Ansible
Agentless automation for servers and configuration. Ansible is an open-source automation tool, backed by Red Hat, that configures servers and runs tasks over SSH without installing an agent. Work is described in YAML playbooks and reusable roles, and is designed to be idempotent so it can be run repeatedly. It is used for server configuration, application deployment and network automation.
When it is the right choice
- You manage virtual machines or bare-metal servers that need consistent configuration
- You want automation without installing agents on every machine
- You need to orchestrate ordered steps across many servers, such as rolling upgrades
- Less relevant for fully containerised workloads on managed platforms
How we use it
- Write idempotent roles with tests, stored in Git and run from CI
- Combine Ansible with Packer to bake images and with Terraform to provision servers
- Use AI assistance to draft roles and review changes, with tests as the gate
- Run playbooks on a schedule in check mode to detect configuration drift
Terraform
Packer
Linux
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Ansible or Terraform?
They solve different problems. Terraform creates infrastructure such as networks and machines; Ansible configures what runs on them. Many teams use both.
Do we need Ansible Automation Platform?
Not to start. The open-source tools run from any CI system. Red Hat's commercial platform adds a web interface, access control and support.
Running Ansible, or deciding whether to? Tell us what you have; the first consultation is free.
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