I tried Ansible just last week for automating server config and setup as it happens and was really impressed.<p>I was using shell scripts previously but like the idea I can just spin up a server and from the base OS, run a deploy which will install everything I need from a local recipe, including configuring and restarting services, and have the server ready to use in a few minutes. It took a few hours to learn the ins and outs of their concept of playbooks (just simple recipes for deployment), but I liked the way you can nest these so once you have a setup for say Postgresql that you like it is usable in any other recipes combined with other components.<p>The best bit is that it can be run multiple times when new configs are added - this means any config changes to say nginx can be done on the playbook and then replayed to send them to the server(s), over and over till the recipe is right. This avoids the biggest problem with fragile servers which is an agglomeration of config changes and ad-hoc installations over original setup scripts. The playbook becomes your server config documentation.<p>It'd be great if VPS providers had a library of Ansible playbooks - perhaps AnsibleWorks should consider having a library of playbooks which they manage on their website for common OS/setups and are downloadable from there? Their examples don't really cover all the bases as yet (I wanted Nginx/Postgresql for example), and it'd be nice if whatever setup you want there's already a playbook ready for.<p>I'm sure similar things are possible in other comparable tools like Chef and Puppet, but I liked that Ansible requires nothing on the server, doesn't require git etc. and has a simple declarative language rather than a dsl to learn - the configuration language is very simple - you can start just by executing commands and installing packages and build up from there.<p>Would anyone care to compare to Chef/Puppet for those who haven't used them?
Hello, one question:<p>How it's going to affect, this raising, to the ansible project?<p>I mean, I like what I've used until now of ansible. I currently do not need the GUI. Is the ansible project going to continue it's development and licensing model? is there any possibility on ansible (without GUI) going "fremium" or any other functionality limitation with the time?<p>I just ask because I know that funds does not use to come for free and there use to be directives and guidelines which may affect a project...<p>I wish ansible is unaffected by the funders thoughts, even if I wish all the best for the ansibleWorks products too.<p>Congrats for the fund!
The two things that makes me prefer ansible over chef/puppet/cfengine are:<p>1) being push based<p>2) working via shell over ssh.<p>There is a definite vantage, with a small install base, in not having to setup a server on either side and being able to control the process from the "admin" machine.
What would make ansible perfect for me would be ditching yaml and use python directly. It would be easier to extend and control programmatically, without the awkward variables and looping constructs it uses in yaml.
Good for them! Ansible is amazing and everyone I've shown it to so far love it because it's just so much simpler to use than the alternatives. As soon as I found out about the project (before AnsibleWorks was even founded) I knew these guys were gonna be well off.
I love the concept, but I couldn't figure out how to make the server inventory dynamic. I tag a lot of instances and want to use the AWS API to grab a list of tagged instances to automatically build the server inventory on execution.<p>Since the instances are so variable (auto-scaling etc.) I see that as a killer feature. Maybe I have to dig deeper, but I spent some time evaluating it against Chef/Puppet etc. and I couldn't find anything.
I've been interested in trying this out as I've been mostly tinkering with Chef and Puppet...<p>Can anyone who's worked with Puppet/Chef and Ansible offer some insights?
I really want to use ansible (currently using salt), but I'm still waiting for the apt_repository pr[0] to get merged.<p>[0] <a href="https://github.com/ansible/ansible/pull/3783" rel="nofollow">https://github.com/ansible/ansible/pull/3783</a>
I'm the open source curriculum coordinator at Pluralsight. We would love to commission a video to help devops people learn and use Ansible. Email geoffrey@pluralsight.com if you're interested.
I like Ansible, but I have to ask: Is $6M a lot for this sort of thing? It sounds like a lot to me for a GUI tool and "REST endpoint", whatever that means in this context. Is there enough of a market to return $6M x10 or whatever it takes to make the investment worthwhile?<p>p.s.: I know this post could sound like veiled contempt, but I really am just curious and a trifle perplexed.