What is the Ansible template module and how it can help network engineers in configuration management?
The Ansible template module is a powerful tool in the Ansible configuration management system that allows for the generation of configuration files and other text-based files dynamically using Jinja2 templates. With the template module, network engineers and other IT professionals can easily manage configuration files and generate complex configuration files for multiple systems based on variables and conditions.
The Ansible template module provides a way to define the contents of a file in a template, which can include variable expressions, loops, and conditional statements using the Jinja2 template engine. This allows for the creation of flexible and dynamic templates that can be used to generate customized configuration files for different systems or environments.
By using the Ansible template module, network engineers can reduce the amount of manual work required to manage network configurations, as they can automate the process of generating configuration files and ensure consistency across all systems. This can lead to improved efficiency and reliability in network management, and can help ensure that all devices are configured correctly and securely.
Ansible Template Module
Ansible uses the template module to dynamically create configurations, you supply Ansible with a template file written in Jinja2 within that template file it uses variables to reference another file which contains details such as ip address, hostname etc, so the same configuration file can be looped over and for each separate file use the template for the majority of the configuration and then replace the elements which would be different for each host.
Ansible Template Variables
A simple line in a template would look like this
hostname {{ item.hostname }}
Then in a separate file or within host_vars or group_vars you can define the different variables which would be replaced during the config creation.
Getting Started: How to use the Ansible template module in network infrastructure automation?
For this first example I am going to create a basic BGP configuration based on some data provided in variables.
We are going to configure one BGP peer.
Ansible Template Playbook Example
What is the difference between file module and template module in Ansible?
In Ansible, the file module and the template module are both used for working with files, but they serve different purposes.
The file module is used to manage files and directories on the remote system. It can be used to create, delete, or modify files and directories, as well as manage file permissions and ownership. Examples of tasks that can be performed using the file module include creating a directory, setting file permissions, copying a file to the remote system, or deleting a file.
On the other hand, the template module is used to manage configuration files by applying templates to them. Templates are text files that contain placeholders or variables that are replaced with specific values when the template is processed.
The template module uses the Jinja2 template engine to process templates, and can be used to generate configuration files for various applications, such as web servers, databases, and other software.
Examples of tasks that can be performed using the template module include generating a configuration file for a web server, generating an SSH configuration file, or generating a configuration file for a database.
In summary, while both the file module and the template module are used for working with files, they serve different purposes. The file module is used for managing files and directories on the remote system, while the template module is used for generating configuration files by applying templates to them.
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