Using Date, Time and Timestamp in Ansible Playbook
Learn to Use ansible_date_time for Efficient Automation
Discover how to handle date, time, and timestamps in Ansible Playbooks using the ansible_date_time variable. Follow a step-by-step demo to get started.![](/articles/ansible_date_time.png)
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How to Use Date, Time, and Timestamp in Ansible Playbook
Welcome to another episode of Ansible Pilot! I’m Luca Berton, and today we’re diving into the fascinating world of handling date, time, and timestamps in Ansible Playbooks. We’ll explore the ansible_date_time
variable, conduct a live demo, and provide you with simple Ansible code to get started.
The ansible_date_time
Variable
Ansible simplifies working with date and time information through the ansible_date_time
variable. This built-in variable comes packed with a wealth of information, neatly organized into key-value pairs. Let’s take a closer look at some of the key values it provides:
"ansible_date_time": {
"date": "2022-05-18",
"day": "18",
"epoch": "1652887408",
"hour": "15",
"iso8601": "2022-05-18T15:23:28Z",
"minute": "23",
"month": "05",
"second": "28",
"time": "15:23:28",
"tz": "UTC",
"weekday": "Wednesday",
"weekday_number": "3",
"year": "2022"
}
These values cover everything from the current date, time, and timezone to more detailed information like the day of the week, month, and year. This data can be immensely useful in various scenarios within your Ansible Playbook.
One important note: to leverage the ansible_date_time
variable, ensure that Ansible Facts are enabled in your playbook by including gather_facts: true
.
Playbook
Are you ready for a hands-on experience? Let’s jump into a quick live demo where we’ll showcase how to display the full ansible_date_time
and the ISO8601 format.
Ansible Playbook Code
---
- name: date and time demo
hosts: all
gather_facts: true
tasks:
- name: date and time
ansible.builtin.debug:
var: ansible_date_time
- name: ISO8601
ansible.builtin.debug:
var: ansible_date_time.iso8601
Execution
Run the following command to execute the playbook:
$ ansible-playbook -i inventory datetime_fact.yml
The output will provide detailed information about the current date and time, as well as the ISO8601 format.
Conclusion
Congratulations! You’ve just learned how to harness the power of date, time, and timestamp variables in your Ansible Playbooks. The ansible_date_time
variable opens up a world of possibilities for managing time-related data effortlessly. Feel free to explore and integrate this knowledge into your automation workflows.
Happy automating!
Academy
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My book Ansible By Examples: 200+ Automation Examples For Linux and Windows System Administrator and DevOps
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