Ansible Interview Questions and Answers for 10 years experience

1. What is Ansible and how does it work?

   • Answer: Ansible is an open-source IT automation tool that automates configuration management, application deployment, and IT orchestration. It uses a push-based architecture where a central Ansible control node manages multiple remote nodes (managed nodes) without requiring agents on the managed nodes. It uses SSH by default to connect to the managed nodes and executes modules (small programs) to perform tasks. Ansible leverages YAML for its playbooks, making them human-readable and easily manageable.

2. Explain the difference between Ansible Playbooks and Ad-hoc commands.

   • Answer: Ansible ad-hoc commands are single, short commands executed directly on the command line. They are useful for quick tasks. Playbooks, on the other hand, are YAML files that define complex automation tasks and workflows. They are reusable, maintainable, and ideal for larger, more intricate automation needs. Playbooks allow for idempotency (running multiple times without causing changes), role-based organization, and advanced features like handlers and loops.

3. What are Ansible modules? Give examples.

   • Answer: Ansible modules are self-contained units of code that perform specific tasks on managed nodes. They are the building blocks of Ansible playbooks. Examples include `apt`, `yum`, `service`, `file`, `copy`, `user`, `group`, `command`, `shell`, `template`, and many more. Each module handles a particular operation, like managing packages, services, files, or users.

4. Describe the concept of idempotency in Ansible.

   • Answer: Idempotency means that a task can be run multiple times without causing unintended changes. If a task is already in the desired state, running it again will have no effect. This is a crucial aspect of Ansible's design, ensuring that playbooks can be run repeatedly without causing configuration drift or errors.

5. Explain the role of inventory files in Ansible.

   • Answer: Inventory files define the managed nodes Ansible will connect to. They list the hosts, their IP addresses or hostnames, and can be organized into groups for easier management. Inventory files enable the automation of tasks across multiple servers based on their groupings and characteristics.

6. What are Ansible roles and how do they improve organization?

   • Answer: Ansible roles are a way to organize playbooks into reusable units. They follow a specific directory structure (roles/role_name/tasks, files, templates, etc.) and contain all the necessary files for a specific task, like installing and configuring a web server. This modularity makes playbooks more manageable, reusable, and promotes code reusability across projects.

7. How do you handle variables in Ansible? Explain different variable types and scoping.

   • Answer: Ansible supports various variable types, including strings, numbers, lists, and dictionaries. Variables can be defined at different scopes: inventory, group, host, playbook, role, or even within tasks. Variable precedence determines which variable value is used when multiple definitions exist. Variables are crucial for making playbooks dynamic and adaptable to different environments.

8. Describe Ansible handlers and when they are useful.

   • Answer: Handlers are tasks that are executed only if a previous task has changed something. They are triggered by `notify` statements in other tasks. Handlers are typically used for actions that should only occur if a change necessitates them, such as restarting a service after configuration changes.

9. Explain the concept of Ansible templates.

   • Answer: Ansible templates are files that use Jinja2 templating language to create dynamic files on managed nodes. They allow you to create configuration files or other files that incorporate variables, making them adaptable to different environments and hosts.

10. How do you manage secrets and sensitive information in Ansible?

    • Answer: Avoid hardcoding secrets directly in playbooks. Use Ansible Vault to encrypt sensitive data and store it securely. Ansible also integrates with various secret management systems like HashiCorp Vault, allowing you to securely retrieve secrets during playbook execution.

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