically done to
enable scaling.
Ansible components
An Ansible user sets up
instructions as commands or packages them into reusable plays, executed in
playbooks. Ansible performs an orchestration function, giving the user control
over the order in which it carries out automated steps.
Ansible is agentless, meaning
that it does not install software on the nodes that it manages. This removes a
potential point of failure and security vulnerability and simultaneously saves
system resources.
The CM tool integrates
with other systems management and hosting technologies, including asset
libraries, monitoring and collaboration software, and cloud and virtualization
platforms. Ansible can control Windows systems using Windows Remote Management
(WinRM). The Ansible control node must be Linux, with Python 2.6 or
greater.
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