15 Must-Have Ansible Playbooks for Red Hat Administrators

In the dynamic world of IT administration, efficiency is key. Red Hat administrators often find themselves grappling with complex tasks that demand streamlined solutions. Ansible, a powerful open-source automation tool, proves to be the savior in such scenarios. In this article, we'll delve into the realm of Ansible Playbooks, focusing on 15 essential ones that every Red Hat Administrator should have in their arsenal. From simplifying routine tasks to orchestrating complex configurations, these playbooks are indispensable for maintaining a well-oiled Red Hat environment.

1. Basic System Configuration:
Begin with a playbook that covers the fundamentals. This playbook should ensure basic configurations like hostname settings, timezone adjustments, and user management. Employ Ansible modules like hostnamectl and user to make these configurations a breeze.

---
- name: Basic System Configuration
  hosts: all
  tasks:
    - name: Set hostname
      hostnamectl:
        name: my-server
    - name: Set timezone to UTC
      timezone:
        name: UTC
    - name: Create a user
      user:
        name: admin
        state: present
        groups: wheel

2. Package Installation:
Installing and managing packages across multiple servers is a common task. Create a playbook that allows Red Hat Administrators to install a list of packages simultaneously using the yum module.

---
- name: Package Installation
  hosts: all
  tasks:
    - name: Install essential packages
      yum:
        name: ""
        state: present
      loop:
        - vim
        - htop
        - wget

3. SSH Hardening:
Security is paramount. Harden your SSH configurations by disabling root login, enforcing key-based authentication, and setting up a custom port.

---
- name: SSH Hardening
  hosts: all
  tasks:
    - name: Disable root login
      lineinfile:
        path: /etc/ssh/sshd_config
        regexp: '^PermitRootLogin'
        line: 'PermitRootLogin no'
    - name: Enforce key-based authentication
      lineinfile:
        path: /etc/ssh/sshd_config
        regexp: '^PasswordAuthentication'
        line: 'PasswordAuthentication no'
    - name: Change SSH port
      lineinfile:
        path: /etc/ssh/sshd_config
        regexp: '^#?Port'
        line: 'Port 2222'
      notify:
        - restart sshd

4. Backup and Restore:
Protect your data with regular backups. Create a playbook that automates the backup and restoration process using tools like tar and rsync.

---
- name: Backup and Restore
  hosts: all
  tasks:
    - name: Backup important directories
      archive:
        path: /var/www
        dest: /tmp/backups/www_backup.tar.gz
    - name: Restore from backup
      command: tar -xf /tmp/backups/www_backup.tar.gz -C /var

5. Firewall Configuration:
Safeguard your system by configuring the firewall. This playbook uses the firewalld module to manage firewall rules.

---
- name: Firewall Configuration
  hosts: all
  tasks:
    - name: Allow SSH traffic
      firewalld:
        service: ssh
        permanent: true
        state: enabled
      notify:
        - restart firewalld

6. SELinux Management:
Deal with SELinux policies effectively. This playbook modifies SELinux settings for specific directories.

---
- name: SELinux Management
  hosts: all
  tasks:
    - name: Set SELinux policy for /var/www
      seboolean:
        name: httpd_can_network_connect
        state: yes

7. Monitoring Setup:
Install and configure monitoring tools like Prometheus and Grafana for real-time system monitoring.

---
- name: Monitoring Setup
  hosts: all
  tasks:
    - name: Install Prometheus
      ansible.builtin.shell: |
        wget https://github.com/prometheus/prometheus/releases/download/v2.30.3/prometheus-2.30.3.linux-amd64.tar.gz
        tar -xzf prometheus-2.30.3.linux-amd64.tar.gz
        sudo mv prometheus-2.30.3.linux-amd64 /opt/prometheus

8. NTP Configuration:
Ensure time synchronization across servers using the Network Time Protocol (NTP).

---
- name: NTP Configuration
  hosts: all
  tasks:
    - name: Install NTP
      yum:
        name: ntp
        state: present
    - name: Start and enable NTP service
      systemd:
        name: ntpd
        state: started
        enabled: yes

9. User Permissions:
Manage user permissions efficiently with a playbook that grants or revokes access to specific files or directories.

---
- name: User Permissions
  hosts: all
  tasks:
    - name: Grant read-only access to a file
      file:
        path: /path/to/file.txt
        mode: '0444'

10. Disk Space Monitoring:
Implement disk space monitoring to prevent potential issues.

---
- name: Disk Space Monitoring
  hosts: all
  tasks:
    - name: Check disk space
      command: df -h

11. Kernel Parameters:
Adjust kernel parameters for optimal performance.

---
- name: Kernel Parameters
  hosts: all
  tasks:
    - name: Set kernel parameters
      sysctl:
        name: vm.swappiness
        value: 10

12. LDAP Integration:
Integrate Red Hat systems with LDAP for centralized authentication.

---
- name: LDAP Integration
  hosts: all
  tasks:
    - name: Install LDAP client
      yum:
        name: openldap-clients
        state: present

13. Log Rotation:
Avoid log file clutter by implementing log rotation.

---
- name: Log Rotation
  hosts: all
  tasks:
    - name: Configure log rotation for /var/log/app.log
      logrotate:
        path: /var/log/app.log
        rotate: 5
        size: 1M

14. Web Server Deployment:
Automate the deployment of a web server with Apache.

---
- name: Web Server Deployment
  hosts: webservers
  tasks:
    - name: Install Apache
      yum:
        name: httpd
        state: present

15. Custom Application Deployment:
Craft a playbook for deploying a custom application.

---
- name: Custom Application Deployment
  hosts: app_servers
  tasks:
    - name: Deploy custom application
      copy:
        src: /path/to/app
        dest: /opt/app