Ansible interview questions.

 

 

1. What is Ansible?

• Ansible is an open-source automation tool that simplifies configuration management, application deployment, and task automation.

2. How does Ansible differ from other configuration management tools like Puppet and Chef?

• Ansible is agentless, meaning it doesn't require any agents on managed nodes. It uses SSH for communication and has a simple YAML-based syntax for playbooks.

3. What is a playbook in Ansible?

• A playbook is a YAML file that contains a set of tasks to be executed on remote hosts. It defines the automation workflow for configuration and deployment.

4. Explain Ansible modules.

• Ansible modules are reusable scripts that perform specific tasks on managed nodes. Modules are executed by playbooks to carry out actions.

5. What is an Ansible role?

• An Ansible role is a way to organize playbooks and tasks in a structured format. Roles facilitate the reuse and sharing of configurations and tasks.

6. How does Ansible ensure idempotence?

• Ansible ensures idempotence by only applying changes if necessary. If a task is already in the desired state, Ansible won't make any changes during subsequent runs.

7. What is an Ansible inventory?

• Ansible inventory is a file that defines the hosts and groups of hosts on which Ansible will operate. It can be static or dynamic.

8. Explain the difference between Ansible ad-hoc commands and playbooks.

• Ad-hoc commands are one-liners used for quick tasks, while playbooks are YAML files that define a series of tasks, providing a more structured and scalable approach.

9. How does Ansible handle sensitive information like passwords?

• Ansible uses Ansible Vault to encrypt and protect sensitive information such as passwords and secret keys.

10. What is the purpose of Ansible Galaxy? Ansible Galaxy is a hub for finding, reusing, and sharing Ansible content. It includes roles, playbooks, and collections contributed by the Ansible community.

11. How can you run Ansible on multiple servers in parallel? Ansible can run tasks on multiple servers in parallel by specifying the number of forks in the Ansible configuration file or using the -f option in the command line.

12. Explain the term "facts" in Ansible. Facts are pieces of information gathered from managed nodes, providing details about the system, such as hardware, network, and operating system details.

13. What is the difference between a task and a role in Ansible? A task is a single action performed by Ansible, while a role is a collection of related tasks, handlers, variables, and files organized in a predefined directory structure.

14. How does Ansible handle dependencies between roles? Ansible roles can depend on other roles, and Ansible Galaxy helps manage these dependencies by automatically downloading and installing required roles.

15. How do you restart a service using Ansible? The service module can be used to restart a service in Ansible. For example: ansible all -m service -a "name=httpd state=restarted"

16. Explain how to use conditionals in Ansible playbooks. Conditionals in Ansible playbooks can be achieved using the when keyword, which allows tasks to be executed based on specified conditions.

17. What is the purpose of the Ansible Tower? Ansible Tower is a web-based interface and automation engine that provides a dashboard, role-based access control, job scheduling, and more for managing Ansible workflows.

18. How does Ansible handle errors and failures in playbooks? Ansible allows you to define tasks that handle errors and failures using the ignore_errors attribute or the failed_when condition.

19. Explain the use of Ansible filters. Ansible filters are used to modify the output of a template expression, providing a way to format and manipulate data in playbooks.

20. How can you create a custom Ansible module? Custom Ansible modules can be created using any programming language that can output JSON. The module must adhere to the Ansible module API.

21. What is Ansible Tower Sync and why is it used? Ansible Tower Sync is used to update the Ansible Tower database with the latest changes from the project's source control system, ensuring that the Tower reflects the current configuration.

22. Explain the purpose of Ansible roles in organizing playbooks. Ansible roles provide a way to organize playbooks into a structured format, making it easier to reuse, share, and maintain configurations across different projects.

23. How does Ansible handle inventory in dynamic environments like cloud platforms? Ansible supports dynamic inventory scripts that can query cloud platforms, databases, or other sources to dynamically generate an inventory of hosts.

24. What is the difference between Ansible handlers and tasks? Handlers in Ansible are similar to tasks but are only executed when triggered by other tasks. They are typically used for tasks like restarting a service after a configuration change.

25. How can you encrypt and decrypt files using Ansible Vault? Ansible Vault can be used to encrypt and decrypt files using the ansible-vault encrypt and ansible-vault decrypt commands.

26. Explain the concept of Ansible facts caching. Ansible facts caching allows you to store facts about managed nodes, reducing the need to gather them during every playbook run. Caching can improve performance.

27. How does Ansible support role-based access control (RBAC)? Ansible Tower provides RBAC by allowing administrators to define user roles with specific permissions, controlling access to inventories, job templates, and other resources.

28. What is Ansible Callback Plugin? Ansible Callback Plugins are used to extend Ansible's functionality by enabling custom actions at various points in the execution lifecycle, such as on task start or completion.

29. How can you install and configure software packages using Ansible? The yum or apt module can be used to install software packages on Red Hat-based or Debian-based systems, respectively.

30. Explain how to use Ansible to copy files to remote servers. The copy module in Ansible is used to copy files to remote servers. For example: ansible all -m copy -a "src=/path/to/local/file dest=/path/on/remote"

31. What is the purpose of the Ansible Vault? Ansible Vault is used to encrypt sensitive data in Ansible playbooks and files, ensuring that confidential information is secure and can be safely version-controlled.

32. How does Ansible support Docker container orchestration? Ansible can use Docker modules to manage Docker containers and services, making it possible to deploy and orchestrate containers using Ansible playbooks.

33. What is the significance of the Ansible Galaxy Roles? Ansible Galaxy Roles provide a way to share, reuse, and discover Ansible content. Roles can be easily downloaded and integrated into playbooks.

34. Explain the use of Ansible tags. Ansible tags allow you to selectively run specific tasks or roles within a playbook, providing flexibility in playbook execution.

35. How can you create a template in Ansible? Ansible uses the template module to copy files with variable content. Templates are written using Jinja2 syntax, allowing dynamic content generation.

36. What is Ansible Tower Surveys? Ansible Tower Surveys allow you to prompt users for input during job launches, making it possible to customize job parameters interactively.

37. Explain Ansible Galaxy Collections. Ansible Galaxy Collections extend Ansible's capabilities by providing reusable content such as modules, plugins, and roles. Collections are organized and versioned.

38. How does Ansible manage host SSH keys? Ansible automatically manages host SSH keys by storing them in the known_hosts file. Host keys are automatically added or updated as needed.

39. What is Ansible Dry Run mode? Ansible Dry Run mode, or check mode (--check), allows you to simulate playbook execution without making any changes, useful for testing and validation.

40. How do you create a loop in Ansible playbooks? Ansible playbooks support loops using the loop attribute, allowing tasks to be repeated for each item in a list or dictionary.

41. Explain the purpose of the Ansible Facts cache plugin. The Ansible Facts cache plugin stores facts about managed nodes in a cache, improving performance by avoiding repeated fact gathering.

42. How can you set up dynamic inventories in Ansible for cloud platforms? Dynamic inventories for cloud platforms can be set up by creating executable scripts that query the cloud API and generate the inventory dynamically.

43. What is Ansible Collections? Ansible Collections are a distribution format for Ansible content, bundling roles, modules, and other elements. Collections simplify content sharing and distribution.

44. How does Ansible handle environment-specific configurations? Ansible supports variable files and environment-specific configuration files, allowing you to customize playbooks for different environments.

45. Explain the purpose of the Ansible Block module. The Ansible Block module allows you to group multiple tasks together in a playbook, making it easier to manage and control the execution flow.

46. What is Ansible linting, and why is it useful? Ansible linting involves using tools like ansible-lint to check playbooks for syntax errors, best practices, and style adherence, ensuring quality and consistency.

47. How do you set up a cron job using Ansible? Ansible uses the cron module to set up cron jobs. For example: ansible all -m cron -a "name='My Job' minute='*/5' job='/path/to/job.sh'"

48. Explain the use of the Ansible URI module. The Ansible URI module is used to send HTTP or HTTPS requests and perform actions like checking the status code, headers, or retrieving content.

49. How does Ansible support conditional include in playbooks? Conditional includes in Ansible playbooks can be achieved using the include_tasks module with the when condition, allowing dynamic inclusion of tasks based on conditions.

50. How can you integrate Ansible with version control systems like Git? Ansible can be integrated with Git by storing playbooks, roles, and inventory files in a Git repository. Automation workflows can be triggered based on Git events.

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