How to Install Ansible and Set Up Master-Worker Nodes – A Complete Guide for Beginners! ??
?? Are you looking to automate your IT infrastructure effortlessly? ?? Want to learn how to install Ansible and configure a Master-Worker Node setup?
If yes, then this article is for you! ????
Ansible is a powerful open-source automation tool that helps you configure systems, deploy applications, and manage IT infrastructure without needing to log in to each machine manually. Unlike other tools like Puppet or Chef, Ansible is agentless—it uses SSH to communicate with remote machines.
In this guide, I’ll walk you through:
? What Ansible is and why it’s useful
? How to install Ansible on an Ubuntu-based Master Node
? How to configure Worker Nodes for seamless automation
?? Prefer watching a step-by-step video? Check out my YouTube tutorial on AAA Tech: https://youtu.be/LFL9b3TQJPY
?? What is Ansible?
Before diving into installation, let’s understand why Ansible is so popular in DevOps!
? Agentless Automation: Unlike Puppet or Chef, Ansible doesn’t require additional software on Worker Nodes. It communicates through SSH.
? Declarative Configuration Management: Define the state of your system, and Ansible ensures it remains that way!
? Scalability & Flexibility: Manage a few servers or thousands effortlessly.
? Common Use Cases: ?? Automating system configurations ?? Deploying applications ?? Managing cloud services
Sounds powerful, right? Now, let’s install it! ??
??? Installing Ansible on the Master Node (Control Machine)
We will install Ansible on an Ubuntu-based Master Node, which will control multiple Worker Nodes.
Step 1: Update and Upgrade Ubuntu Packages
First, update your system packages to ensure everything is up-to-date:
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
Step 2: Add the Official Ansible Repository
To install the latest stable version of Ansible, add the official repository:
sudo apt-add-repository --yes --update ppa:ansible/ansible
Step 3: Install Ansible
Now, install Ansible using the package manager:
sudo apt install ansible -y
Step 4: Verify Ansible Installation
Once installed, check if Ansible is working by running:
ansible --version
? If you see the installed version of Ansible, you’re all set! ??
??? Setting Up Master and Worker Nodes
Now that Ansible is installed, let’s configure the Master Node to communicate with the Worker Nodes.
Step 1: Configure SSH Key-Based Authentication
Ansible uses SSH to connect to Worker Nodes. To avoid entering passwords manually, let’s set up passwordless authentication.
?? On the Master Node, generate an SSH key:
ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 4096
? Press ENTER for all prompts to keep the default values.
Step 2: Copy SSH Key to Worker Node
Run the following command to copy the SSH key to the Worker Node:
ssh-copy-id user@worker-ip
(Replace user with your actual username and worker-ip with the IP address of the Worker Node.)
Step 3: Test SSH Connection
Now, test the SSH connection from the Master Node to the Worker Node:
ssh user@worker-ip
? If you can log in without a password, the SSH setup is successful! ??
?? Configuring Ansible Inventory File
Now, we need to tell Ansible which machines to manage.
?? On the Master Node, edit the Ansible inventory file:
sudo nano /etc/ansible/hosts
?? Add the following entries:
[workers]
worker1 ansible_host=worker_IP
(Replace worker1 and IP addresses with your actual setup!)
Step 2: Test Ansible Connection
To check if Ansible can communicate with the Worker Nodes, run:
ansible all -m ping -i /etc/ansible/hosts
? If everything is set up correctly, you should see a SUCCESS message! ??
?? Running Your First Ansible Command
?? Now that our setup is complete, let’s run our first Ansible command!
?? To check the uptime of all Worker Nodes:
ansible all -a "uptime"
?? To install Apache on all Worker Nodes:
ansible all -m apt -a "name=apache2 state=present" --become
? Boom! Ansible will install Apache on all Worker Nodes instantly! ??
?? Conclusion
And that’s it! You’ve successfully:
? Installed Ansible on the Master Node
? Set up passwordless SSH authentication
? Configured Worker Nodes
? Ran your first Ansible command
?? Now, tell me in the comments: What will you automate first with Ansible? ??
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Let’s automate and scale IT infrastructure effortlessly! ??
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