Lesson 1 – Ansible Introduction

1. Ansible Introduction
   
   • Ansible definition
   • Exploring modules
   • Building a task
   • Places to define Ansible vars
   • hosts aka "Inventory"
   • Creating a A play
   • Looking at the “handler”
   • Running a playbook
   • Introduction to YAML
   • Requirements for connecting to remote hosts
2. Installation
   
   • Configuration requirements on the control machine
   • Python requirements on the host
   • Using ansible raw to install Python
3. Ansible config file and directory structure
   
   • ansible.cfg
   • Ansible Inventory
   • Roles
4. Ansible Static Inventory
   
   • Defining Hosts and Groups
   • Host and Group variables
   • Groups of Groups
   • Default Groups
5. YAML
   
   • YAML Gotchas
   • YAML Dictionary
   • YAML list
   • YAML list of dictionaries
   • YAML Alternate format
   • Relationship to JSON

Lesson 2 – Ansible for Server Operations

1. Ansible Ad hoc commands
   
   • Ad hoc command syntax
   • Parallel Shell commands
   • Managing packages
   • Managing users and groups
   • Gathering facts
   • ad hoc cheat sheet
2. Writing a Simple Playbook
   
   • Elements of a well written playbook
   • A well-written Ansible play
   • Using include files for tasks
   • A well-written ansible variable file
   • A well-written ansible inventory file
3. Ansible config file and directory structure
   
   • ansible.cfg
   • Best practices concerning directory structures and organization
   • Host Inventory and ansible_vars
   • Introduction to roles
4. Key Server Modules to Know
   
   • Understanding modules documentation
   • setup / gather_facts
   • copy
   • apt / yum / pip
   • command / shell
   • git
   • get_url
   • debug
   • lineinfile

Lesson 3 – Ansible for Network Operations

1. Ansible and Jinja
   
   • What is Jinja2?
   • jinja variables
   • jinja filters
   • jinja tests
   • How to use ansible template
   • Review of the ansible template documentation
2. Conditional and Looping Tasks
   
   • Variables and Loops
   • Using Complex Variables in Loops
   • Variables and Templates
   • Using variables in conditions
   • Blocks
   • Prompts
   • Getting variables from the system
   • Setting variables in playbooks
   • registered variables
   • Getting variables from the command line
   • Where is the best source to derive variables values?
3. Ansible Network Solutions with Ansible (focus on Juniper and Cisco)
   
   • Writing Cisco and Juniper playbooks
   • Modules for Cisco (IOS, NXOS, IOSXR, etc)
   • Exploring Juniper solutions
   • Built in Juniper modules
   • Role based Juniper modules
   • Installing a module from Juniper vendor
   • Securing credentials / best practices
   • New additions within the latest version of Ansible (v2.9)
4. Ansible Galaxy and Roles
   
   • Introduction to Ansible Galaxy
   • Searching for roles
   • Downloading roles
   • Creating roles
   • Role directory structure
   • Using roles in your playbooks
   • Best practices for roles
   • Creating and sharing your own roles
5. Ansible Vault
   
   • What is Ansible Vault?
   • Creating encrypted files
   • Editing encrypted files
   • Encrypting existing files
   • Using encrypted files in playbooks
   • Best practices for vault passwords
   • Multiple vault passwords
   • Decrypting files
   • Rekeying files

Labs:

1. SSH client and server configs
2. RSA key gen
3. Methods for Installing Ansible
4. Ansible Host Inventory
5. Ad-Hoc Modules and Gather Facts
6. Elevated Ad-Hoc Commands
7. Running your first Playbook
8. Ad-Hoc Raw Commands
9. Debug, Loops, and YAML Lists
10. When Conditionals, YAML Dictionaries, and Jinja
11. ansible.cfg setup
12. Building Playbooks - Bootstrap with raw, group, and user Modules
13. Mapping YAML Vars Files in Playbooks
14. Ansible Modules - shell
15. Ansible Module - copy
16. Ansible Module - apt
17. Ansible Module - yum
18. Ansible Module - get_url
19. Ansible Module - file
20. Ansible Module - git
21. Ansible Module - template
22. Playbook Tags
23. Ansible Module - lineinfile and replace
24. Manually Launch an OpenStack Instance
25. OpenStack, Ansible and Shade
26. YAML, JSON, Dynamic, and Cloud Inventories
27. Configuring a Web Service with Ansible
28. Ansible Handlers
29. Ansible Error Handling
30. pre_tasks, roles, tasks, post_tasks, and handlers
31. Exploring Switches with Ansible
32. network_cli Playbook
33. Backup and Save Config - Cisco, Juniper, Arista, and many more
34. Network Playbooks and Vendor Specific Modules
35. Simplifying Network Playbooks with Agnostic Modules
36. Reading Variables into Playbooks
37. Ansible script module
38. Ansible Lookup Plugin
39. Ansible Playbook Output Logging
40. Ansible Keywords - register and when
41. Ansible Galaxy
42. Ansible Vault
43. Ansible Tower
44. (Optional Case Study) Ansible for Palo Alto PanOS and Panorama
45. (Optional Case Study) Ansible for Juniper Junos Core and Role Modules
46. (Optional Case Study) Ansible for VMWare NSX Networking
47. (Optional Case Study) Ansible NAPALM for Network Automation