Configuring Apache HTTPD Server with an Idempotent Ansible Playbook

The required ansible playbook, inventory file, ansible configuration file etc., at GitHub link:

asks1012/ARTH_Task_11.3 (github.com)

For running the ansible playbook httpd.yml, there are some prerequisites :

1. The content of configuration file for ansible (/etc/ansible/ansible.cfg) is as follows :

[defaults]
inventory = /root/inventory.txt
host_key_checking = false
command_warnings = false
deprecation_warnings = false

2. Place the following content as inventory file in the location : /root/inventory.txt

Replace the IP’s, usernames and passwords of the target nodes :

[web]
192.168.43.71 ansible_user=root ansible_ssh_pass=122020
192.168.43.57 ansible_user=root ansible_ssh_pass=122020

3. Next step is to place the following content as httpd configuration file in the location : /root/file.conf (This will be used by ansible playbook as httpd configuration file)

Listen 8080
<virtualhost {{ ansible_facts['default_ipv4']['address']  }}:8080>
documentroot {{ document_root  }}
</virtualhost>

The following Ansible playbook written by me for configuring httpd software and starting webserver. The important part is, this ansible playbook is idempotent. It will restart httpd service only when there is any change in the content of configuration file of httpd.

- hosts: web
  vars_prompt:
  - name: mount_path
    prompt: Enter the directory to mount dvd
    private: no
  - name: document_root
    prompt: Enter the directory for document root of httpd
    private: no
  tasks:
  - name: Creating directory for mouting dvd
    file:
      path: "{{ mount_path }}"
      state: directory
  - name: Mounting dvd
    mount:
      src: /dev/cdrom
      path: "{{ mount_path }}"
      state: mounted
      fstype: iso9660
  - name: Configuring yum repository-1
    yum_repository:
      baseurl: "{{ mount_path  }}/AppStream"
      name: dvd1
      file: dvd
      gpgcheck: no
      description: appstream_repo
  - name: Configuring yum repository-2
    yum_repository:
      baseurl: "{{ mount_path  }}/BaseOS"
      name: dvd2
      file: dvd
      gpgcheck: no
      description: baseos_repo
  - name: Installing httpd software
    package:
      name: "httpd"
      state: present
  - name: Creating document root directory
    file:
      path: "{{ document_root  }}"
      state: directory
  - name: Copying html file
    copy:
      dest: "{{ document_root  }}/httpd.html"
      content: This is web server configured through idempotent ansible playbook
  - name: Enabling port 8080 in firewalld
    firewalld:
      port: 8080/tcp
      state: enabled
      permanent: yes
      immediate: yes
  - name: Copying httpd configuration file
    template:
      dest: /etc/httpd/conf.d/server.conf
      src: /root/file.conf
    notify: restart httpd
  - name: Starting httpd server
    service:
      name: httpd
      state: started
  handlers:
  - name: restart httpd
    service:
      name: httpd
      state: restarted

Run the playbook with the command :

ansible-playbook httpd.yml

Video of Running the playbook :

Finally, we configured the apache web server on the ansible target nodes.

Thank You