Ansible windows modules are those Ansible modules that are utilized to do changes on Microsoft Windows machines. The sentence structure and conduct of these modules are equivalent to other Linux-based modules with various OS explicit errands and way separators. Ansible windows modules are utilized to arrange assignments on Microsoft Windows machines. These modules are created on PowerShell for the most part rather than Python. Additionally, the association strategy like WinRM or comparative Microsoft Windows upheld ones are utilized for this situation rather than SSH.

Ansible Windows Modules have a bunch of boundaries and adequate qualities. Additionally, a portion of the boundaries has default esteems. So it turns out to be more critical to learn and comprehend the different potential outcomes. These modules have comparative punctuation as some other modules. Just we want to deal with boundaries to pass in the playbook to accomplish our assignment prerequisites.

The following is a rundown of a portion of the significant Ansible Windows Modules with a short depiction. Kindly note this rundown is just for Microsoft Windows climate and not comprehensive as there are a lot more modules which Ansible people group is continuing to create:

win_chocolatey: This is used to manage packages.

win_chocolatey_facts: To create the collation of facts for use in chocolatey.

win_chocolatey_source: To do the management of chocolatey sources.

win_chocolatey_feature: To do the management of chocolatey features.

win_acl: To set the permission of files, directory, or registry for a system group or user.

win_command: To run a command on Windows PowerShell

win_copy: To copy files to windows hosts.

win_disk_facts: To display the attached disks and related information on windows targets.

win_dns_record: To perform DNS record management.

win_domain: To ensure the Windows domain's existence.

win_domain_controller: To manage a domain controller.

win_domain_computer: To manage the Active directory Computers.

win_domain_user: To manage Active Directory Users.

win_environment: To modify the environment variables.

win_feature: To uninstall and install any Windows Feature on Windows.

win_get_url: To download files over HTTP/HTTPS/FTP.

win_hostname: To manage the computer name.

win_mapped_drive: To map the network drives.

win_package: To do package installation or uninstallation.

win_ping: To test the working setup with windows

win_wait_for: To wait for a condition to fulfill before continuing in the playbook

win_wait_for_process: To wait for a process to not exist or exist before continuing in the playbook.

win_webpicmd: Install packages on target machines using Web platform installer CLI.

win_whoami: To get the current user details.

win_iis_virtualdirectory: To configure a virtual directory on IIS.

win_iis_website: To configure a website on IIS.

win_lininfile: To put a line in the file.

Each module has a separate set of parameters and options. you can refer to the below link for the latest Ansible Windows modules, on this page you can click on a module link to get a detailed picture of that module.

In Ansible, playbooks are composed on YAML design, and each module is composed inside a playbook that should follow space and separate. Ansible Windows modules work in much the same way. In any case, there are a couple of focuses that one should keep in mind before beginning to utilize or attempting to begin the utilization of Ansible Windows modules.

PowerShell 3.0 and .NET 4.0 essentially should be introduced on track Windows

A WinRM audience ought to be made if not existing and

In the most recent arrival of Ansible, Win32-OpenSSH support was given, however, that is tested right now. It may work or not for your situation. So attempt it first in Lab

Other than WinRM, there are other association techniques like Basic,

As Windows isn't a POSIX working framework, there are numerous limits, in this way better you should attempt each arrangement in Labs

For custom new modules, you can make module code in PowerShell and afterward documentation in Python with a similar record name

In this part, we will do a few commonsense models. We will make playbooks on the Ansible regulator hub named Ansible1. Additionally, we have tartargetedndows machines as windows and WinServer1.lablad1.local. Utilizing the playbooks, we attempt to make changes or bring information from a remote objective Windows machine.

In this example, we will simply use Ansible win_ping module to check the connection and authentication success from the Ansible controller node to the target windows machine. We use the below command for the same.

In the output, you can see that connection was successfully checked.

In this example, we have a remote host named WinServer1.lablad1.local. On which we will run the command using the Ansible windows module named win_command. Then register the output in a variable named netstat. To print the output contained in variable netstat, we will use the Ansible module debug. For this task, we have a playbook like below:

-name: test cmd from win_command module hosts: lablad1.local

-name: run an executable command on remote Windows system win_command: netstat -e

ansible-playbook ansible_win_command.yaml

The Output will look like below, where you can see above, in stdout_lines, all output by running netstat

As we found in this article, Ansible Windows modules are exceptionally helpful and a piece precarious to use in the IT foundation climate. In any case, when we have decent information on these sorts of modules, we can undoubtedly do Microsoft Windows organization and functional changes. So first learn them and afterward use them.

We will know in this article, what's the Ansible Windows Modules.

Explaining of Ansible Windows Modules.

Ansible Include module which is a piece of the ansible-base and the default module accessible with the ansible establishment used to incorporate a record with a rundown of plays or assignments to be executed in the current playbook and it tends to be a solitary incorporate document the different incorporate documents, meaning it calls different playbooks errands or plays and this module likewise works for the windows targets.

This module uses the syntax “Include”.

This module allows you to specify the name of the file directly without any other options.

How does the Include module work in Ansible?

In the different programming dialects, to work on the program we partition the projects into various documents and modules, and to involve them in the content we utilize the various orders to import them so we don't have to compose the program once more.

The Include module in the Ansible works comparably. We make a playbook to run numerous errands together bringing about long playbooks once in a while which can be befuddling to comprehend and change. All things being equal, we compose the various playbooks joining one or numerous undertakings, and afterward, add them to the principle playbook.

For instance, Let's say, we want to compose the playbook which downloads the compressed document from the web, duplicates it to the objective servers, and unfasten the record at the objective envelope. Consider this all assignments are composed under the main.yml record. Our main.yml record will resemble this.

– Task1: Download the zip file from the internet.

– Task2: Copy the zip file on the target server.

– Task3: Extract the zip file at the target location.

Once we divide the above tasks into the playbooks, for example, Downloadfile.yml, copyfile.yml, and extracfile.yml respectively then we can add them into the main.yml playbook as shown below.

We can now utilize the above XML documents in numerous playbooks assuming we have a similar necessity. You can consolidate numerous choices like you can gather task1 and task2 into a single unit in the single playbook and task3 in the other playbook or task1 and task2 in the various playbooks and task3 in the primary playbook according to your necessity.

So Ansible include module has several benefits.

Helps to make the overall playbook small and organized.

Helps to get rid of the repetitive tasks by using the earlier created playbooks.

Helps when the target servers have a dependency, for example, we need to put the server into maintenance and take the servers out of maintenance which are in separate playbooks in the main playbook then you can add both the files with include module at the start and the end of the main playbook respectively.

It runs the whole playbook so if different playbooks have a similar arrangement of servers, it consumes the time and assembles the realities on numerous occasions if the gather_facts isn't incapacitated.

The underneath model shows how we can utilize the incorporate capacity to add one more playbook in the fundamental playbook.

- name: Ansible playbook to test Include module

- name: Ansible playbook to stop the spooler service

Right, when we run includepb.yml playbook,

You will get the condemned module advised considering the way that anything the Ansible interpretation you are running at present, the fuse module will be dispensed with in transformation 2.12, and a substitute strategy for using this request is import_playbook.

Let us discuss examples of Ansible Include.

Example #1: Ansible “Include” example for adding multiple playbooks.

Suppose you have the below main playbook called includepb.yml

- name: Ansible playbook for the include module

- name: Copy ansible.cfg file to the c:\temp

Now we divide both the tasks into two files called servicepb.yml and copypb.yml respectively. To include both the playbooks in the includepb.yml file,

On the off chance that you have seen, every playbook runs exclusively and accumulates current realities. So assuming you are utilizing the incorporate module for a similar arrangement of servers then it isn't so helpful. The other substitute choice is to import the undertakings rather than the playbooks utilizing include_tasks.

To run the singular undertakings then your playbooks ought to contain just the assignments.

We will know in this article, what's the Ansible Include.

Ansible Include

Introduction to Ansible inventory_hostname

Ansible inventory_hostname is one of the exceptional factors, this variable contains the name of a host as characterized or arranged in Ansible stock document, which of course is/and so on/ansible/has. Ansible gives not many ways by which you can utilize the data connected with your objective machines, these ways incorporate Ansible Facts, Magic Variables, and Connection Variables. Ansible inventory_hostname is among the profoundly utilized Magic Variables set, that likewise incorporates gatherings, host vars, group_names. This variable is valuable when you are depending to a greater degree on your Ansible stock document rather than real data of remote hosts or you don't have numerous choices to accumulate such data.

Utilizing Ansible Magic Variable inventory_hostname is helpful in situations where a remote machine's hostname is extremely long or has extraordinary characters which might make issues in the playbook's execution. Additionally, when you would rather not depend on ansible_hostname (contains real hostname in the wake of social event realities from the framework), which likewise implies assuming you have set gather_facts to no, in your playbook, you want something to supplant it. In every single such case, inventory_hostname has genuine use.

There is one more form of it named inventory_hostname_short, which is utilized to abbreviate the long hostnames. Like assuming that somebody has a long FQDN, this Ansible Magic Variable is utilized to take the piece of it up to first period (.) and leave the rest of the parts containing space names. This variable is furnishing you one more choice alongside ansible_hostname and host vars, to pick target machine hostname, which will be understood and utilized by Ansible playbook during execution.

How does Ansible inventory_hostname work?

Ansible Magic Variable inventory_hostname is a variable to be sure, so it gave in like manner in a playbook. You don't have to characterize it anyplace, as this is given by Ansible and contains the host's name characterized in your stock record. The stock document can be a redone one, on the modified way or the default one viz. /and so forth/ansible/has.

Now below are some important points to note when working with this variable:

This variable can refer to an alias name if you have defined it in the Ansible inventory file and set other related variables against it.

If you are trying to work, based on a host’s entry in the Ansible inventory file, then that entry must resolve to some IP by active DNS. Otherwise, Ansible cannot understand it and refuse to connect.

Presently by utilizing models, we will attempt to see more with regards to the Ansible inventor_hostname, which you may need to use in your everyday tasks. We will take a few models, however prior to going there, we should initially comprehend our lab, we utilized for testing reason. In the lab, there is an ansible-regulator server where we are running our orders and where stock document lives. As target machines we have two machines with hostnames as host-one (RHEL based machines) and host-two (Ubuntu based machines). On these nearby and target machines, we will attempt to do a few changes utilizing Ansible.

In this example, we will try to see the difference between the ansible_hostname and inventory_hostname variable. For this, we created a sample inventory file with the below contents. Also, we have enabled gather_facts.

- name: Here we are checking ansible_hostname

msg: "hostname is {{ ansible_hostname }}"

- name: Here we are checking inventory_hostname

msg: "hostname is {{ inventory_hostname }}"

In our inventory custom inventory file, we have contents like below, mentioned only target machine’s name, but please note these are resolvable to IP by my DNS:

ansible-playbook ansible_inventory_hostname.yaml -i custome_inventory.ini

In the result, you can see that, right off the bat, real hostnames of target machines were shown as we utilized ansible_hostname in our first assignment, then, at that point, in second errand we have utilized inventory_hostname, so the qualities referenced in custom stock records are shown which are server1 and server2.

In this model, we will make a record on remote hosts, utilizing Jinja2 templating. In this document we will put upsides of inventory_hostname and ansible_hostname. For this, we are utilizing a similar stock document utilized in past model, yet presently we are refreshing it and presently it appears as though underneath now, as now I have taken out section of server2 from my DNS, so we can't resolve it by DNS, hence we will unequivocally make reference to the IP utilizing ansible_ssh_host like beneath.

Similarly you can mention per values in inventory file when those values, by default, are not available in the environment.

Also, we have created a jinja2 template with which we will put the values in a file on target machines.

For first host, ansible_hostname is {{ ansible_hostname }} and inventory_hostname is {{ inventory_hostname }}

For second host, ansible_hostname is {{ ansible_hostname }} and inventory_hostname is {{ inventory_hostname }}

The playbook looks like below, in this playbook we are using Ansible template module to create file on remote hosts:

- name: Here we are displaying the inventory_hostname and ansible_hostname values.

msg: "ansible_hostname = {{ ansible_hostname }} and  inventory_hostname = {{ inventory_hostname }}"

- name: Here we are copying the Jinja2 template to remote machines

In the output, you see like below, which means files have been created on target hosts:

ansible-playbook ansible_inventory_hostname_create_file.yaml -i custome_inventory.ini

On checking the contents of these files on remote hosts:

As we saw and discussed in this example, if your playbook and environment have special need and restrictions, then you can make use of Ansible Magic Variables like inventory_hostname. That basically provides flexibility in Ansible environment and you have now more than one options to deal with the remote target machine’s data.

We will know in this article, what's the Ansible inventory_hostname.

What is Ansible inventory_hostname?& how its works?

Introduction to Ansible Dynamic Inventory

The accompanying article gives a diagram of to Ansible Dynamic Inventory. Ansible needs stock records to get target hubs data for running errands or plays on them. The stock record can be static or dynamic. We realize very well that utilizing static inventories is not a sensible underway climate generally. Since static records are overseen physically, yet in genuine, the framework conditions continue to change consistently much of the time. We generally make new hubs and eliminate undesirable hubs, this training is exceptionally normal and done now and again, particularly in cloud and holder conditions. So in such cases, we want Dynamic Inventory, which brings the rundown of hubs from foundation climate continuously founded on certain standards.

For the business prerequisites, we want to make, eliminate and adjust the hosts in our foundation climate often, and to deal with those hubs using Ansible, one needs to refresh the stock record often. Along these lines, the static stock record isn't reasonable. In such a case, we want a stock record that rthathes itself.

This kind of stock record is called a Dynamic stock document, which has a dynamic substance. In our current circumstance, the wellsprings of host hubs can be AWS, OpenStack, Cobbler, LDAP frameworks. These frameworks have their rundown of hubs and Ansible backings to coordinates such outside powerful stock.

In Ansible we have two methods for interfacing with outer powerful inventories:

Via Scripts: This is the older way and ensures backward compatibility. But don’t use it with the latest versions.

Using Plugins: This is recommended over scripts for dynamic inventory, as plugins are updated with Ansible core code to take advantage of it.

Along with these two, if someone wants to use GUI, then RedHat Ansible Tower or a free version of AWX can be used, these integrate with the source of remote hosts and provide a nice view with a graphical inventory editor.

In Ansible, Dynamic stock is produced either by scripts which are written in a programming language like python, php and so on or utilizing accessible stock modules. While utilizing script, they gets generally constant information from the objective source conditions, similar to Cloud stages AWS, OpenStack, GCP and so on Ansible people group have effectively grown such sort of contents for larger part of stages like AWS, OpenStack, GCP. Such sort of contents can be composed by you also. Yet, utilizing scripts isn't very much reported and not fruitful each time while utilizing script, we should download the contents for source climate and set env variable according to that.

These contents are kept up with by Ansible people group. Generally the contents are written in python and named as ec2.py, open-stack_inventory.py. Alongside these python scripts there are ini documents too which are expected to set the climate. However, this is totally reliant upon the content you are utilizing. In Ansible, we have a bunch of accessible stock modules which are loaded with Ansible bundles. Comparatively you can make your own modules which suits your prerequisites and wellspring of far off hubs. The stock returns the rundown of things in JSON design. Ansible gives a lot of stock modules utilizing which you can use to get the rundown of target has, on which you will be running any undertaking or play.

Using below command you can get the list of available inventory plugins:

From that list you can select the plugin which is reasonable for your source environment.

Then you can get details or documentation about that plugin using command like below:

Below is the list of inventory plugins available to Ansible 2.9.7. This is list may get updated in future versions of Ansible.

To utilize a module you need to empower it, of course in ansible.cfg we have enable_plugins boundary characterizing it. Likewise auto is set default to it which recognizes the right module to parse in light of given documents.

Yet, to empower a particular stock module, you should give completely qualified name of it like underneath in ansible.cfg.

[inventory] enable_plugins = namespace.collection_name.inventory_plugin_name

After enabling a plugin, we must provide an inventory source to system to parse it. This is a file in same relative path to inventory or playbook.

Given below are the examples of ansible dynamic inventory:

As this is an advance feature in Ansible, we will use a very useful and common inventory plugin named aws_ec2.

For this we create a source file named demo_aws_ec2.yaml. which have below contents.

Likewise, we want to set and product beneath env factors for making association with AWS climate.

The qualities provide for these are Access Key ID and Secret Access Key of your record.

Once above is finished, you should have beneath necessities on your Ansible regulator hub:

Presently, in our current circumstance, we have EC2 cases labeled in an unexpected way.

We attempt to get rundown of same utilizing labels like beneath:

ansible-inventory -i demo_aws_ec2.yaml –graph

We will get output like below, because we have only one ec2 instance which have one tag matching to our source file:

Now we update this source file like below to use private ipv4 address of matched EC2 instances:

We have a sample playbook to create a file on target node with contents like below:

We will discuss, what is Ansible Dynamic Inventory.

What is Ansible Dynamic Inventory?& how its works?

In Ansible, we tend 100% of the time to deal with remote objective hubs, for which we compose plays, assignments. This is a typical arrangement that anything written in a play and assignment will be executed on remoted target has except if determined in any case. Be that as it may, commonly you get what is happening where you want to chip away at a nearby or regulator machine to create a little information or do some alteration, in the middle of a playbook or two errands in a play. In such cases we want to highlight boundaries like local_action, delegate_to, run_once are exceptionally helpful. In this article, we will procure Ansible local_action and ways of utilizing it.

In an Ansible playbook, when local_action is utilized, Ansible will run the module work referenced under it on the regulator hub. Generally, modules utilized with local_action are shell and order. As you can do practically every one of the undertakings utilizing these modules on the regulator hub.

local_action: command <command to execute>

But even if you want to use an Ansible module to work locally, you can use it like below: –

We will see some of the possible ways to use it in the next section using some examples. But you must note the syntax and indentations to be used.

Presently by utilizing models, we will attempt to find out with regards to Ansible component boundary local_action alongside a few other helpful boundaries, which you may need to use in everyday activities. We will take a few models, however prior to going there, we initially comprehend our lab, we utilized for testing reason.

Here we have an Ansible regulator server named ansible-regulator and two controllers has named have one and host-two. We will make playbooks and run Ansible orders on the ansible-regulator hub and see the outcomes on remote hosts.

In this model, we have made a playbook with substance like beneath, here we are attempting to accomplish that when we use local_action, a document will be made in regulator hub and the subsequently, this will be duplicated to the remote objective

name: This will create a local file /tmp/local_file.ini.

local_action: command touch /tmp/"{{ ansible_hostname }}"_local_file.ini

name: Here we copy the local file to remote copy:

src: /tmp/{{ ansible_hostname }}_local_file.ini dest: /var/tmp/

Executing the playbook using below command: –

ansible-playbook ansible_local_action_create_file.yaml -v

Here we can see that when playbook ran, copied a file on remote target nodes, this file was created in the task where local_action is mentioned and this was performed on local machine viz. the Ansible controller node.

In this example, we have created a playbook with contents like below, here we are trying to achieve to do Rsync directory /tmp on the controller node to remote

name: recursively copy files in /tmp contoller node to remote local_action: command rsync -a /tmp {{ ansible_hostname }}:/tmp

ansible-playbook ansible_local_action_rsync.yaml -v

Here we can see that when playbook ran, it did rsync on remote objective hubs with the regulator hub in the undertaking where local_action is referenced and performed on nearby machine viz. the Ansible regulator hub.

In this model, we have made a playbook with substance like beneath, here we are attempting to accomplish that when we are refreshing a bundle on remote machines, a mail should be shipped off an email account, with a mail body and subject, so that mail proprietor is advised of the changes. Likewise note the utilization of run_once, which make the sending letters to execute as it were

subject: "Summary Mail" to: root@localhost

body: we are installing or updating the httpd run_once: True

ansible-playbook ansible_local_action_mail_update.yaml

Here we can see that when playbook ran, it attempted to overhaul httpd bundle on remote objective hubs and the mailing task where local_action is referenced was performed on nearby machine viz. the Ansible regulator hub. Likewise, it was performed just a single time, as we have utilized run_once.

We can really take a look at that assuming the mail was made and sent, to make sure that we have mailx utility. Utilizing this we can peruse mail like beneath: -

In this model, we have made a playbook with substance like beneath, here we are attempting to accomplish that in a group of servers working behind a heap balancer. To stay away from personal time, we make a server out of the group and update it and afterward add back to the bunch

local_action: command: /script_to_take_out {{ inventory_hostname }}

local_action: command: /script_to_add {{ inventory_hostname }}

We can replace the above sample with real-life values and use them. The task which has delegate_to will run on the machine which is mentioned after it.

As we saw, utilizing local_action is a bit interesting, however it can assist you with conquering the issue of running numerous playbooks for basic undertakings that include the localhost or regulator machine alongside target remote machines. Additionally, as you found in models, utilizing it with other element boundaries like run_once makes it more reasonable to utilize. So learn it first and afterward use it.

We will know in this article, what's the Ansible local_action.

Explaining the Ansible local_action

Ansible untar module otherwise called unarchive for Unix OS or win_zip for the windows working framework is utilized to extricate or unload the document records or envelopes on the far off objective by replicating the chronicle record first as a matter of course on the distant server and furthermore upholds numerous boundaries to manage the unarchive or win_zip usefulness like the proprietor, dest, bar from there, the sky is the limit.

For the non-windows target unarchive or ansible.builtin.unarchive command uses the below syntax. We have shown the basics parameters

The default Option is Yes and it copies the files from the local controller to the remote host if specified yes or nothing specified. For working with the remote source need to specify the remote_src and this copy parameter is not helpful there.

Source path of the file. If remote_src is ‘yes’ then the source path would be on the remote location otherwise the source path is on the local controller node.

Remote server absolute path where the archive is going to extract.

If set ‘yes’ specifies that the source archive path is on the remote computer. For the ‘no’ value the path is on the local controller node.

name of the user that should own the files/directory after unpack and same replicates (added) to the chown.

Name of the group that should own the files/directory and same replicates (added) to the chown.

List of files or directories that need to be excluded from the unpacking.

List of files or directories that need to be included in the unpacking process.

If set yes, it replaces the existing files that are newer than the files inside the archive.

Permissions that the files or directories should have after unpacked (like 644, 777, etc).

There are other additional parameters like creates, seuser, serole, setype, selevel, unsafe_writes, validate_certs.

For the windows target src, dest, creates parameters remain the same as unarchive module and the additional parameters are as below.

If the Zip file is password encrypted then this parameter is useful and it requires the PSCX module to be installed.

recursively expands the zip file within the src directory.

Setting value ‘yes’ requires the PSCX module to be installed.

Please note: the win_unzip module doesn’t use the remote_src parameter.

Ansible unarchive module for non-windows target accompanies the ansible-base thus it is remembered for the Ansible establishments. For the windows target, we want to utilize the win_unzip module. On the off chance that the module isn't accessible then you can download it from the world.

ansible-galaxy collection install community.windows

Below is the simple playbook for windows untar (unzip).

- name: Ansible playbook for windows unzip module

- name: Unzip the file from the remote location

We will know in this article, what's the Ansible untar.

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Trending Blogposts on ansib facts

Explaining of Ansible Windows Modules.

Ansible Include

What is Ansible inventory_hostname?& how its works?

What is Ansible Dynamic Inventory?& how its works?

Explaining the Ansible local_action

What is Ansible untar?

What is Ansible XML?

What is Ansible Authorized_key?

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ansib facts

Trending Blogposts on ansib facts

Explaining of Ansible Windows Modules.

Ansible Include

What is Ansible inventory_hostname?& how its works?

What is Ansible Dynamic Inventory?& how its works?

Explaining the Ansible local_action

What is Ansible untar?

What is Ansible XML?

What is Ansible Authorized_key?

Popular Discussions on ansib facts