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Ansible Content Collections

Learn how to install and use Ansible Content Collections from Ansible Galaxy by integrating a community module into an Ansible playbook.

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Overview

In this lab, you will learn how to work with Ansible Content Collections and integrate community-maintained automation content into your playbooks. You will install the community.general collection from Ansible Galaxy, configure the collection path, and use the community.general.ini_file module by its fully qualified collection name. You will then run the playbook against a managed RHEL host and verify that the collection module successfully created and configured an INI file.

Learning Outcomes

  • Understand what Ansible Content Collections are and how they extend Ansible functionality.
  • Install Content Collections from Ansible Galaxy.
  • Configure a collection installation path for Ansible.
  • Use modules from a Content Collection by their fully qualified collection name.
  • Run a playbook that uses a community-maintained module.
  • Verify that a Content Collection module successfully modified a managed host.

Key Concepts

  • Ansible Content Collection: A packaged set of Ansible modules, roles, plugins, and other automation content that extends Ansible's capabilities.
  • Ansible Galaxy: A repository and distribution platform used to discover and install Ansible automation content.
  • community.general: A community-maintained Content Collection containing additional modules and plugins.
  • Fully Qualified Collection Name: The complete name used to identify collection content, such as community.general.ini_file.
  • Collection Path: A directory where Ansible searches for installed Content Collections.
  • ansible-galaxy collection install: The command used to download and install Content Collections from Ansible Galaxy.

Why Needed?

  • Extends Ansible: Provides access to modules and automation content that are not included in ansible-core.
  • Reuses Community Content: Allows administrators to use existing, community-maintained automation instead of creating every module or task from scratch.
  • Improves Automation: Provides specialized modules for managing systems, applications, and infrastructure.
  • Supports RHCE Skills: Builds practical experience with Content Collections and fully qualified module names used in modern Ansible environments.
  • Promotes Modular Automation: Separates automation content into reusable collections that can be installed and maintained independently.