Introduction

Inventories in Ansible AWX define the list of managed nodes or hosts that Ansible will target during playbook execution. They organize hosts into groups and allow for dynamic targeting based on attributes, tags, or other criteria. In this article, we'll delve into the process of managing inventories in Ansible AWX, covering key concepts, configuration options, and best practices, illustrated with examples.

Key Concepts

Inventories in Ansible AWX organize and manage hosts for automation tasks. They provide a centralized view of managed nodes, enabling efficient targeting and orchestration of automation workflows.

Configuration Options

To manage inventories in Ansible AWX, follow these configuration options:

Create an Inventory

• Navigate to the "Inventories" section in the AWX web interface.

• Click on the "Add" button to create a new inventory.

• Specify a name for the inventory and optionally provide a description.

Add Hosts to the Inventory

• Within the inventory, click on the "Hosts" tab.

• Click on the "Add" button to add new hosts manually or import hosts from external sources such as dynamic inventory scripts or cloud providers.

Example:

Consider an example where we have an inventory named "web_servers" containing a group named "production" and a group named "staging." The "production" group contains production servers, while the "staging" group contains staging servers.

• Inventory Name: web_servers

  • Group: production

    • Hosts: web1.example.com, web2.example.com

  • Group: staging

    • Hosts: staging1.example.com, staging2.example.com

Conclusion

Managing inventories in Ansible AWX enables efficient targeting and orchestration of automation workflows. By following the key concepts and configuration options outlined in this article, users can effectively manage inventories in Ansible AWX, improving targeting, control, and organization of managed nodes.