Ansible Inventory and Collection Projects

Organize Ansible content in Git with Ansible Inventory projects and Ansible Collection projects. Don’t use Ansible Role projects / repositories.

Problem

1. Managing inventories manually or across multiple files can be time-consuming and prone to errors.
2. Reusing and sharing Ansible code and content across different projects can be challenging.
3. Configuring and maintaining complex infrastructure and applications can become overwhelming without a modular approach.

Solution

Create a clone script that automates the process of setting up the development environment for your Ansible playbook/configuration projects. The script should perform the following tasks:

1. Ansible Inventory Projects provide centralized inventory management for Ansible deployments, streamlining host and group information.
2. Ansible Collection Projects allow for code sharing, packaging, and distribution of Ansible content, including roles, playbooks, modules, and plugins.
3. Don’t use Ansible Role Projects. It typically is more effective, convenient and productive to use Ansible Collection Projects.

Examples and implementation

1. Create a separate repository for each project type.
2. Establish clear naming conventions and directory structures for consistency.
3. Utilize version control with Git for effective collaboration and change tracking.
4. Document the purpose, usage, and guidelines for each project type.
5. Follow community best practices and coding standards to ensure readability and maintainability.
6. Encourage testing and continuous integration practices for reliable and scalable deployments.
7. Leverage automation tools like CI/CD pipelines to streamline project workflows.
8. Engage with the Ansible community, share your projects, and contribute to existing ones to foster collaboration and knowledge sharing.

By following these guidelines, you can create efficient and well-structured projects that enhance the deployment process, promote code reuse, and facilitate collaboration among team members.