How to Setup Ansible Control Node on Azure/AWS/GCP

To setup and install an Ansible Control Node on any of the cloud platforms, the recommended way is to setup a VM using the image available from the marketplace. Ansible is an agentless automation tool that you install on a control node.  From the control node, Ansible manages machines and other devices remotely (by default, over the SSH protocol). Unlike Puppet or Chef, you dont have to set up a client-server environment before using Ansible. You can manage multiple hosts from a central location.  Details below on how to deploy to the cloud:

Install Ansible Control Node

Getting Started

 

Once your Ansible server has been deployed, the following links explain how to connect to a Linux VM:

 

 

Once connected and logged in, you’re ready to start configuring Ansible

Using Ansible

 

Once logged in, to check the version of Ansible, run the following command:

ansible --version

Create a basic inventory

 

Ansible reads information about which machines you want to manage from your inventory. Although you can pass an IP address to an ad hoc command, you need inventory to take advantage of the full flexibility and repeatability of Ansible.

 

Documentation on how to create an inventory, connecting to remote nodes, copying and executing modules and creating playbooks, refer to:

 

https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/user_guide/intro_getting_started.html

Ansible Firewall Ports

 

Ansible uses the following ports to manage your servers (remote nodes):

 

TCP 22 – SSH connections to remote nodes (Linux Servers)

TCP  5986 – HTTPS WinRM connections to remote nodes (Windows Servers)

 

If you are using any of the cloud security groups and need to change / add ports refer to the following guides:

 

To setup AWS firewall rules refer to – AWS Security Groups

To setup Azure firewall rules refer to – Azure Network Security Groups

To setup Google GCP firewall rules refer to – Creating GCP Firewalls

Ansible Documentation / Support

 

Documentation on using Ansible and setting up playbooks and managing nodes etc can be found on:

 

https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/user_guide/index.html

 

If you are experiencing any issues with getting this server working in your environment, contact us and we will get you up and running

 

Disclaimer: This Ansible server image is maintained by Cloud Infrastructure Services and is not sponsored by or affiliated with Red Hat, Inc. Ansible® is a registered trademark owned by RED HAT, INC. in the United States and other countries. and is licensed under GNU General Public license v3.0. No warrantee of any kind, express or implied, is included with this software.

Avatar for Andrew Fitzgerald
Andrew Fitzgerald

Cloud Solution Architect. Helping customers transform their business to the cloud. 20 years experience working in complex infrastructure environments and a Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert on everything Cloud.

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