Ansible Beginners Guide

In this project we will setup virtual machine (Server and Client), Create Ansible roles, write ansible playbook and deploy it on client machine.

Getting Started-

1. Setup Virtual Machines (Server and Client) and Establishing connections-

First Create atleast two virtual machine (Linux Recommended) in your computer
Connect both virtual machine with main machine (your computer) by using SSH Putty

You can directly use VM1 as server to control client (VM2) or You can establish connection with your VMs to your main machine by using putty.
Install ansible on VM 1 (Virtual Machine 1). Installation Guide
```
  yum install ansible -y
```

Once done, now go to following directory in VM 1

[root@localhost etc]# tree ansible
ansible
|-- ansible.cfg
|-- hosts
|-- main.yml
`-- roles

Now first of all edit "hosts" file with any editor
- Note the ip of virtual machine 2 and add it on the bottom of hosts file
- You can direcly paste ip or you can add multiples ip address by grouping them. Example-
i) Add ip address directly
```
 192.168.248.129
```
ii) Add group of ip address (You can also create multiple groups). You can add any name you want.
```
 [app_group]
 192.168.248.129
 192.168.248.130
 192.168.248.131
```
Now test whether connection is established or not from virtual machine 1.
```
  ansible app_group -m ping
```
If connection established you will get success ping
NOTE: (Optional)

'If you want to create your own "hosts" file in some other directory then you need to uncomment "Inventory" in "ansible.cfg" file and add your hosts file directory.'

ansible.cfg-
```
You can also specify your hosts file location in command instead of "ansible.cfg" file.
Command- "ansible app_group -i /root/custom_hosts -m ping
```

2. Create Ansible Roles-

First of all we will create ansible role.

Create ansible roles with ansible-galaxy (ansible-galaxy) will automatically create whole structure for us. We will create apache roles under default directory. Command-

  ansible-galaxy init /etc/ansible/roles/apache -offline

This will create apache roles under roles directory. The tree structure is-

    [root@localhost roles]# tree apache
    apache
    |-- defaults
    |   `-- main.yml
    |-- files
    |-- handlers
    |   `-- main.yml
    |-- meta
    |   `-- main.yml
    |-- README.md
    |-- tasks
    |   `-- main.yml
    |-- templates
    |-- tests
    |   |-- inventory
    |   `-- test.yml
    `-- vars
        `-- main.yml

3. Create Playbook-

Now create following files under tasks, files, handlers and meta directory. These files can be found in above project. You need to edit and create only fillowing files-

You can clone this project and use these files or codes-
- Create main.yml, configure.yml, install.yml, service.yml in "tasks" directory
- create main.yml in "handler" directory
- Create httpd.original, index.html in files directory
- Create main.yml in "meta" directory `Once you create all these files, your project should look like these.
```
[root@localhost roles]# tree apache
apache
|-- defaults
|   `-- main.yml
|-- files
|   |-- httpd.original
|   `-- index.html
|-- handlers
|   `-- main.yml
|-- meta
|   `-- main.yml
|-- README.md
|-- tasks
|   |-- configure.yml
|   |-- install.yml
|   |-- main.yml
|   `-- service.yml
|-- templates
|-- tests
|   |-- inventory
|   `-- test.yml
`-- vars
    `-- main.yml
```

Now use this playbook (created in step 2) by creating "runsetup.yml" in ansible dirctory

---
 - hosts: app_group
   roles:
   - apache

And your ansible directrory should look like this-

   ansible
   |-- ansible.cfg
   |-- hosts
   |-- main.yml
   |-- roles
   |   `-- apache
   |       |-- defaults
   |       |   `-- main.yml
   |       |-- files
   |       |   |-- httpd.original
   |       |   `-- index.html
   |       |-- handlers
   |       |   `-- main.yml
   |       |-- meta
   |       |   `-- main.yml
   |       |-- README.md
   |       |-- tasks
   |       |   |-- configure.yml
   |       |   |-- install.yml
   |       |   |-- main.yml
   |       |   `-- service.yml
   |       |-- templates
   |       |-- tests
   |       |   |-- inventory
   |       |   `-- test.yml
   |       `-- vars
   |           `-- main.yml
   `-- runsetup.yml

   10 directories, 17 files

4. Deploy on Client Machine-

Now deploy runsetup, run following command-
```
ansible-playbook runsetup.yml
```
Done, now you can check whether everything is working or not?
- Go to VM 2 (Suppose ip of VM 2 is 192.168.0.3)
- Open terminal and run following commands.
Check httpd installed or not
```
rpmquery httpd
```
verify service is started or not?
```
systemctl status httpd
```
Access index.html (Webpage)
```
elinks http://192.168.0.3
```
That's it for Ansible Getting Started :smiley: :thumbsup:

Dipeshpal / Ansible-Beginners-Guide