Automated Linux Server Management with Ansible

This project focused on transitioning from manual Linux server installations to automated, consistent deployments using Ansible. It involved creating roles for applications like BIND and server bootstrapping, with all Ansible runs executed through pipelines in my self-hosted GitLab environment.

The primary goals were to automate the installation and configuration of Linux servers using Ansible playbooks, create reusable Ansible roles for applications such as BIND and server bootstrapping, and implement pipelines in a self-hosted GitLab environment to automate Ansible playbook executions.

Utilizing Ansible and GitLab, I automated various processes to enhance infrastructure consistency and reliability. This included extensive work in server setup, configuration management, and continuous integration:

• Created an Ansible role for setting up and managing BIND DNS servers, streamlining the deployment process.
• Developed a role for bootstrapping new Linux servers, providing a standardized setup procedure.
• Utilized self-hosted GitLab for source code management and CI/CD pipelines, ensuring automated and consistent execution of Ansible playbooks.
• Implemented CI/CD pipelines in GitLab to automate the running of Ansible playbooks, facilitating continuous integration and deployment.

The benefits realized from this automation included improved consistency and reliability of server setups, reduced time and effort required for manual server installations and configurations, enhanced control over the infrastructure management process, streamlined deployment workflows through automated CI/CD pipelines, and increased scalability and maintainability of server configurations.

Overall, the Automated Linux Server Management with Ansible project successfully transitioned server management processes to a more efficient and reliable state, showcasing the potential for automation in infrastructure management.