Ansible Automation Platform Architecture: Components, Ecosystem, and Integration Guide
By Luca Berton · Published 2024-01-01 · Category: installation
Explore the Ansible Automation Platform architecture: Controller, Hub, EDA, Dashboard, MCP Server, and 200+ certified collections.
Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform is built on four pillars: Administration, Intelligence, Service Delivery, and Orchestration. Together they deliver efficiency, resilience, governance, and scale for enterprise IT automation.
Platform Architecture
The platform is organized into four functional areas:
Administration
| Component | Description |
|---|---|
| Automation Controller | Central management plane for jobs, inventories, credentials, and workflows |
| Automation Hub | Repository for certified and validated Ansible content collections |
| Event-Driven Ansible | Automated event handling and response with rulebooks |
| RBAC | Role-based access control for users, teams, and organizations |
| Intelligent Assistant | AI-powered assistant for automation content (Lightspeed) |
Intelligence
| Component | Description |
|---|---|
| Automation Dashboard | ROI metrics, cost savings, and operational analytics |
| Automation Analytics | Usage trends, module adoption, and cluster health |
| Metrics Utility | Detailed performance and execution metrics |
| Red Hat Lightspeed | AI-powered content generation and recommendations |
Service Delivery
| Component | Description |
|---|---|
| Self-Service Portal | User-facing catalog for requesting automation services |
| EE Builder | Visual execution environment builder for consistent runtime |
| Development Tools | CLI, VS Code extension, ansible-navigator |
| RHD Plugins | Red Hat Developer plugin integrations |
| Coding Assistant | AI-assisted playbook development |
Orchestration
| Component | Description |
|---|---|
| Automation Orchestrator | Complex multi-step workflow management |
| MCP Server for AAP | Model Context Protocol for AI-driven operations |
| MCP Plugins | Cloud provider integrations (AWS, Azure, GitHub) |
See also: Ansible Automation Platform 2.6 Architecture and Components: Complete Guide
Automation Domains
AAP provides automation across all IT domains:
- Infrastructure: Server provisioning, configuration management
- Security: Compliance scanning, vulnerability remediation, zero-trust
- Networking: Switch/router configuration, network automation
- Cloud: Multi-cloud provisioning (AWS, Azure, GCP)
- Virtualization: VMware, Hyper-V, KVM, Proxmox management
- ITSM: ServiceNow, Jira integration for change management
- Applications: Deployment, scaling, lifecycle management
- AI: AI model deployment, MLOps pipeline automation
Certified Content Ecosystem
The AAP ecosystem includes:
- 200+ Certified Content Collections from technology partners
- 75+ Technology Partners with validated integrations
- 120+ Systems Integrators and Sellers worldwide
Key Technology Partners
| Category | Partners |
|---|---|
| Networking | Arista, Aruba, Cisco, Juniper |
| Cloud | AWS, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure |
| Security | CyberArk, Splunk |
| Monitoring | BigPanda, Datadog, Dynatrace |
| Storage/Infra | Nutanex, F5, VMware |
| ITSM | ServiceNow |
| Database | SAP S/4HANA |
| IaC | Terraform (HashiCorp) |
| Observability | Instana, IBM Turbonomic |
Red Hat Integration
AAP integrates natively with:
- Red Hat AI — AI/ML model serving and automation
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux — Base OS management and patching
- Red Hat OpenShift — Container orchestration and Kubernetes automation
Execution Environment Architecture
┌─────────────────────────────┐
│ Automation Controller │
│ (Jobs, Workflows, RBAC) │
└──────────┬──────────────────┘
│
┌──────▼──────┐
│ Execution │
│ Environment │
│ (Container) │
│ │
│ • ansible-core│
│ • Collections │
│ • Python deps │
│ • System deps │
└──────┬──────┘
│
┌──────▼──────┐
│ Managed │
│ Hosts │
└─────────────┘Getting Started with AAP
1. Install and Configure
# Download the setup bundle from access.redhat.com
tar xvf ansible-automation-platform-setup-bundle-*.tar.gz
cd ansible-automation-platform-setup-bundle-*/
# Edit inventory file
vi inventory
# Run installer
sudo ./setup.sh2. Add Content from Automation Hub
# Configure ansible.cfg to use Automation Hub
cat >> ansible.cfg << EOF
[galaxy]
server_list = automation_hub
[galaxy_server.automation_hub]
url=https://hub.example.com/api/galaxy/
token=your-token-here
EOF
# Install certified collection
ansible-galaxy collection install cisco.ios3. Build an Execution Environment
# execution-environment.yml
version: 3
dependencies:
galaxy:
collections:
- name: cisco.ios
- name: amazon.aws
- name: community.general
python:
- boto3
- pyvmomi
system:
- iputils [platform:rpm]# Build with ansible-builder
ansible-builder build -t my-custom-ee:latestSee also: Containerized Ansible Automation Platform 2024 Update
FAQ
What is the difference between AWX and Automation Controller?
AWX is the upstream open-source project. Automation Controller is the supported, enterprise version included in AAP with Red Hat support, certified content, and additional features.
Do I need all four pillars?
No. You can start with just Automation Controller and expand as needed. Each component can be adopted incrementally based on your organization's maturity.
How many collections are available?
Over 200 certified collections are available through Automation Hub, plus thousands of community collections on Ansible Galaxy.
What is an Execution Environment?
An Execution Environment is a container image that packages ansible-core, collections, Python libraries, and system dependencies. It ensures consistent automation execution across all environments.
Can I use AAP without Red Hat Enterprise Linux?
AAP is designed for and supported on RHEL. While the underlying technology (AWX) runs on other platforms, AAP's support and certification require RHEL 9 or 10.
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