AAP 2.6 RPM Deprecation — Planning Your Containerized Migration

Introduction

Red Hat has announced that Ansible Automation Platform 2.6 is the last release that supports RPM-based installation. Starting with AAP 2.7, only containerized installations will be available. This article helps you plan and execute your migration.

See also: How to Upgrade from AAP 2.4 to AAP 2.6 — Step-by-Step Guide

Timeline

• AAP 2.5 (Sept 2025) — RPM deprecation first announced • AAP 2.6 (Oct 2025) — Last RPM-installable release (RHEL 9 only) • AAP 2.7 (expected 2026) — Containerized only

Why Containerized?

Red Hat's move to containerized installations provides: • Consistency — Same deployment model across environments • Isolation — Better dependency management • Portability — Run on RHEL, OpenShift, or other container platforms • Easier upgrades — Container image updates vs package management • Modern architecture — Aligned with cloud-native practices

See also: Standardized Environment Variables in AAP 2.6 — Migration Guide

Migration Options

Option 1: Lift and Shift

AAP 2.6 supports a documented process to move your entire instance: Export existing configuration, jobs, and data Deploy containerized AAP 2.6 Import everything into the new environment Validate and switch over

Option 2: Fresh Containerized Install

For organizations wanting a clean start: Deploy a new containerized AAP 2.6 environment Recreate job templates and workflows Migrate credentials and inventories Rebuild EDA rulebooks

Option 3: OpenShift Deployment

For organizations already using OpenShift: Deploy AAP Operator on OpenShift Configure the platform via Custom Resources Migrate data from RPM-based installation Leverage OpenShift's built-in HA and scaling

Pre-Migration Checklist

pre_migration_tasks:
  - name: Document current topology
    notes: "Record all hosts, services, and configurations"
  
  - name: Inventory all job templates
    notes: "Export job templates, workflows, and schedules"
  
  - name: Backup credentials
    notes: "Document credential types and secrets management"
  
  - name: Map integrations
    notes: "List all external integrations (SCM, vault, ITSM)"
  
  - name: Test containerized deployment
    notes: "Set up a parallel environment for testing"

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

Conclusion

Don't wait until AAP 2.7 to start planning. Use the AAP 2.6 timeframe to test containerized deployments, validate your migration process, and ensure a smooth transition.

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

Related Articles

• Ansible Vault best practices • Ansible template vs copy module • Ansible inventory groups and variables