Top 30 Ansible Interview Questions and Answers 2025

The ansible inventory file defines the hosts and groups that ansible can manage.

• Hosts and groups are defined using INI or YAML syntax

• Hosts can have variables defined for them

• Groups can have child groups and variables defined for them

• Inventory files can be static or dynamic

• Examples: [webservers] web1.example.com web2.example.com [databases] db1.example.com [all:vars] ansible_user=ubuntu

Ansible is a configuration management tool while Docker is a containerization platform.

• Ansible automates software provisioning, configuration management, and application deployment.

• Docker allows developers to package applications and dependencies into containers for easy deployment and scalability.

• Ansible can be used to manage Docker containers and orchestrate container deployments.

• Docker can be used with Ansible to create and manage containerized environments.

• Both Ansible an...read more

Ansible and Terraform are both infrastructure as code tools used for automation and configuration management.

• Ansible is a tool for automating software provisioning, configuration management, and application deployment.

• Terraform is a tool for building, changing, and versioning infrastructure safely and efficiently.

• Ansible uses YAML-based playbooks to define tasks and configurations, while Terraform uses a domain-specific language (DSL) called HCL.

• Both tools are popular in the ...read more

Ansible variables can be used to store and retrieve values in playbooks and templates.

• Variables can be defined in inventory files, playbooks, or roles

• Variables can be accessed using the {{ variable_name }} syntax

• Variables can be set using the set_fact module

• Variables can be passed as arguments to roles or playbooks

• Variables can be used in templates to dynamically generate files

Ansible modules are reusable, standalone scripts that can be used to automate tasks in Ansible.

• Modules are the building blocks of Ansible playbooks

• They can be used to perform specific tasks like installing packages, managing files, or configuring services

• Modules can be written in any language that can return JSON

• Examples of modules include 'yum' for package management, 'copy' for file management, and 'service' for managing services

Ansible is an open-source automation tool used for configuration management, application deployment, and orchestration.

• Ansible uses YAML syntax for its playbooks

• It does not require agents to be installed on managed nodes

• Ansible can automate tasks across multiple servers simultaneously

Error handling in Ansible involves using various modules and strategies to manage and respond to errors during playbook execution.

• Use the 'failed_when' directive in tasks to specify conditions that should result in a task failure.

• Utilize the 'ignore_errors' directive to continue executing tasks even if errors occur.

• Implement error handling with 'rescue' and 'always' blocks in playbooks to handle errors and cleanup tasks.

• Use the 'failed_when' and 'changed_when' directives to c...read more

Ansible script to automate tasks

• Use YAML syntax to define tasks and playbooks

• Utilize Ansible modules for different operations

• Define hosts and groups in inventory file

• Use variables and templates for dynamic configurations

Ansible architecture is based on a client-server model where the control machine communicates with managed nodes using SSH.

• Ansible control machine: where playbooks are written and executed

• Managed nodes: machines that are being managed by Ansible

• Inventory: list of managed nodes

• Playbooks: automation scripts written in YAML format

• Modules: reusable units of code that perform specific tasks on managed nodes

Store ansible secrets securely and trigger pipeline after another

• Use ansible-vault to encrypt sensitive data like passwords and API keys

• Store encrypted secrets in a separate file or in a secure vault

• Use ansible-playbook to trigger pipelines sequentially or use a CI/CD tool like Jenkins for automation

Some common packages used in Ansible are ansible, ansible-lint, ansible-playbook, ansible-vault, and ansible-doc.

• ansible

• ansible-lint

• ansible-playbook

• ansible-vault

• ansible-doc

Dynamic inventory is a feature in Ansible that allows for automatic inventory updates based on external data sources.

• Dynamic inventory can be configured to pull inventory information from sources such as cloud providers, configuration management databases, or custom scripts.

• This allows for more flexible and scalable inventory management, as hosts can be added or removed automatically based on changes in the external data source.

• Dynamic inventory can be configured using plugin...read more

VMs can be created using ansible by defining the virtual machine specifications in a playbook and running it on the target host.

• Define the virtual machine specifications in a playbook using the 'virt' module

• Specify the name, memory, vCPU, disk, network, and other details of the VM in the playbook

• Run the playbook on the target host using the 'ansible-playbook' command

Ansible is an open-source automation tool used for configuration management, application deployment, and task automation.

• Ansible uses YAML syntax to write playbooks

• Playbooks contain a set of tasks to be executed on remote hosts

• Ansible uses SSH protocol to connect and execute tasks on remote hosts

• Playbooks can be used for various tasks such as installing packages, configuring services, and managing users

• Example playbook: - name: Install Apache hosts: webserver become: true tas...read more

Playbook to copy files in Ansible

• Use the 'copy' module in Ansible to copy files

• Specify source and destination paths in the playbook

• Run the playbook using 'ansible-playbook' command

Ansible is an open-source automation tool that simplifies IT orchestration and configuration management.

• Ansible is agentless and uses SSH or WinRM to communicate with remote machines

• It uses YAML syntax for writing playbooks that define the desired state of the system

• Ansible modules are used to perform specific tasks on remote machines

• Some commonly used Ansible commands are ansible-playbook, ansible-galaxy, ansible-vault, etc.

To install Apache Server using Ansible, you can create an Ansible playbook with tasks to install Apache and start the service.

• Create an Ansible playbook with tasks to install Apache Server package (e.g. apache2) using the 'apt' module.

• Include a task to ensure Apache service is started and enabled using the 'service' module.

• Run the playbook using the 'ansible-playbook' command to execute the tasks and install Apache Server.

Ansible works with Windows by using PowerShell remoting and WinRM to manage Windows servers.

• Ansible uses PowerShell remoting and WinRM to communicate with Windows servers.

• It can execute PowerShell scripts and commands on Windows servers.

• Ansible can manage Windows services, install software, and configure Windows settings.

• It supports managing Windows Server, Windows 10, and older versions of Windows.

• Ansible can join Windows machines to a domain, manage Active Directory, and co...read more

Ansible playbooks are YAML files that define a set of tasks to be executed on a target host.

• Playbooks can be used to install software, configure services, and manage files on remote hosts.

• Each playbook can contain multiple plays, each targeting a specific group of hosts.

• Playbooks can also include variables, conditionals, and loops to make them more flexible and reusable.

• Examples of Ansible playbooks include setting up a web server, deploying an application, and configuring ne...read more

Dry run in Ansible is a simulation of playbook execution without making any actual changes on the target hosts.

• Dry run can be performed using the --check flag in ansible-playbook command.

• It allows the user to see what changes would be made without actually applying them.

• Useful for testing playbooks before running them in production environment.

• Example: ansible-playbook playbook.yml --check

Variable precedence in Ansible

• Ansible follows a specific order to determine variable precedence

• Highest precedence: Variables defined in playbooks or roles

• Next: Variables defined in inventory files or inventory plugins

• Then: Variables defined in command line or extra vars

• Lowest precedence: Variables defined in role defaults or inventory group_vars

Docker is a containerization platform used to package and run applications, while Ansible is a configuration management tool used for automating IT infrastructure tasks.

• Docker is used to create containers that encapsulate an application and its dependencies, providing a lightweight and portable environment.

• Ansible is used for automating tasks such as configuration management, application deployment, and orchestration of IT infrastructure.

• Docker containers are isolated environ...read more

Ansible is a configuration management and automation tool, while Terraform is an infrastructure provisioning tool.

• Ansible is used for configuration management, application deployment, and task automation.

• Terraform is used for infrastructure provisioning and managing cloud resources.

• Ansible uses YAML-based playbooks to define tasks and configurations, while Terraform uses HCL (HashiCorp Configuration Language) to define infrastructure as code.

• Ansible is agentless, meaning it d...read more

The command to list all hosts of Ansible inventory is 'ansible-inventory --list'.

• Use the 'ansible-inventory' command

• Add the '--list' option to list all hosts

• The command should be run from the command line

Ansible modules are reusable, standalone scripts that can be used to automate tasks in Ansible.

• Modules are categorized into core modules and extras modules.

• Core modules are included in the Ansible package, while extras modules are available as separate packages.

• Examples of core modules include command, file, and service modules.

• Examples of extras modules include community contributed modules like AWS, Docker, and Git modules.

Roles in Ansible are a way to group tasks, handlers, variables, and other related files together for easier management and reuse.

• Roles help in organizing and structuring Ansible playbooks.

• They promote reusability and modularity by allowing tasks to be grouped together.

• Roles can be shared and reused across different playbooks.

• Each role typically consists of directories like tasks, handlers, templates, vars, and defaults.

• Roles can be installed using Ansible Galaxy or manually c...read more

An Ansible playbook for upgrading Apache

• Use the 'yum' module to update the Apache package

• Restart the Apache service using the 'systemd' module

• Include error handling in case the update fails

Terraform is used for infrastructure provisioning and management, while Ansible is used for configuration management and automation.

• Terraform is used for defining and managing infrastructure as code, focusing on provisioning resources like virtual machines, networks, and storage.

• Ansible is used for configuration management and automation of software deployment, focusing on tasks like installing packages, configuring services, and managing files.

• Terraform uses declarative lang...read more

Modules in Ansible are reusable, standalone scripts that can be used to perform specific tasks.

• Modules can be written in any programming language

• Modules can be executed on remote hosts

• Modules can be used to install packages, manage files, and perform other tasks

• Modules can be found in the Ansible library or created by users

• Examples of modules include apt, yum, and copy

Ansible and Terraform are tools used for automation and infrastructure management.

• Ansible is used for configuration management and automation of IT infrastructure.

• Terraform is used for infrastructure as code and provisioning of resources.

• Both tools can be used together to manage infrastructure and automate deployment.

• Ansible can be used to configure servers and deploy applications, while Terraform can be used to provision the necessary infrastructure.

• For example, Ansible can ...read more