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First Ansible playbook for beginners

1. Lab Topology

2. Requirements

CCNA.

Linux-Ubuntu, Vim editor commands.

Understand Ansible overview.

SSH connect sessions.

3. Lab Objective

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This lab started from basic step of using Ansible platform to connect routers in topology
using SSH sessions. Step by step to create playbook that push to routers.

4. Lab tasks

Task 1: Configure IP address for interfaces in routers that connect to Ansible

Workstation, enable domain name and SSH key.

 NOTE: don’t configure IP address on e0/0 interface in Routers (Blue color

link). You need to use Ansible to configure them.

Task 2: Generate SSH between Workstation and Routers.

Task 3: Create inventory that include input methods.

Task 4: Create playbook and push to Routers that configure IP address on interfaces.

Task 5: Check configuration.

5. Lab setup

This lab use Ansible platform version 2.9.6, you can get it on devices mode in
PNETLab GUI:

You should reading guide before download and use this platforms:
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https://user.pnetlab.com/store/devices/guide?id=4

IP address on eth1 of Ansible workstation is configured 192.168.10.100/24

Password login Ansible Worstation: admin/admin

6. Solution

Task 1

Configure IP address for interfaces in routers that connect to Ansible Workstation,

enable domain name and SSH key.

 Configure IP address that you can see at topology on Routers:

 R1

!
ip domain-name local
crypto key generate rsa
1024
!
username ansi privilege 15 password 123
line vty 0 4
login local
transport input ssh
!
interface Ethernet0/1
ip address 192.168.10.10 255.255.255.0
no shutdown
!

 R2

!
ip domain-name local
crypto key generate rsa
1024
!
username ansi privilege 15 password 123
line vty 0 4
login local
transport input ssh
!
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interface Ethernet0/2
ip address 192.168.10.20 255.255.255.0
no shutdown
!

 Make sure after these, Worstation can ping successful to routers.

Task 2

Generate SSH between Workstation and Routers.

ssh ansi@192.168.10.10
yes
---<123>---
exit

ssh ansi@192.168.10.20
yes
---<123>---
exit

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Task 3

Create inventory that include input methods.

 Move to Ansible directory:

o cd /etc/ansible/
 By default in Ansible directory, you can see hosts file and ansible.cfg file
o ls –l
 hosts file that include input method such as: name-devices, ip-address…in this
lab are “devices => group”,“R1 R2 => host”:
o vim /etc/ansible/hosts
 edit like this (just skip all comments in this file, that’s guide for you):

[devices]
R1 ansible_host=192.168.10.10
R2 ansible_host=192.168.10.20

 create group_vars and host_vars where you will add input methods for groups or
hosts files yaml:
o mkdir /etc/ansible/group_vars
o touch /etc/ansible/group_vars/devices.yml
o mkdir /etc/ansible/host_vars
o touch /etc/ansible/host_vars/R1.yml
o touch /etc/ansible/host_vars/R2.yml
 Add input methods, first with devices group:
o vim /etc/ansible/group_vars/devices.yml

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---
ansible_user: ansi
ansible_ssh_pass: 123
...

 Then with per router host:

o vim /etc/ansible/host_vars/R1.yml

interfaces:
- name: Ethernet0/0
description: Link to R2 configured by Ansible
ipv4: 200.100.1.1/24

o vim /etc/ansible/host_vars/R2.yml

interfaces:
- name: Ethernet0/0
description: Link to R1 configured by Ansible
ipv4: 200.100.1.2/24

 You can edit variables as you wish but choose types of them carefully, if not it will
be error. In this lab use ios_interfaces and ios_l3_interfaces module, so
variables need match with modules rules. More informations you can see in this
link : https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/modules/list_of_network_modules.html

Task 4

Create playbook and push to Routers that configure IP address on interfaces.

 Playbook include these configuration steps:

o Connect to Routers
o Turn on interfaces
o Configure IP address on that interfaces
 Create playbook with above steps:
o vim /etc/ansible/running.yml

---
- name: This is the first playbook -> Devices Connecting...
hosts: devices
gather_facts: false
connection: network_cli

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tasks:
- name: Turn on interface...
ios_interfaces:
config:
- name: "{{ item.name }}"
enabled: True
state: merged
loop: "{{ interfaces }}"

- name: Configure interface...

ios_l3_interfaces:
config:
- name: "{{ item.name }}"
ipv4:
- address: "{{ item.ipv4 }}"
state: merged
loop: "{{ interfaces }}"
...

 Call this playbook by command:

o ansible-playbook running.yml
 This’s result:

Task 5

Check configuration.

 On R1:
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 On R2:

 That’s all for starting with Ansible, finish this lab or you can try other configs!

PASS UNLOCK LAB: lab123