Configuration as Code with ansible.platform Collection in AAP 2.6

Introduction

AAP 2.6 introduces improved platform management collections that enable true configuration-as-code for your entire automation platform. The ansible.platform collection centralizes management through the Gateway API with standardized variables.

See also: AI-Assisted Inventory Generation in AAP 2.6 — Developer Preview

Why Configuration as Code for AAP?

Managing your automation platform as code provides: • Reproducibility — Rebuild environments from scratch • Version control — Track all configuration changes in Git • Consistency — Same configuration across dev, staging, production • Automation — No manual clicks in the UI • Audit trail — Complete history of who changed what

The ansible.platform Collection

Installation

ansible-galaxy collection install ansible.platform

Authentication Setup

# group_vars/all.yml
aap_host: gateway.example.com
aap_username: admin
aap_password: "{{ vault_aap_password }}"
aap_verify_ssl: true

See also: How to Use the AAP 2.6 Automation Dashboard to Measure ROI

Managing Resources as Code

Organizations

- name: Configure organizations
  ansible.platform.organization:
    name: "{{ item.name }}"
    description: "{{ item.description }}"
    state: present
  loop:
    - name: "IT Operations"
      description: "Infrastructure and operations team"
    - name: "Development"
      description: "Application development team"

Teams and RBAC

- name: Configure teams
  ansible.platform.team:
    name: "Network Automation"
    organization: "IT Operations"
    state: present
- name: Assign roles
  ansible.platform.role:
    user: "jsmith"
    role: "Automation Operator"
    organization: "IT Operations"
    state: present

Job Templates

- name: Configure job templates
  ansible.platform.job_template:
    name: "Deploy Web Application"
    organization: "Development"
    project: "webapp-automation"
    playbook: "deploy.yml"
    inventory: "production"
    credentials:
      - "SSH Key"
      - "Vault Credentials"
    state: present

Workflows

- name: Configure workflow
  ansible.platform.workflow_job_template:
    name: "Full Deployment Pipeline"
    organization: "Development"
    state: present
- name: Add workflow nodes
  ansible.platform.workflow_job_template_node:
    workflow: "Full Deployment Pipeline"
    job_template: "Deploy Web Application"
    success_nodes:
      - "Run Tests"
    state: present

GitOps Workflow

Repository Structure

aap-config/
├── inventories/
│   └── aap_hosts.yml
├── group_vars/
│   └── all.yml
├── playbooks/
│   ├── configure-orgs.yml
│   ├── configure-teams.yml
│   ├── configure-templates.yml
│   └── configure-workflows.yml
├── requirements.yml
└── site.yml

CI/CD Integration

# .gitlab-ci.yml
deploy_aap_config:
  stage: deploy
  script:
    - ansible-galaxy collection install -r requirements.yml
    - ansible-playbook site.yml -i inventories/aap_hosts.yml
  only:
    - main

See also: Key Metrics and KPIs to Track in the AAP 2.6 Automation Dashboard

Best Practices

Store secrets in Vault — Never commit passwords to Git Use idempotent playbooks — Run them repeatedly without side effects Environment-specific vars — Use group_vars for dev/staging/prod differences PR reviews — Require reviews for AAP configuration changes Gradual adoption — Start with a few resource types and expand

Conclusion

Configuration as code for AAP 2.6 brings the same discipline and auditability to your automation platform that you apply to your infrastructure. The unified ansible.platform collection makes this easier than ever.

For more Ansible tutorials and guides, explore the complete article collection on Ansible Pilot.

Related Articles

• publishing collections to Ansible Galaxy • the Ansible template module reference • integrating Ansible Vault with CI • Ansible inventory best practices • Ansible loop patterns and tips