5 days

Version 1.0

This course introduces participants to the Ansible configuration management system for configuring network equipment from different vendors. The course covers aspects of preparing your infrastructure for use with Ansible and performing configuration and monitoring work on equipment using Ansible's built-in and optional tools. Participants will learn how to operate Ansible using recommended practices and how to troubleshoot configuration management system issues.

This course is designed for network administrators, network architects and technical support specialists.

Module 1: Ansible basics and installation

1) The architecture and purpose of Ansible.

2) Ansible inventory design.

3) Installation and pre-configuration.

4) Installing and configuring Ansible AWX.

5) Basics of building an Ansible Playbook.

6) Variables and Modules.

7) Sending command line commands.

Module 2. Building complex playbooks

1) Managing Accounts.

2) Collecting facts about network devices.

3) Tag, limit and check.

4) Conditions.

5) Loops.

6) Configuration templating.

Module 3. Scaling of Infrastructure

1) Specialized modules for configuration.

2) Import and Include.

3) Roles.

4) Parsing of network device outputs.

5) Dynamic inventory.

6) Runtime management.

Module 4. Advanced Ansible features

1) Jinja2 lookup plugin.

2) Filters.

3) Plugins.

4) Ansible troubleshooting.

5) Ansible Vault.

Module 5. Integration and advanced topics

1) Integration with third-party inventory systems.

2) Integration with third-party configuration systems.

3) Creating custom modules

Exercises

1) Installing and configuring Ansible and Ansible AWX.

2) Inventory and basic sending commands to device groups.

3) Using Conditions and Loops.

4) Creating and using configuration templates.

5) Roles and imports.

6) Using plugins and filters.

7) Using Ansible Vault.

8) Troubleshooting.

9) Integration with NetBox and NAPALM.