4-Day2-1-WriteYourFirstPlaybook

Hands-on learning with Ansible playbooks

This lab exercise focuses on hands-on learning with Ansible playbooks, enabling participants to gain practical experience in writing, debugging, and executing tasks on remote systems. It includes step-by-step scenarios to build confidence in using Ansible modules and workflows. The exercises are designed for Amazon Linux environments and gradually progress in complexity to ensure thorough understanding.

Objectives:

1. Exercise 1: Explore the debug module to track task execution and understand the dynamic flow of playbooks.

2. Exercise 2: Learn to create directories, manipulate files, copy data, and verify changes using appropriate Ansible modules (file, lineinfile, shell, etc.).

3. Exercise 3: Configure an Apache web server (httpd), modify its content, and apply changes dynamically to demonstrate service management and file operations.

4. Exercise 4: Practice reverting changes by stopping services, uninstalling packages, and cleaning up files using Ansible.

Key Learning Outcomes:

• Gain confidence in writing and executing Ansible playbooks.

• Understand module selection and task sequencing for real-world scenarios.

• Develop troubleshooting skills to identify and resolve issues in playbooks.

• Learn best practices for configuration management and cleanup.

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Exercise 1: Debug Module Playbook

Objective:

Learn to use the debug module to display dynamic messages for tracking playbook execution.

Playbook Details:

1. Location: Save the playbook as ~/day2/debug_playbook.yml.

2. Playbook Structure:

   • Task 1: Display: "First task executed on corresponding hostname: <inventory_hostname>".

   • Task 2: Display: "Second task executed, the uptime of the system is '<actual uptime>'."

     • Hint: Use ansible_facts['uptime'].

   • Task 3: Display: "Third task executed, server time is '<actual server time>'."

     • Hint: Use ansible_date_time.

   • Task 4: Display: "Final task executed. All tasks on '<inventory_hostname>' completed."

Expected Outcome:

Participants will see debug messages in the output for each task executed, showcasing dynamic information.

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Exercise 2: Task-Based Playbook Creation

Objective:

Understand how to build playbooks with multiple tasks, ensuring logical flow and using appropriate modules.

Instructions:

1. Location: Save the playbook as ~/day2/task_playbook.yml.

2. Playbook Structure:

   • Task 1: Create a directory under /tmp/<username> (replace <username> with the participant’s username).

     • Hint: Use the file module.

   • Task 2: Use the lineinfile module to create a file in /tmp/<username> with the content: "File creation completed successfully.".

   • Task 3: Copy a dummy file (dummy.txt) from the jump server to the newly created directory.

     • Ensure participants create the dummy.txt file on the jump server beforehand.

   • Task 4: Use the shell module to execute ls -l on the directory and verify the file's presence.

   • Task 5: Print a message: "All 5 tasks completed successfully."

Additional Instructions:

• No Playbook Solution Provided: Participants must identify and use appropriate modules for each task.

• Encourage participants to explore module documentation if unsure.

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Optional Lab Exercises

Exercise 3: Apache Setup Playbook Enhancement

1. Objective: Modify the existing apache_setup.yml playbook to:

   • Step 1: Request the public IP address of the VM and verify the webpage's accessibility.

   • Step 2: If the webpage doesn’t display, add a task to start the Apache service.

     • Hint: Use the service or systemd module.

   • Step 3: Modify the /var/www/html/index.html to add a second line with content: "Modification with lineinfile worked successfully.".

     • Hint: Use the lineinfile module.

   • Step 4: Add a step to restart the Apache service after the modification.

2. Instructions:

   • Do not provide exact steps; instead, encourage participants to write tasks by exploring module documentation.

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Exercise 4: Revert Changes

1. Objective: Write a new playbook to revert all changes made by apache_setup.yml.

2. Instructions:

   • Reverse the following changes:

     • Remove the second line added to /var/www/html/index.html.

     • Stop and disable the Apache service.

     • Optionally, uninstall the Apache package.

   • Hint: Encourage participants to determine the task order themselves.

3. Expected Outcome:

   • The Apache service should be stopped and disabled.

   • All modifications to index.html should be reverted.

   • Optionally, Apache should be uninstalled.

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Key Learning Outcomes:

• Participants will develop a structured approach to writing playbooks.

• They will gain hands-on experience with frequently used modules (file, lineinfile, service, etc.).

• Troubleshooting and logical thinking will improve as they solve real-world scenarios without direct guidance.