Ansible-Navigator

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Ansible-navigator is a command-line tool and textual user interface (TUI) for Ansible. It provides a rich interface to assist users in exploring and interacting with their Ansible content.

Here are some of the key features:

• Textual User Interface (TUI): The TUI mode is useful for those who are in terminal environments and need an interactive way to explore Ansible content without necessarily having a graphical user interface.
• Command-line Mode: For those familiar with Ansible and its CLI, ansible-navigator can operate in a command-line mode, allowing you to execute commands directly.
• Exploration: ansible-navigator allows users to view their Ansible playbooks, roles, tasks, and other components in an organized manner.
• Documentation: It can retrieve and display module documentation similarly to the ansible-doc command.
• Extensibility: ansible-navigator is built in such a way that new commands and features can be easily added.
• Integration with ansible-runner: ansible-navigator uses ansible-runner in the background to execute playbooks and tasks, providing a layer of abstraction and additional features.
• Code Viewer: This feature allows users to dive into the source code of roles, modules, and playbooks.

Installing ansible-navigator

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First, add the repository:

sudo subscription-manager repos --enable ansible-automation-platform-2.4-for-rhel-9-x86_64-rpms

Next, install it:

sudo dnf install ansible-navigator

Ansible Automation Controller, AWX and Semaphore

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Ansible is a widely used automation tool that allows for configuration management, application deployment, continuous delivery, and many other IT needs. While the core component of Ansible is open source, there are additional tools and interfaces that have been developed to enhance its functionality and user experience. Three of the notable ones are Ansible Tower, Ansible AWX, and Ansible Semaphore.

Ansible Automation Controller (AAC)

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Ansible Automation Controller (formerly called Ansible Tower) is the commercial product offered by Red Hat.

Features

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• User Interface: Offers a web-based interface, API, and CLI tool.
• Role-Based Access Control (RBAC): Ensures that only authorized users can access resources.
• Scheduling: Jobs can be scheduled to run at specific times.
• Real-time Job Status: Monitor job activity in real-time.
• Integration with Other Services: Integrates with other services like LDAP for user management, and logging solutions like Splunk or ELK.
• Licensing: It’s a licensed product, and you’ll have to pay to use it in production environments.
• Enterprise support: AAC is fully supported by Red Hat and support contracts can be purchased by enterprise customers

Ansible AWX

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AWX , maintained by Red Hat, is the open-source version of Ansible Automation Controller. Essentially, it’s the upstream project for AAC, meaning new features are typically developed in AWX before they might be adopted into the AAC product.

Features

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AWX Offers many of the same features as AAC, including the web-based interface, API, and some integrations.

• Updates: AWX usually gets updates and new features faster than Tower, but it might also have more bugs since it’s at the cutting edge.
• Licensing: Being open-source, it’s free to use. Organizations that need the stability of a commercial product but also want to avoid costs often opt for AWX, accepting the trade-offs.

Ansible Semaphore

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Semaphore is an alternative to AWX and Tower, also open-source. It’s not developed by Red Hat.

Features

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• Task Definitions: Define playbooks, templates, and SSH keys.
• Web Interface: Offers a simpler web-based interface to manage and track Ansible tasks.
• Access Control: Like AWX and Tower, Semaphore provides access controls to define who can access what.
• Task History: Allows users to review past tasks and their outcomes.
• Positioning: Semaphore is lighter and may be more suitable for teams that find AWX too heavy or complex but still need a web interface for Ansible.

Deciding between these options often comes down to the specific needs of an organization. If a commercial product with support is needed, then Ansible Automation Controller is the choice. For those looking for an open-source alternative with many features, AWX is a great choice. If something lighter and simpler is desired, Semaphore might be the right fit.