Containerized Ansible Automation Platform Update 2024: A Leap Towards Simplification and Security
The 2024 Update of the Enhanced Containerized Ansible Automation Platform.
Introduction
The recent Technology Preview of the containerized Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform has sparked considerable excitement within the tech community. This innovative approach offers a streamlined, feature-rich solution for enterprise-ready automation, gathering interest from both current users and prospects. The journey towards the general availability of this platform has been enriched with valuable feedback, leading to significant enhancements, fixes, and improvements. This article dives into these updates, highlighting how they contribute to a more simplified installation process, enhanced security measures, and other notable changes.
Further Installation Simplification
One of the major strides in improving the user experience with the containerized Ansible Automation Platform is the simplification of the installation process. By leveraging core features of the platform, the need for some command-line instructions has been eliminated, making the setup smoother. For instance, the ansible.cfg file now automatically sets up the collections path, default inventory file, and logs:
$ cat ansible.cfg
[defaults]
collections_path = ./collections
inventory = ./inventory
log_path = ./aap_install.log
This adjustment means users no longer have to manually specify a collections path or pass in the inventory when sticking to installation defaults, streamlining the initial setup process.
Enhanced Security
Security is paramount, and the latest update defaults to using Transport Layer Security (TLS) across all services, fortifying network security. Users have the flexibility to use their own certificates or rely on those generated by the installer, offering both customization and convenience.
Port Changes
To mitigate potential conflicts, default UI ports have undergone adjustments:
- Automation controller: Changed from 443 to 8443
- Ansible automation hub: Changed from 444 to 8444
- Event-Driven Ansible controller: Changed from 445 to 8445
These modifications help avoid clashes with existing applications and can be customized further during installation.
Automation Mesh
The introduction of automation mesh capabilities to containerized installations marks a significant upgrade. Users can now incorporate hop and remote execution nodes right from the installation phase, enhancing the platform’s flexibility and scalability.
For example, to add a remote execution node, users can simply update their inventory file accordingly:
[execution_nodes]
execution.example.com
Event-Driven Ansible
Improvements extend to Event-Driven Ansible, with Decision Environments (DEs) being set up during installation, streamlining the integration of custom or supported DEs and associated credentials resources.
Networking and Content Seeding
Networking advancements include IPv6 support for the user interface, broadening accessibility. Moreover, the platform now embraces a configuration-as-code model for pre-seeding automation content, extending capabilities to automation hub content like namespaces and execution environment images.
Ansible Automation Hub Enhancements
The platform now supports collection and container signing, reinforcing security and integrity of automation resources.
Links
Conclusion
The latest updates to the containerized Ansible Automation Platform underscore Red Hat’s commitment to simplifying and securing enterprise automation. These enhancements not only streamline the installation process but also introduce robust security features, extend networking capabilities, and improve content management.
For those eager to explore these updates, the platform is available for download via the Red Hat Portal, with comprehensive documentation and an updated Installation Guide detailing the recent changes.
As we progress towards general availability, this platform promises to redefine enterprise automation with its containerized approach. For more insights into the containerized Ansible Automation Platform, stay tuned for future updates.
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