Proposed: Ansible Server Provisioning

Metadata

Status: Proposed
Deciders: V-Sekai
Tags: V-Sekai

The Backdrop

In the world of DevOps, server provisioning is a critical task. It involves setting up a server to a particular specification. This includes installing an operating system, software packages, and configuring settings.

The Challenge

The challenge lies in choosing the right configuration management tool for a small project. Factors such as ease of use, scalability, and community support are crucial.

The Strategy

Based on these parameters, Ansible emerges as a strong contender. Its simple syntax written in YAML makes it easy to understand even for those new to automation. Being agentless, it’s easier to manage and scale. Moreover, Ansible has a large and active community, providing plenty of resources and support.

# Sample Ansible playbook
---
- hosts: webservers
  tasks:
    - name: ensure apache is at the latest version
      yum:
        name: httpd
        state: latest

The Upside

Choosing Ansible can simplify server provisioning due to its simplicity and ease of use. It doesn’t require any special coding skills, making it accessible for beginners.

The Downside

While Ansible is powerful and user-friendly, it may not be as feature-rich as some other tools like Chef or Puppet. However, for a small project, this might not be a significant concern.

The Road Not Taken

Other tools like Chef, Puppet, and SaltStack were also considered. While they all have their strengths, they may not be as beginner-friendly as Ansible.

The Infrequent Use Case

For complex infrastructures or specific use cases, other tools might be more suitable. It’s always a good idea to try out different tools before making a decision.

In Core and Done by Us?

The decision to use Ansible for server provisioning is proposed by V-Sekai.