Top Ansible Interview Questions for Beginners in 2024

What is Ansible?

Ansible is an open-source automation tool made for managing infrastructure as code, deploying applications, automating tasks, and managing configurations. By automating repetitive operations, it enables developers and IT administrators to manage systems consistently and effectively.

In IT contexts, Ansible is frequently used to automate processes like configuration management, software installation and upgrades, server provisioning, and more. Its ease of use, scalability, and adaptability in managing applications and infrastructure have led to its rise in popularity.

How does Ansible work?

Ansible is an automation tool that operates by establishing a connection with remote hosts using SSH (Secure Shell) protocol, then carrying out playbook-defined tasks or ad hoc command execution.

How to install Ansible on a Linux-based system?

Ansible can be installed using any Package Management(yum, apt) command in Linux-based systems.

Example 1:

#sudo yum install ansible

Example 2:

#sudo apt install ansible

What are the playbook and roles in Ansible?

Playbooks and roles are core Ansible concepts that aid in structuring and organizing automation tasks.

Playbooks:

Ansible playbooks are YAML files that specify a sequence of actions to be carried out on remote hosts. Playbooks are used to automate and coordinate a variety of IT tasks. Many plays can be found in a playbook, and each play has a set of assignments.

This is how a playbook is organized in its simplest form:

---
- name: Example Playbook
  hosts: target_servers
  become: yes
  tasks:
    - name: Ensure the Nginx package is installed
      apt:
        name: nginx
        state: present

    - name: Copy a configuration file
      copy:
        src: /path/to/nginx.conf
        dest: /etc/nginx/nginx.conf
      notify: Restart Nginx
  handlers:
    - name: Restart Nginx
      service:
        name: nginx
        state: restarted

In the above example:

hosts: Specifies the target hosts or groups of hosts where the tasks will be executed.

tasks: contains a list of things that need to be done. Every job usually designates a desired state for a system and correlates to a module.

handlers: includes tasks that are programmed to execute only in response to changes. Usually, handlers are used to do tasks like restarting a service following a configuration modification.

Roles:

Playbooks can be structured and arranged using roles. With their help, you can divide up difficult automation jobs into modular and reusable parts. A collection of variables, files, and templates arranged in a certain directory structure is called a role. Subdirectories for tasks, handlers, defaults, templates, and other components are usually included in the directory structure of a role.

This is an example of an Ansible role’s streamlined directory structure:

my_role/
|-- tasks/
|   |-- main.yml
|-- handlers/
|   |-- main.yml
|-- defaults/
|   |-- main.yml
|-- templates/
|-- files/
|-- vars/
|   |-- main.yml
|-- meta/
|   |-- main.yml

tasks/main.yml: Contains the main tasks of the role.
handlers/main.yml: Contains handlers that can be notified by tasks.
defaults/main.yml: Defines default variables for the role.
templates/: Stores template files that can be used for tasks.
files/: Contains static files that can be copied to the target hosts.
vars/main.yml: Defines additional variables for the role.
meta/main.yml: Describes metadata about the role, such as dependencies.

What are modules in Ansible?

Modules are stand-alone scripts used by Ansible to carry out tasks. Modules are used to handle various operations like file copying, program installation, service management, and more. They offer a means of communicating with distant systems and executing particular tasks. Since Ansible modules use the standard JSON format for communication with the Ansible controller, they can be built in any programming language.

List a few modules in Ansible?

Ansible provides a wide range of modules to perform various tasks on remote hosts. Here are a few examples of commonly used Ansible modules:

1. apt: Manages packages on Debian and Ubuntu-based systems.
2. yum: Manages packages on Red Hat-based systems.
3. copy: Copies files from the control node to remote hosts.
4. template: Copies template files to remote hosts with variable substitution.
5. service: Manages services on Linux systems.
6. user: Manages user accounts on remote hosts.
7. command: Executes commands on remote hosts.
8. shell: Executes shell commands on remote hosts.
9. file: Manages files and directories on remote hosts.
10. notify: Notifies handlers to run after a task changes the system state.

You can find more modules here.

What are groups in Ansible?

Groups are used in Ansible to categorize and arrange hosts, allowing you to apply settings and carry out operations on particular groups of hosts. Groups offer an efficient means of managing and organizing connected hosts according to their responsibilities, functions, or any other specified criteria. Host grouping facilitates easier maintenance and organization of Ansible playbooks and inventory files.

There are two types of groups, static and dynamic groups.

What are some key components of Ansible?

Ansible is made up of a few essential parts that combine to manage configurations, automate IT activities, and organize intricate workflows. The main parts of Ansible consist of:

Control Node: The computer used to write, configure, and run playbooks as well as execute Ansible instructions is known as the control node.

Inventory: The hosts (servers or network devices) that Ansible maintains are listed in the inventory.

Playbooks: YAML, or Yet Another Markup Language, is used to write playbooks, which provide several tasks, configurations, and play-level parameters.

Roles: Playbooks can be arranged and structured using roles in a modular and reusable approach.

Modules: Modules are small, standalone scripts that Ansible uses to perform specific tasks on remote hosts.

Tasks: Tasks are discrete work units found in a playbook. Usually, each task is associated with a module and denotes a certain activity that needs to be carried out on the remote hosts.

Handlers: Handlers are special tasks that are only executed if they are notified of other tasks. They are commonly used for actions that should occur in response to a change in state, such as restarting a service after a configuration change.

What is an adhoc command in Ansible?

An ad-hoc command in Ansible is a one-time command that can be run directly from the command line without requiring a playbook. Ad-hoc commands come in handy when needing to quickly complete tasks or run basic operations on remote hosts. Without having to deal with the hassle of writing and maintaining entire playbooks, they offer a practical means of interacting with remote systems.

Syntax for an adhoc command:

ansible <pattern> -m <module> -a "<module_arguments>"

<pattern>: Specifies the target hosts or groups of hosts using patterns or names defined in the inventory.

-m <module>: Specifies the Ansible module to use for the command.

-a "<module_arguments>": Specifies the arguments or parameters for the module.

What is the Ansible Galaxy?

Ansible Galaxy is a command-line utility and web-based platform for managing, distributing, and finding Ansible roles. Ansible roles provide a reusable and shareable structure for grouping and packaging automation information. Ansible Galaxy offers a central location for users to search for, share, and work together on Ansible roles.

Learn more about Ansible