CF

Introduction to Ansible

2h 54m 19s
English
Paid

Introduction to Ansible is a 71-lesson 2 hours 54 minutes self-paced course by Talk Python Training. A course by Matt Makai of Full Stack Python for software developers who want to learn the Ansible configuration management tool for managing servers, deploying web applications and performing DevOps tasks.

Course facts

Lessons
71
Duration
2 hours 54 minutes
Level
All levels
Language
English
Updated
Instructor
Talk Python Training
Price
Premium

A course by Matt Makai of Full Stack Python for software developers who want to learn the Ansible configuration management tool for managing servers, deploying web applications and performing DevOps tasks.

Most books and courses only walk you through the narrow happy path through the difficult programming forest. When you step off the path you can feel lost and frustrated because the instructor is no longer there to keep you on track.

This course takes a different approach where I show you the mistakes and errors that you will commonly run into when using Ansible, such as:

  • Handling Python 3 instead of 2 as a default remote server installation
  • Identifying and fixing typos in command line arguments and file paths
  • Tweaking configurations for services that need to start in certain orders
  • Upgrading privileges when permissions are denied in running tasks
  • Working with Ansible modules that have specific Python dependencies such as psycopg2 for PostgreSQL
  • Fixing shell script commands running within Ansible tasks

The best way to learn a new software development library is to pair program with a more experienced developer. That's why most of this course is live coding with explanations of what we are doing and why along the way. View the full course outline for more details.

Learn Ansible by configuring servers and deploying applications

Ansible is a stable, widely-used open source configuration management tool that works amazingly well for application deployments in any programming language, not just Python web apps.

During this course we will build several Ansible playbooks together so we can learn the tool's core concepts including:

  • Modules
  • Tasks
  • Roles
  • Templates
  • YAML syntax
  • Variables
  • Encryption

We'll build playbooks that demonstrate these concepts and connect them together by configuring servers and handling deployments.

Who is this course for?

The ideal student for this course is someone with the ability to create web applications (even simple ones) who wants to learn Ansible and configuration management to automate working with servers and application deployments.

If you don't know any programming at all, you'll want to take a primer first. I recommend you take the free MIT course Introduction to Computer Science and Programming Using Python.

If you don't know Python, consider taking Michael's Python Jumpstart by Building 10 Apps course. You do not need to know Python to learn Ansible but a bit of knowledge will help understand some of the edge case issues we debug in this course.

Who teaches Introduction to Ansible? Talk Python Training

Talk Python Training thumbnail

Talk Python Training is the paid course platform of Michael Kennedy, the host of the long-running Talk Python To Me podcast — one of the most-listened-to podcasts in the Python ecosystem. The course platform extends Michael's interview-based knowledge of the field into structured video courses taught by Michael and a curated set of guest instructors.

The course catalog covers the full Python landscape: web development with Django, Flask, FastAPI, and the broader async-Python stack; data science and pandas; LLM / RAG application development; testing and CI/CD; deployment patterns; the data-engineering side of Python; and a long list of practical Python patterns aimed at working developers. Few platforms cover the language with this much breadth from inside the Python community itself.

The CourseFlix listing under this source carries over 18 Talk Python Training courses spanning that range. Material is paid; Talk Python Training runs on per-course pricing on the original platform. Courses are aimed at developers using Python as a serious primary language rather than as a scripting tool.

What lessons are included in Introduction to Ansible?

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#1: Welcome to the Course
All Course Lessons (71)
#Lesson TitleDurationAccess
1
Welcome to the Course Demo
01:44
2
Why Ansible?
04:21
3
Obtaining the Source Code
00:33
4
Meet Your Instructor
03:23
5
Working with Ansible
03:26
6
Thank you to our sponsor, DigitalOcean
00:38
7
Configuring Ansible on macOS
02:53
8
SSH Keys on macOS
01:55
9
Options for Using Ansible on Windows
01:30
10
Configuring Ansible on Ubuntu
03:12
11
SSH Keys on Ubuntu
01:46
12
Core Ansible Concepts Overview
04:44
13
Modules
04:17
14
Tasks
02:09
15
Running Ad Hoc Tasks
02:35
16
Roles
02:19
17
Playbooks
01:18
18
Inventory
01:37
19
YAML
01:57
20
Applying the Ansible Concepts
00:43
21
Writing Our First Playbook
01:01
22
YAML in the Playbook File
01:49
23
Sign up for DigitalOcean
01:09
24
Provision A Server
01:34
25
Create A New SSH Key
02:24
26
Creating Our First Role
04:12
27
Adjusting Output Verbosity
01:52
28
New Users with the group, user and authorized_key Modules
03:34
29
Reviewing Our First Playbook
00:55
30
Working with Data
01:35
31
Ansible Variables
03:12
32
Environment Variables
02:28
33
What are Templates?
01:13
34
Working with Templates
03:38
35
Encrypting Data
01:09
36
Ansible Vault
03:02
37
Using Data
00:55
38
Configuring Servers
01:33
39
New Playbook Scaffolding
01:08
40
Provisioning Two Servers
01:11
41
Our New Inventory File
01:06
42
Initial Configuration Playbook
06:17
43
Creating a Non-root User
02:43
44
Installing System Packages with the apt Module
01:39
45
Testing Our Playbook
01:12
46
Setting up Firewalls with the ufw Module
02:20
47
Splitting Web Server and Database Server Roles
04:25
48
Running Nginx
01:42
49
The template Module for Configuration Files
02:32
50
Installing PostgreSQL
03:35
51
PostgreSQL Management with the postgresql_db and postgresql_user Modules
04:44
52
Testing the Database Connection
00:59
53
Reviewing Ansible Modules for Server Configuration
00:35
54
Learning Ansible Modules by Deploying
03:09
55
DNS Configuration
01:45
56
Enhancing Our Playbook and Let's Encrypt
02:46
57
SSL Certificates with the shell and stat Modules
05:42
58
Enhancing the Nginx Template
05:41
59
Testing the Nginx Tasks
03:02
60
Deploy Keys on GitHub
05:54
61
Cloning Repositories with the git Module
01:43
62
Installing App Dependencies with venv and pip3
03:17
63
Using the start-at-task Argument
02:07
64
Configuring Supervisor with the service and pause Modules
03:51
65
Solving Template File Name Issues
01:27
66
Fixing Our Nginx Configuration
03:01
67
Serving Static Assets
01:02
68
Updating Config Files with the lineinfile Module
03:06
69
Learning Ansible with A Deployment Recap
01:11
70
Course Recap
02:30
71
What to Investigate Next
02:42
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Frequently asked questions

What prerequisites should I have before enrolling in this course?
Before enrolling in this course, you should have a basic understanding of software development and familiarity with command-line interfaces. Knowledge of SSH keys and experience with servers, particularly macOS or Ubuntu, will also be beneficial since the course includes configuring Ansible on these operating systems.
What projects will I build during this course?
Throughout the course, you will engage in practical exercises such as writing your first playbook, provisioning a server, creating and managing server roles, and deploying web applications. Notable projects include setting up Nginx and PostgreSQL, testing database connections, and configuring servers using various Ansible modules.
Who is the target audience for this course?
This course is designed for software developers interested in learning Ansible for configuration management, server management, web application deployment, and performing DevOps-related tasks. It's suitable for those looking to enhance their skills in managing server infrastructure and automating deployment processes.
How does the depth and scope of this course compare to others?
The course covers fundamental aspects of Ansible, including modules, tasks, roles, playbooks, and inventory management. It focuses on practical applications, such as configuring servers and deploying web applications. While it provides a foundational understanding, those seeking advanced concepts or enterprise-level usage might need to explore further resources after completing this course.
Is there any specific tooling or platform focus in the course?
Yes, the course focuses on using Ansible on macOS, Ubuntu, and Windows platforms. It also involves working with DigitalOcean for server provisioning and includes tasks related to managing web server and database server roles using Nginx and PostgreSQL.
What topics are not covered in this course?
The course does not cover advanced Ansible topics such as Ansible Tower, performance tuning, or large-scale deployment strategies. It also does not delve into non-Ansible specific DevOps tools or practices that might be required for comprehensive infrastructure management.
How much time should I expect to commit to this course?
The course consists of 71 lessons. While the total runtime is not specified, students should allocate sufficient time for hands-on exercises and practical applications, such as writing playbooks and configuring servers, which are integral parts of the learning process.