Managing Windows Servers with Ansible: A Practical How-to

In the ever-evolving landscape of IT infrastructure management, automation has become a crucial element for efficiency and scalability. Ansible, a powerful open-source automation tool, is widely used for configuration management, application deployment, and task automation. While it has been synonymous with managing Linux servers, Ansible has also made significant strides in supporting Windows environments. In this guide, we will delve into the practical aspects of managing Windows Servers using Ansible, providing step-by-step instructions and real-world examples.

Getting Started with Ansible and Windows:

Before diving into the practical aspects, it's essential to ensure that Ansible is properly installed on your control machine. Additionally, Windows machines need to be prepared to interact with Ansible. Let's go through the initial steps.

1. Install Ansible on the Control Machine:

   pip install ansible
   

2. Prepare Windows Servers for Ansible:

   • Install PowerShell 3.0 or later on Windows.
   • Enable WinRM (Windows Remote Management) on the target servers:

     winrm quickconfig
     

Ansible Configuration for Windows:

Ansible requires specific configurations to communicate with Windows servers. Let's set up Ansible to work seamlessly with Windows.

3. Configure Ansible Inventory:
   Create an inventory file (e.g., inventory.ini) with Windows server details:

   [windows_servers]
   win_server1 ansible_host=192.168.1.10 ansible_user=Administrator ansible_password=YourPassword ansible_connection=winrm ansible_winrm_server_cert_validation=ignore
   

4. Ansible Configuration File:
   Update ansible.cfg to include the following for Windows compatibility:

   [defaults]
   inventory = ./inventory.ini
   remote_user = Administrator
   transport = winrm
   ansible_winrm_server_cert_validation = ignore
   

Executing Commands on Windows Servers:

Now that Ansible is configured, let's run some basic commands on Windows servers.

5. Test Connectivity:

   ansible windows_servers -m win_ping
   

6. Execute PowerShell Script:

   ansible windows_servers -m win_shell -a "Get-Service"
   

Playbooks for Windows Automation:

Ansible playbooks provide a way to organize and execute multiple tasks. Let's create a simple playbook for Windows.

7. Create Ansible Playbook:
   Create a file named windows_playbook.yml with the following content:

   ---
   - name: Windows Configuration
     hosts: windows_servers
     tasks:
       - name: Ensure IIS is installed
         win_feature:
           name: Web-Server
           state: present
   

8. Run Ansible Playbook:

   ansible-playbook windows_playbook.yml
   

Advanced Ansible Tasks for Windows:

Ansible offers various modules for advanced Windows tasks. Let's explore a few examples.

9. Install Software:

   - name: Install Notepad++
     win_chocolatey:
       name: notepadplusplus
       state: present
   

10. Manage Windows Services:

    - name: Ensure the Print Spooler service is running
      win_service:
        name: spooler
        state: started
    

Handling Windows Updates with Ansible:

11. Update Windows Servers:

    - name: Install Windows Updates
      win_updates:
        category_names:
          - SecurityUpdates
          - UpdateRollups
      register: update_result
    

In this guide, we've covered the essential steps to manage Windows Servers with Ansible, from basic configuration to running playbooks and handling advanced tasks. Automation with Ansible on Windows not only streamlines administrative tasks but also brings consistency and reliability to your infrastructure.