@ -70,6 +70,6 @@ participate. For more information about Ansible meetings, consult the `meeting s
Tower Support Questions
Tower Support Questions
========================
========================
Ansible `Tower <https://ansible.com/tower>`_ is a UI, Server, and REST endpoint for Ansible.
Ansible `Tower <https://www.ansible.com/products/tower>`_ is a UI, Server, and REST endpoint for Ansible.
If you have a question about Ansible Tower, visit `Red Hat support <https://access.redhat.com/products/ansible-tower-red-hat/>`_ rather than using the IRC channel or the general project mailing list.
If you have a question about Ansible Tower, visit `Red Hat support <https://access.redhat.com/products/ansible-tower-red-hat/>`_ rather than using the IRC channel or the general project mailing list.
@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ A great way to help the Ansible project is to become a power user:
* Take tutorials and classes
* Take tutorials and classes
* Read the :ref:`official documentation <ansible_documentation>`
* Read the :ref:`official documentation <ansible_documentation>`
* Study some of the `many excellent books <https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_2_7?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=ansible&sprefix=ansible%2Caps%2C260>`_ about Ansible
* Study some of the `many excellent books <https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_2_7?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=ansible&sprefix=ansible%2Caps%2C260>`_ about Ansible
When you become a power user, your ability and opportunities to help the Ansible project in other ways will multiply quickly.
When you become a power user, your ability and opportunities to help the Ansible project in other ways will multiply quickly.
@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ Participate in your local meetup
There are Ansible meetups `all over the world <https://www.meetup.com/topics/ansible/>`_. Join your local meetup. Attend regularly. Ask good questions. Volunteer to give a presentation about how you use Ansible.
There are Ansible meetups `all over the world <https://www.meetup.com/topics/ansible/>`_. Join your local meetup. Attend regularly. Ask good questions. Volunteer to give a presentation about how you use Ansible.
If there isn't a meetup near you, we'll be happy to help you `start one <https://www.ansible.com/ansible-meetup-organizer>`_.
If there isn't a meetup near you, we'll be happy to help you `start one <https://www.ansible.com/community/events/ansible-meetups>`_.
File and verify issues
File and verify issues
----------------------
----------------------
@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ Review and submit pull requests
As you become more familiar with how Ansible works, you may be able to fix issues or develop new features yourself. If you think you've got a solution to a bug you've found in Ansible, or if you've got a new feature that you've written and would like to share with millions of Ansible users, read all about the :ref:`Ansible development process <community_development_process>` to learn how to get your code accepted into Ansible.
As you become more familiar with how Ansible works, you may be able to fix issues or develop new features yourself. If you think you've got a solution to a bug you've found in Ansible, or if you've got a new feature that you've written and would like to share with millions of Ansible users, read all about the :ref:`Ansible development process <community_development_process>` to learn how to get your code accepted into Ansible.
Another good way to help is to review pull requests that other Ansible users have submitted. The Ansible community keeps a full list of `open pull requests by file <https://ansible.sivel.net/byfile.html>`_, so if there's a particular module or plug-in that particularly interests you, you can easily keep track of all the relevant new pull requests and provide testing or feedback.
Another good way to help is to review pull requests that other Ansible users have submitted. The Ansible community keeps a full list of `open pull requests by file <https://ansible.sivel.net/pr/byfile.html>`_, so if there's a particular module or plug-in that particularly interests you, you can easily keep track of all the relevant new pull requests and provide testing or feedback.
@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ as a ".rpmnew" file (or other) as appropriate in the case of updates.
If you installed Ansible from pip or from source, you may want to create this file in order to override
If you installed Ansible from pip or from source, you may want to create this file in order to override
default settings in Ansible.
default settings in Ansible.
An `example file is available on Github <https://raw.github.com/ansible/ansible/devel/examples/ansible.cfg>`_.
An `example file is available on Github <https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ansible/ansible/devel/examples/ansible.cfg>`_.
For more details and a full listing of available configurations go to :ref:`configuration_settings<ansible_configuration_settings>`. Starting with Ansible version 2.4, you can use the :ref:`ansible-config` command line utility to list your available options and inspect the current values.
For more details and a full listing of available configurations go to :ref:`configuration_settings<ansible_configuration_settings>`. Starting with Ansible version 2.4, you can use the :ref:`ansible-config` command line utility to list your available options and inspect the current values.
@ -467,9 +467,9 @@ Also array notation allows for dynamic variable composition, see dynamic_variabl
Can I get training on Ansible?
Can I get training on Ansible?
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Yes! See our `services page <https://www.ansible.com/consulting>`_ for information on our services and training offerings. Email `info@ansible.com <mailto:info@ansible.com>`_ for further details.
Yes! See our `services page <https://www.ansible.com/products/consulting>`_ for information on our services and training offerings. Email `info@ansible.com <mailto:info@ansible.com>`_ for further details.
We also offer free web-based training classes on a regular basis. See our `webinar page <https://www.ansible.com/webinars-training>`_ for more info on upcoming webinars.
We also offer free web-based training classes on a regular basis. See our `webinar page <https://www.ansible.com/resources/webinars-training>`_ for more info on upcoming webinars.
`Ansible Tower <https://ansible.com/tower>`_ (formerly 'AWX') is a web-based solution that makes Ansible even more easy to use for IT teams of all kinds. It's designed to be the hub for all of your automation tasks.
`Ansible Tower <https://www.ansible.com/products/tower>`_ (formerly 'AWX') is a web-based solution that makes Ansible even more easy to use for IT teams of all kinds. It's designed to be the hub for all of your automation tasks.
Tower allows you to control access to who can access what, even allowing sharing of SSH credentials without someone being able to transfer those credentials. Inventory can be graphically managed or synced with a wide variety of cloud sources. It logs all of your jobs, integrates well with LDAP, and has an amazing browsable REST API. Command line tools are available for easy integration with Jenkins as well. Provisioning callbacks provide great support for autoscaling topologies.
Tower allows you to control access to who can access what, even allowing sharing of SSH credentials without someone being able to transfer those credentials. Inventory can be graphically managed or synced with a wide variety of cloud sources. It logs all of your jobs, integrates well with LDAP, and has an amazing browsable REST API. Command line tools are available for easy integration with Jenkins as well. Provisioning callbacks provide great support for autoscaling topologies.
Find out more about Tower features and how to download it on the `Ansible Tower webpage <https://ansible.com/tower>`_. Tower
Find out more about Tower features and how to download it on the `Ansible Tower webpage <https://www.ansible.com/products/tower>`_. Tower
is free for usage for up to 10 nodes, and comes bundled with amazing support from Ansible, Inc. As you would expect, Tower is
is free for usage for up to 10 nodes, and comes bundled with amazing support from Ansible, Inc. As you would expect, Tower is
@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ instructions on how to actually use the modules and authenticate with the Azure
Using Service Principal
Using Service Principal
.......................
.......................
There is now a detailed official tutorial describing `how to create a service principal <https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/documentation/articles/resource-group-create-service-principal-portal/>`_.
There is now a detailed official tutorial describing `how to create a service principal <https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-resource-manager/resource-group-create-service-principal-portal>`_.
After stepping through the tutorial you will have:
After stepping through the tutorial you will have:
@ -278,7 +278,7 @@ For other load balancers, you may need to send shell commands to them (like we d
Continuous Delivery End-To-End
Continuous Delivery End-To-End
``````````````````````````````
``````````````````````````````
Now that you have an automated way to deploy updates to your application, how do you tie it all together? A lot of organizations use a continuous integration tool like `Jenkins <http://jenkins-ci.org/>`_ or `Atlassian Bamboo <https://www.atlassian.com/software/bamboo>`_ to tie the development, test, release, and deploy steps together. You may also want to use a tool like `Gerrit <https://code.google.com/p/gerrit/>`_ to add a code review step to commits to either the application code itself, or to your Ansible playbooks, or both.
Now that you have an automated way to deploy updates to your application, how do you tie it all together? A lot of organizations use a continuous integration tool like `Jenkins <https://jenkins.io/>`_ or `Atlassian Bamboo <https://www.atlassian.com/software/bamboo>`_ to tie the development, test, release, and deploy steps together. You may also want to use a tool like `Gerrit <https://www.gerritcodereview.com/>`_ to add a code review step to commits to either the application code itself, or to your Ansible playbooks, or both.
Depending on your environment, you might be deploying continuously to a test environment, running an integration test battery against that environment, and then deploying automatically into production. Or you could keep it simple and just use the rolling-update for on-demand deployment into test or production specifically. This is all up to you.
Depending on your environment, you might be deploying continuously to a test environment, running an integration test battery against that environment, and then deploying automatically into production. Or you could keep it simple and just use the rolling-update for on-demand deployment into test or production specifically. This is all up to you.
@ -296,7 +296,7 @@ This should give you a good idea of how to structure a multi-tier application wi
@ -395,7 +395,7 @@ If running on a version of Ansible that is older than 2.5 or the normal
full control over the operating system. No user is given this privilege by
full control over the operating system. No user is given this privilege by
default, and care should be taken if you grant this privilege to a user or group.
default, and care should be taken if you grant this privilege to a user or group.
For more information on this privilege, please see
For more information on this privilege, please see
`Act as part of the operating system <https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dn221957(v=ws.11).aspx>`_.
`Act as part of the operating system <https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/windows/it-pro/windows-server-2012-R2-and-2012/dn221957(v=ws.11)>`_.
You can use the below task to set this privilege on a Windows host::
You can use the below task to set this privilege on a Windows host::
- name: grant the ansible user the SeTcbPrivilege right
- name: grant the ansible user the SeTcbPrivilege right
@ -453,7 +453,7 @@ variables like normal but either do not define ``ansible_become_pass`` or set
``ansible_become_pass: ''``.
``ansible_become_pass: ''``.
Before become can work on an account like this, the local policy
Before become can work on an account like this, the local policy
`Accounts: Limit local account use of blank passwords to console logon only <https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj852174.aspx>`_
`Accounts: Limit local account use of blank passwords to console logon only <https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/windows/it-pro/windows-server-2012-R2-and-2012/jj852174(v=ws.11)>`_
must be disabled. This can either be done through a Group Policy Object (GPO)
must be disabled. This can either be done through a Group Policy Object (GPO)
or with this Ansible task:
or with this Ansible task:
@ -511,7 +511,7 @@ can be set to one of the following:
logon session as running a normal WinRM process with credential delegation.
logon session as running a normal WinRM process with credential delegation.
@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ While primarily used to kickoff OS installations and manage DHCP and DNS, Cobble
layer that allows it to represent data for multiple configuration management systems (even at the same time), and has
layer that allows it to represent data for multiple configuration management systems (even at the same time), and has
been referred to as a 'lightweight CMDB' by some admins.
been referred to as a 'lightweight CMDB' by some admins.
To tie Ansible's inventory to Cobbler (optional), copy `this script <https://raw.github.com/ansible/ansible/devel/contrib/inventory/cobbler.py>`_ to ``/etc/ansible`` and ``chmod +x`` the file. cobblerd will now need
To tie Ansible's inventory to Cobbler (optional), copy `this script <https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ansible/ansible/devel/contrib/inventory/cobbler.py>`_ to ``/etc/ansible`` and ``chmod +x`` the file. cobblerd will now need
to be running when you are using Ansible and you'll need to use Ansible's ``-i`` command line option (e.g. ``-i /etc/ansible/cobbler.py``).
to be running when you are using Ansible and you'll need to use Ansible's ``-i`` command line option (e.g. ``-i /etc/ansible/cobbler.py``).
This particular script will communicate with Cobbler using Cobbler's XMLRPC API.
This particular script will communicate with Cobbler using Cobbler's XMLRPC API.
@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ So in other words, you can use those variables in arguments/actions as well.
Example: AWS EC2 External Inventory Script
Example: AWS EC2 External Inventory Script
``````````````````````````````````````````
``````````````````````````````````````````
If you use Amazon Web Services EC2, maintaining an inventory file might not be the best approach, because hosts may come and go over time, be managed by external applications, or you might even be using AWS autoscaling. For this reason, you can use the `EC2 external inventory <https://raw.github.com/ansible/ansible/devel/contrib/inventory/ec2.py>`_ script.
If you use Amazon Web Services EC2, maintaining an inventory file might not be the best approach, because hosts may come and go over time, be managed by external applications, or you might even be using AWS autoscaling. For this reason, you can use the `EC2 external inventory <https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ansible/ansible/devel/contrib/inventory/ec2.py>`_ script.
You can use this script in one of two ways. The easiest is to use Ansible's ``-i`` command line option and specify the path to the script after
You can use this script in one of two ways. The easiest is to use Ansible's ``-i`` command line option and specify the path to the script after
@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ This can be done using one of the following methods:
Active Directory Certificate Services is beyond of scope in this documentation but may be
Active Directory Certificate Services is beyond of scope in this documentation but may be
the best option to use when running in a domain environment. For more information,
the best option to use when running in a domain environment. For more information,
see the `Active Directory Certificate Services documentation <https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc732625(v=ws.11).aspx>`_.
see the `Active Directory Certificate Services documentation <https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/windows/it-pro/windows-server-2008-R2-and-2008/cc732625(v=ws.11)>`_.
..Note:: Using the PowerShell cmdlet ``New-SelfSignedCertificate`` to generate
..Note:: Using the PowerShell cmdlet ``New-SelfSignedCertificate`` to generate
a certificate for authentication only works when being generated from a
a certificate for authentication only works when being generated from a
@ -483,7 +483,7 @@ There are two ways that older hosts can be used with CredSSP:
has no way of supporting TLS 1.2
has no way of supporting TLS 1.2
To enable TLS 1.2 support on Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7, the optional update
To enable TLS 1.2 support on Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7, the optional update
@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ In this use case / example, we will be selecting a virtual machine template and
Since Ansible utilizes the VMware API to perform actions, in this use case we will be connecting directly to the API from our localhost. This means that our playbooks will not be running from the vCenter or ESXi Server. We do not necessarily need to collect facts about our localhost, so the ``gather_facts`` parameter will be disabled. You can run these modules against another server that would then connect to the API if your localhost does not have access to vCenter. If so, the required Python modules will need to be installed on that target server.
Since Ansible utilizes the VMware API to perform actions, in this use case we will be connecting directly to the API from our localhost. This means that our playbooks will not be running from the vCenter or ESXi Server. We do not necessarily need to collect facts about our localhost, so the ``gather_facts`` parameter will be disabled. You can run these modules against another server that would then connect to the API if your localhost does not have access to vCenter. If so, the required Python modules will need to be installed on that target server.
To begin, there are a few bits of information we will need. First and foremost is the hostname of the ESXi server or vCenter server. After this, you will need the username and password for this server. For now, you will be entering these directly, but in a more advanced playbook this can be abstracted out and stored in a more secure fashion using :ref:`ansible-vault` or using `Ansible Tower credentials <http://docs.ansible.com/ansible-tower/latest/html/userguide/credentials.html>`_. If your vCenter or ESXi server is not setup with proper CA certificates that can be verified from the Ansible server, then it is necessary to disable validation of these certificates by using the ``validate_certs`` parameter. To do this you need to set ``validate_certs=False`` in your playbook.
To begin, there are a few bits of information we will need. First and foremost is the hostname of the ESXi server or vCenter server. After this, you will need the username and password for this server. For now, you will be entering these directly, but in a more advanced playbook this can be abstracted out and stored in a more secure fashion using :ref:`ansible-vault` or using `Ansible Tower credentials <https://docs.ansible.com/ansible-tower/latest/html/userguide/credentials.html>`_. If your vCenter or ESXi server is not setup with proper CA certificates that can be verified from the Ansible server, then it is necessary to disable validation of these certificates by using the ``validate_certs`` parameter. To do this you need to set ``validate_certs=False`` in your playbook.
Now you need to supply the information about the virtual machine which will be created. Give your virtual machine a name, one that conforms to all VMware requirements for naming conventions. Next, select the display name of the template from which you want to clone new virtual machine. This must match what's displayed in VMware Web UI exactly. Then you can specify a folder to place this new virtual machine in. This path can either be a relative path or a full path to the folder including the Datacenter. You may need to specify a state for the virtual machine. This simply tells the module which action you want to take, in this case you will be ensure that the virtual machine exists and is powered on. An optional parameter is ``wait_for_ip_address``, this will tell Ansible to wait for the virtual machine to fully boot up and VMware Tools is running before completing this task.
Now you need to supply the information about the virtual machine which will be created. Give your virtual machine a name, one that conforms to all VMware requirements for naming conventions. Next, select the display name of the template from which you want to clone new virtual machine. This must match what's displayed in VMware Web UI exactly. Then you can specify a folder to place this new virtual machine in. This path can either be a relative path or a full path to the folder including the Datacenter. You may need to specify a state for the virtual machine. This simply tells the module which action you want to take, in this case you will be ensure that the virtual machine exists and is powered on. An optional parameter is ``wait_for_ip_address``, this will tell Ansible to wait for the virtual machine to fully boot up and VMware Tools is running before completing this task.
@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ Before you begin, make sure you have:
- Username and password for the ESXi or vCenter server
- Username and password for the ESXi or vCenter server
- Name of the existing Virtual Machine for which you want to collect folder path
- Name of the existing Virtual Machine for which you want to collect folder path
For now, you will be entering these directly, but in a more advanced playbook this can be abstracted out and stored in a more secure fashion using :ref:`ansible-vault` or using `Ansible Tower credentials <http://docs.ansible.com/ansible-tower/latest/html/userguide/credentials.html>`_.
For now, you will be entering these directly, but in a more advanced playbook this can be abstracted out and stored in a more secure fashion using :ref:`ansible-vault` or using `Ansible Tower credentials <https://docs.ansible.com/ansible-tower/latest/html/userguide/credentials.html>`_.
If your vCenter or ESXi server is not setup with proper CA certificates that can be verified from the Ansible server, then it is necessary to disable validation of these certificates by using the ``validate_certs`` parameter. To do this you need to set ``validate_certs=False`` in your playbook.
If your vCenter or ESXi server is not setup with proper CA certificates that can be verified from the Ansible server, then it is necessary to disable validation of these certificates by using the ``validate_certs`` parameter. To do this you need to set ``validate_certs=False`` in your playbook.
Andreas Olsson
6 years ago
committed by