Ansible Tower/AWX

Course Overview

Ansible AWX is a powerful open-source tool that provides a web-based user interface, REST API, and task engine built on top of Ansible. This course is designed to equip participants with the skills needed to effectively use Ansible AWX to automate, orchestrate, and manage IT infrastructure. Through a mix of lectures, hands-on labs, and real-world use cases, participants will learn how to deploy and manage configurations, applications, and services.

Who Should Attend

IT professionals seeking to automate infrastructure management. DevOps engineers looking to streamline CI/CD pipelines. System administrators responsible for configuration management and deployment. Network engineers aiming to automate network configurations and operations. Prerequisites Basic knowledge of Linux command line. Familiarity with Ansible basics is beneficial but not required.

Course Modules

1. Introduction to Ansible AWX

Overview of Ansible AWX: Understanding Ansible vs. Ansible Tower vs. AWX. Features and benefits of using AWX. Installation and Setup: Installing AWX on different platforms (Docker, Kubernetes, etc.). Initial configuration and access setup.

2. AWX Web Interface and CLI

Navigating the AWX Dashboard: Overview of the dashboard components. Managing organizations, users, and teams. Using the AWX CLI: Introduction to AWX CLI commands. Integrating CLI with existing scripts and tools.

3. Inventory Management

Managing Inventories: Creating and organizing inventories. Dynamic inventories and their configurations. Inventory Sources: Integrating cloud providers (AWS, GCP, Azure). Custom inventory scripts.

4. Projects and Job Templates

Creating and Managing Projects: Linking projects with source control (Git, SVN). Structuring project files and directories. Job Templates: Creating and configuring job templates. Using surveys to customize job runs.

5. Workflow Management

Building and Managing Workflows: Creating complex workflows with multiple job templates. Conditional job execution and branching. Notifications and Schedules: Setting up job notifications (Email, Slack). Scheduling jobs and workflows for automatic execution.

6. Credential Management

Managing Credentials: Types of credentials (SSH keys, API tokens, etc.). Credential security and role-based access control. Credential Integration: Integrating with third-party vaults (HashiCorp Vault, CyberArk).

7. Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)

Configuring RBAC: Defining roles and permissions. Assigning roles to users and teams. Securing AWX Environment: Best practices for securing AWX installations. Audit logging and monitoring.

8. Advanced Topics

Custom Inventory Scripts: Writing and integrating custom inventory scripts. Advanced Job Configuration: Job slicing and concurrent execution. Using callbacks for real-time job updates. Performance Tuning: Optimizing AWX for large environments. Troubleshooting common performance issues.

9. Integrations and Extensibility

Integrating with CI/CD Pipelines: Using AWX with Jenkins, GitLab CI/CD, and other CI tools. REST API Usage: Accessing and using the AWX REST API. Automating AWX tasks using API scripts.

10. Real-World Use Cases and Labs

Hands-On Labs: Practical exercises covering all course topics. Simulated real-world scenarios. Case Studies: Discussion of successful AWX implementations. Best practices and lessons learned.

11. Capstone Project

Project Planning: Defining objectives and scope. Implementation: Applying learned concepts to automate a real-world task. Review and Feedback: Presenting the project and receiving feedback.

Training Methodology

Interactive Lectures: Comprehensive coverage of theoretical concepts. Hands-On Labs: Practical exercises to reinforce learning. Group Discussions: Collaborative learning and problem-solving. Q&A Sessions: Addressing specific queries and challenges faced by participants. Capstone Project: Real-world project to demonstrate acquired skills.

Certification

Upon successful completion of the course, participants will receive a certificate of completion, demonstrating their proficiency in Ansible AWX.

Conclusion

This Ansible AWX training course is designed to transform participants from beginners to proficient users, capable of leveraging AWX to automate and manage complex IT environments efficiently. Whether you're looking to enhance your career in DevOps, system administration, or network management, this course provides the knowledge and hands-on experience needed to succeed.