Configuration as Code with ansible.platform Collection in AAP 2.6

By Luca Berton · Published 2024-01-01 · Category: installation

How to manage your AAP 2.6 deployment as code using the new ansible.platform collection with unified RBAC and standardized variables.

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.

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

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

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.

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