Testing your Ansible code is crucial to ensure that your automation scripts work as expected and do not introduce errors into your infrastructure. This section will cover various methods and tools for testing Ansible code, including syntax checking, linting, unit testing, and integration testing.
- Syntax Checking
Before running your playbooks, it's essential to check for syntax errors. Ansible provides a built-in command for this purpose.
Syntax Check Command
Example
This command will parse the playbook and report any syntax errors without executing it.
- Linting
Linting helps to ensure that your Ansible code adheres to best practices and coding standards. ansible-lint is a popular tool for this purpose.
Installing ansible-lint
Running ansible-lint
Example
This command will analyze your playbook and provide feedback on potential issues and improvements.
- Unit Testing with Molecule
Molecule is a testing framework designed to aid in the development and testing of Ansible roles. It allows you to test your roles in various environments.
Installing Molecule
Initializing a Molecule Scenario
Running Molecule Tests
Example
This will create a default testing scenario for your role and run the tests.
- Integration Testing
Integration testing ensures that your playbooks work correctly in a real environment. You can use tools like Vagrant or Docker to create test environments.
Using Vagrant
- Install Vagrant: Follow the installation instructions from the Vagrant website.
- Create a Vagrantfile: Define your test environment.
Vagrant.configure("2") do |config|
config.vm.box = "ubuntu/bionic64"
config.vm.provision "ansible" do |ansible|
ansible.playbook = "site.yml"
end
end- Run Vagrant:
Using Docker
- Install Docker: Follow the installation instructions from the Docker website.
- Create a Dockerfile: Define your test environment.
FROM ubuntu:18.04 RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y ansible COPY . /ansible WORKDIR /ansible CMD ["ansible-playbook", "site.yml"]
- Build and Run Docker Container:
- Continuous Integration (CI)
Integrating Ansible tests into your CI pipeline ensures that your playbooks are tested automatically with every change. Popular CI tools include Jenkins, GitLab CI, and GitHub Actions.
Example with GitHub Actions
- Create a
.github/workflows/ansible.ymlfile:
name: Ansible Lint and Test
on: [push, pull_request]
jobs:
lint:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- uses: actions/checkout@v2
- name: Set up Python
uses: actions/setup-python@v2
with:
python-version: '3.x'
- name: Install dependencies
run: |
python -m pip install --upgrade pip
pip install ansible ansible-lint molecule[docker]
- name: Lint Ansible playbook
run: ansible-lint site.yml
test:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- uses: actions/checkout@v2
- name: Set up Python
uses: actions/setup-python@v2
with:
python-version: '3.x'
- name: Install dependencies
run: |
python -m pip install --upgrade pip
pip install ansible molecule[docker]
- name: Run Molecule tests
run: molecule testThis workflow will lint and test your Ansible playbooks on every push and pull request.
Conclusion
Testing your Ansible code is a multi-step process that includes syntax checking, linting, unit testing, and integration testing. By incorporating these practices into your workflow, you can ensure that your automation scripts are reliable and maintainable. Integrating these tests into a CI pipeline further enhances the robustness of your infrastructure automation.
Ansible: From Beginner to Advanced
Module 1: Introduction to Ansible
Module 2: Ansible Basics
Module 3: Playbooks
- Introduction to Playbooks
- Writing Your First Playbook
- Playbook Structure
- Variables and Facts
- Conditionals and Loops
Module 4: Roles
Module 5: Advanced Playbook Techniques
Module 6: Ansible Galaxy
Module 7: Ansible Tower
- Introduction to Ansible Tower
- Installing Ansible Tower
- Using Ansible Tower
- Managing Projects and Inventories