Ansible
Configuration management tool for automating provisioning and maintaining desired state across multiple hosts from a single control node.
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What Ansible is, how it works, and initial SSH key setup.
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Installing Ansible on the control node.
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How tasks work — modules, loops, conditionals, register, handlers, and blocks.
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The toolbox — apt, copy, template, file, service, and the rest, with examples.
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Writing
.j2files — Jinja2 variables, filters, loops, and conditionals. -
System facts, magic variables, and which value wins when names collide.
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Where modules come from, FQCNs, and installing collections.
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One-off commands, check mode,
--diff, tags, and limiting scope. -
Defining managed hosts and running ad hoc commands.
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Variables let you define values once and reuse them.
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Encrypting secrets and sensitive variables in playbooks and inventory.
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Structuring playbooks into reusable, portable units.
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Repeatable, ordered task definitions for configuring hosts.
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Templates for running Docker containers with Ansible.