This document discusses the setup that is required before Ansible can communicate with a Microsoft Windows host.
..contents:: Topics
Host Requirements
`````````````````
For Ansible to communicate to a Windows host and use Windows modules, the
Windows host must meet the following requirements:
* Ansible's supported Windows versions generally match those under current
and extended support from Microsoft. Supported desktop OSs include
Windows 7, 8.1, and 10, and supported server OSs are Windows Server 2008,
2008 R2, 2012, 2012 R2, and 2016.
* Ansible requires PowerShell 3.0 or newer and at least .NET 4.0 to be
installed on the Windows host.
* A WinRM listener should be created and activated. More details for this can be
found below.
..Note:: While these are the base requirements for Ansible connectivity, some Ansible
modules have additional requirements, such as a newer OS or PowerShell
version. Please consult the module's documentation page
to determine whether a host meets those requirements.
Upgrading PowerShell and .NET Framework
---------------------------------------
Ansible requires PowerShell version 3.0 and .NET Framework 4.0 or newer to function on older operating systems like Server 2008 and Windows 7. The base image does not meet this
requirement. You can use the `Upgrade-PowerShell.ps1 <https://github.com/jborean93/ansible-windows/blob/master/scripts/Upgrade-PowerShell.ps1>`_ script to update these.
This is an example of how to run this script from PowerShell:
The script works by checking to see what programs need to be installed
(such as .NET Framework 4.5.2) and what PowerShell version is required. If a reboot
is required and the ``username`` and ``password`` parameters are set, the
script will automatically reboot and logon when it comes back up from the
reboot. The script will continue until no more actions are required and the
PowerShell version matches the target version. If the ``username`` and
``password`` parameters are not set, the script will prompt the user to
manually reboot and logon when required. When the user is next logged in, the
script will continue where it left off and the process continues until no more
actions are required.
..Note:: If running on Server 2008, then SP2 must be installed. If running on
Server 2008 R2 or Windows 7, then SP1 must be installed.
..Note:: Windows Server 2008 can only install PowerShell 3.0; specifying a
newer version will result in the script failing.
..Note:: The ``username`` and ``password`` parameters are stored in plain text
in the registry. Make sure the cleanup commands are run after the script finishes
to ensure no credentials are still stored on the host.
WinRM Memory Hotfix
-------------------
When running on PowerShell v3.0, there is a bug with the WinRM service that
limits the amount of memory available to WinRM. Without this hotfix installed,
Ansible will fail to execute certain commands on the Windows host. These
hotfixes should installed as part of the system bootstapping or
imaging process. The script `Install-WMF3Hotfix.ps1 <https://github.com/jborean93/ansible-windows/blob/master/scripts/Install-WMF3Hotfix.ps1>`_ can be used to install the hotfix on affected hosts.
The following PowerShell command will install the hotfix:
If this fails, the issue is probably related to the WinRM setup. If it works, the issue may not be related to the WinRM setup; please continue reading for more troubleshooting suggestions.
HTTP 401/Credentials Rejected
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
A HTTP 401 error indicates the authentication process failed during the initial
connection. Some things to check for this are:
* Verify that the credentials are correct and set properly in your inventory with
``ansible_user`` and ``ansible_password``
* Ensure that the user is a member of the local Administrators group or has been explicitly
granted access (a connection test with the ``winrs`` command can be used to
rule this out).
* Make sure that the authentication option set by ``ansible_winrm_transport`` is enabled under
``Service\Auth\*``
* If running over HTTP and not HTTPS, use ``ntlm``, ``kerberos`` or ``credssp``
with ``ansible_winrm_message_encryption: auto`` to enable message encryption.
If using another authentication option or if the installed pywinrm version cannot be
upgraded, the ``Service\AllowUnencrypted`` can be set to ``true`` but this is
only recommended for troubleshooting
* Ensure the downstream packages ``pywinrm``, ``requests-ntlm``,
``requests-kerberos``, and/or ``requests-credssp`` are up to date using ``pip``.
* If using Kerberos authentication, ensure that ``Service\Auth\CbtHardeningLevel`` is
not set to ``Strict``.
* When using Basic or Certificate authentication, make sure that the user is a local account and
not a domain account. Domain accounts do not work with Basic and Certificate
authentication.
HTTP 500 Error
++++++++++++++
These indicate an error has occured with the WinRM service. Some things
to check for include:
* Verify that the number of current open shells has not exceeded either
``WinRsMaxShellsPerUser`` or any of the other Winrs quotas haven't been
exceeded.
Timeout Errors
+++++++++++++++
These usually indicate an error with the network connection where
Ansible is unable to reach the host. Some things to check for include:
* Make sure the firewall is not set to block the configured WinRM listener ports
* Ensure that a WinRM listener is enabled on the port and path set by the host vars
* Ensure that the ``winrm`` service is running on the Windows host and configured for
automatic start
Connection Refused Errors
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
These usually indicate an error when trying to communicate with the
WinRM service on the host. Some things to check for:
* Ensure that the WinRM service is up and running on the host. Use
``(Get-Service -Name winrm).Status`` to get the status of the service.
* Check that the host firewall is allowing traffic over the WinRM port. By default
this is ``5985`` for HTTP and ``5986`` for HTTPS.
Sometimes an installer may restart the WinRM or HTTP service and cause this error. The
best way to deal with this is to use ``win_psexec`` from another
Windows host.
..seealso::
:doc:`index`
The documentation index
:doc:`playbooks`
An introduction to playbooks
:doc:`playbooks_best_practices`
Best practices advice
`List of Windows Modules <http://docs.ansible.com/list_of_windows_modules.html>`_
Windows specific module list, all implemented in PowerShell
`User Mailing List <http://groups.google.com/group/ansible-project>`_