⇒ This guide will walk you through setting up Ansible, establishing SSH connections, managing users and privileges, and understanding host patterns. By the end, you’ll have a solid foundation to automate your infrastructure with Ansible. Let’s dive in! 🛠️

📚 Table of Contents ⇒

1. Setting Up Ansible 🖥️
   • Installing Ansible on the Server
   • Configuring the Hosts File
   • Updating Ansible Configuration
2. User Management & Sudo Privileges 👤
   • Creating a Dedicated Ansible User
   • Granting Sudo Privileges
3. Lab Walkthrough 🧪
   • Step-by-Step AWS EC2 Setup & Complete Hands-on Lab including
     • Establishing SSH Connections 🔑
     • Configuring SSH for Passwordless Access
     • Pushing Files to Nodes
   • Best Practices & Security Considerations 🔒
     • Managing Privileges Securely
     • Protecting SSH Keys
     • Avoiding Common Misconfigurations
4. Trust Relationship in Ansible
   • Root ↔ Root (Direct Privileged Execution)
   • User ↔ User (Privilege Escalation with Sudo)
5. Host Patterns 🎯
   • Understanding Host Patterns
   • Practical Examples

🖥️ Setting Up Ansible

Installing Ansible on the Server ⇒

To get started, you need to install Ansible on your Ansible Server. Here’s how:

1. Access Your AWS EC2 Instances:

   • Create 3 EC2 instances in the same Availability Zone (AZ).
   • Use PuTTY to access all machines.

2. Install Ansible:

   • Switch to the root user:

     ec2-user
     sudo su
     wget
     ls
     

   • Download and install the necessary packages:

     yum install epel-release -y # epel = extra packages for enterprise linux
     yum update -y
     yum install git python python-level python-pip openssl ansible -y
     

3. Verify Installation:

   • Check the Ansible version to confirm installation:

     ansible --version
     

Configuring the Hosts File ⇒

The hosts file is where you define your nodes (target machines). Here’s how to set it up: Go to hosts file inside ansible server and paste private-ip of node1 & node2

1. Edit the Hosts File:

   • Open the hosts file:

     vi /etc/ansible/hosts
     

   • Add the private IPs of your nodes under a group (e.g., demo):

     [demo]
     172.31.41.240
     172.31.42.228