Top 20 Ansible Interview Questions and Answers

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 c...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_fac...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

Write Terraform and Ansible script

• Use Terraform to provision infrastructure resources like virtual machines, networks, and storage

• Use Ansible to configure and manage software on the provisioned infrastructure

• Create a Terraform script to deploy a virt...read more

Ansible is a configuration management tool, while Jenkins is a continuous integration and continuous deployment tool.

• Ansible is used for configuration management and automation of tasks, while Jenkins is used for automating the build, test, and deplo...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

• Inven...read more

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 depen...read more

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 sequentia...read more

Ansible files are typically saved in a version control system like Git for easy access and collaboration.

• Save ansible files in a version control system like Git

• Create separate repositories for different projects or roles

• Organize files into directorie...read more

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 data...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, netwo...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

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 ...read more

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 m...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

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 spe...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 ac...read more

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 comman...read more

Ansible server maintains the inventory in a file called 'hosts' by default.

• Ansible server maintains the inventory in a file called 'hosts' by default

• The 'hosts' file can be located in the /etc/ansible/ directory or specified using the -i option

• Invent...read more

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 ma...read more

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 separa...read more

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 c...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...read more