Ansible
In the realm of DevOps and automation, I've embarked on a journey exploring various configuration management and orchestration tools. Over the years, I've worked with Puppet and Salt for personal and professional projects, each offering unique insights into the automation landscape. Recently, my homelab has seen a new addition: Ansible.
Embracing Ansible in My Homelab
Ansible has become my go-to tool for automating and managing my homelab infrastructure. Its simplicity and agentless architecture make it an appealing choice for quick wins in automation without the overhead of managing agents on nodes. Here, I'll share insights into two of the playbooks I've employed to streamline my setup.
A Glimpse into My Ansible Playbooks1
Playbooks
For Debian/Ubuntu systems, it leverages the apt module to update the cache, upgrade all packages, and clean up. For CentOS/RHEL systems, it uses the yum module for similar tasks, ensuring my entire Linux fleet remains secure and efficient.
The upgrade_windows.yml playbook is tailored specifically for Windows servers in my homelab, utilizing the win_updates module to fetch and install updates across various categories, including security and critical updates. It's designed to run on a schedule, ensuring my Windows environments are always running the latest updates without manual intervention.
Venturing into virtualization, the create_vm_proxmox.yml playbook automates the creation of VMs in Proxmox VE. This playbook defines a new VM with specific resources, like CPU, memory, and storage, and attaches an Ubuntu ISO for installation. It exemplifies how Ansible can interact with virtualization environments to streamline VM deployment.
Automation with Crontab
To ensure these playbooks run regularly and keep my systems in peak condition, I've scheduled them with crontab entries. This setup automates weekly updates for both Linux and Windows servers, with output and errors redirected to specific files for easy monitoring:
0 0 * * 0 /usr/local/bin/ansible-playbook /home/merox/playbooks/upgrade.yml -i /home/merox/playbooks/hosts.ini >> /home/merox/playbooks/last_update.txt 2>> /home/merox/playbooks/last_update.err
0 0 * * 0 /usr/local/bin/ansible-playbook -i /home/merox/playbooks/hosts_windows.ini -T 60 /home/merox/playbooks/upgrade_windows.yml >> /home/merox/playbooks/last_windows_update.txt 2>> /home/merox/playbooks/last_windows_update.err
Continuous Learning and the Path Forward with Ansible
As I venture deeper into the world of DevOps with my homelab, I recognize that my journey with Ansible is just beginning. Despite the initial strides I've made, there's a vast landscape of knowledge and skills yet to be explored. Ansible, with its powerful capabilities and simplicity, has opened a new chapter in my automation endeavors, one where I'm both a learner and an explorer.
The Road Ahead
As I continue to build, automate, and refine my homelab with Ansible, the journey is as much about acquiring new skills as it is about applying them. The beauty of Ansible lies not just in its technical prowess but in its community, resources, and the continuous evolution of its ecosystem.
The exploration doesn't end with mastering Ansible. The DevOps landscape is ever-changing, and with tools like Terraform on the horizon, the integration of configuration management and infrastructure provisioning is an exciting prospect. The journey ahead promises a blend of challenges and opportunities, pushing the boundaries of what's possible in my homelab and beyond.
Configs
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Playbooks configuration ↩