What Are Ansible Collections? Modules, Roles & Plugins Packages (Guide)
By Luca Berton · Published 2024-01-01 · Category: installation
What are Ansible collections and how they organize modules, roles, and plugins. Install, use, and create collections with ansible-galaxy and Automation Hub.
Ansible collections are a key feature that enhances modularity and reusability in automation workflows. They bundle content such as modules, plugins, roles, and documentation into a standardized format. This article explains what Ansible collections are, their structure, and how to use them.
What Are Ansible Collections?
Ansible collections are distributable packages of Ansible content, designed to organize and share automation resources. They are hosted in repositories like Ansible Galaxy or private registries, making it easier to manage and reuse automation code.
Key Features of Collections: • Modularity: Collections group related content, simplifying distribution and use. • Organization: Provide a structured way to manage custom and community-contributed content. • Standardization: Use a consistent directory layout for easy integration.
Structure of an Ansible Collection
A collection has a predefined directory structure:
Key Components: plugins/: Contains custom modules, inventory plugins, lookup plugins, and filters. roles/: Stores roles for task execution. playbooks/: Includes example playbooks for using the collection. docs/: Provides documentation for the collection. galaxy.yml: Metadata file defining the collection name, description, dependencies, and version.
Benefits of Using Ansible Collections Reusable Content: Collections allow teams to package and share automation resources, reducing redundancy. Scalability: Modular content simplifies scaling automation across projects. Community Contributions: Access thousands of collections in Ansible Galaxy to accelerate development. Versioning and Dependencies: Manage specific versions and dependencies to ensure compatibility.
How to Use Ansible Collections
1. Installing a Collection Use the ansible-galaxy command to install collections from Ansible Galaxy or private repositories.
2. Using Modules from a Collection Reference modules within a collection in your playbooks:
3. Specifying Collections in Playbooks Define required collections at the beginning of your playbook:
4. Creating Your Own Collection Generate a new collection using the ansible-galaxy command:
Customize the structure and add your content.
Popular Collections on Ansible Galaxy community.general: A collection of common modules and plugins. amazon.aws: Modules and plugins for managing AWS resources. vmware.vmware_rest: Tools for automating VMware infrastructure. kubernetes.core: Modules for managing Kubernetes clusters.
Best Practices for Ansible Collections • Use Namespaces: Prefix collections with unique namespaces to avoid conflicts. • Document Thoroughly: Provide clear documentation in the docs/ directory. • Follow Standards: Adhere to the collection directory structure for compatibility. • Version Control: Maintain versioning to track updates and dependencies.
Conclusion
Ansible collections streamline modular automation by bundling related content into reusable packages. Whether you're building custom automation workflows or leveraging community resources, collections enhance collaboration, scalability, and efficiency.
Explore Ansible Collections on Ansible Galaxy
What's in a Collection?
Popular Collections
| Collection | Purpose | |-----------|---------| | ansible.builtin | Core modules (included) | | community.general | 1000+ community modules | | amazon.aws | AWS automation | | azure.azcollection | Azure automation | | community.docker | Docker management | | containers.podman | Podman management | | ansible.posix | POSIX systems (firewalld, etc.) | | ansible.windows | Windows automation | | kubernetes.core | Kubernetes management |
Install Collections
Use Collections
Fully Qualified Collection Name (FQCN)
collections keyword
Collections vs Roles
| Feature | Collection | Role | |---------|-----------|------| | Contains | Modules + roles + plugins | Tasks + files + templates | | Scope | Extend Ansible capabilities | Reusable task bundles | | Install | ansible-galaxy collection | ansible-galaxy role | | Namespace | namespace.name | author.rolename | | Distribution | Galaxy / Automation Hub | Galaxy / Git |
List Installed Collections
Create a Collection
FAQ
Do I need to install ansible.builtin?
No — it's included with Ansible. All ansible.builtin.* modules are always available.
What's the difference between Galaxy and Automation Hub?
Galaxy is the public community repository. Automation Hub is Red Hat's certified, supported collection source for AAP subscribers.
Should I use FQCN or short names?
Always use FQCN in production. Short names can conflict between collections and make debugging harder.
Related Articles • Ansible Galaxy Guide • Ansible Inventory Guide • Ansible AWS Guide • Ansible Roles Guide
Category: installation