Step-by-Step Guide to Using Ansible Vault

Ansible Vault is a powerful tool that helps you secure sensitive information in your Ansible projects, such as passwords, API keys, and other confidential data. It allows you to encrypt these values, ensuring that only authorized users can access them. In this step-by-step guide, we will explore the process of using Ansible Vault to enhance the security of your automation projects.

Setting the Stage:

Before diving into the step-by-step instructions, let's ensure you have Ansible installed on your system. If not, you can easily install it using your system's package manager. Once Ansible is ready, you can proceed to create a new Ansible project or use an existing one.

Step 1: Creating an Ansible Vault File:

The first step is to create a new Ansible Vault file. You can achieve this by running the following command:

ansible-vault create mysecrets.yml

Replace "mysecrets.yml" with the desired filename. This command will prompt you to enter a password, which will be used to encrypt and decrypt the vault file.

Step 2: Editing the Vault File:

Now that you've created the vault file, you can edit it with the following command:

ansible-vault edit mysecrets.yml

This will open the file in your default text editor, allowing you to add sensitive information securely.

Step 3: Encrypting an Existing File:

If you already have a file with sensitive information, you can encrypt it using Ansible Vault:

ansible-vault encrypt existing_secrets.yml

Replace "existing_secrets.yml" with the name of your file.

Step 4: Running Playbooks with Vault:

To run a playbook that uses the vault-encrypted file, you'll need to provide the vault password. Include the --ask-vault-pass option when executing the playbook:

ansible-playbook myplaybook.yml --ask-vault-pass

Step 5: Decrypting the Vault File:

If you need to view or edit the encrypted file, you can decrypt it using the following command:

ansible-vault decrypt mysecrets.yml

Again, you will be prompted to enter the vault password.

More Examples:

Let's consider a practical example. Assume you have a playbook named "deploy.yml" that requires a password. You can encrypt the password in a vault file and use it in your playbook like this:

---
- name: Deploy Application
  hosts: web_servers
  tasks:
    - name: Include Vaulted Variables
      include_vars: mysecrets.yml

    - name: Copy Files
      copy:
        src: /path/to/application
        dest: /var/www/application

In this step-by-step guide, we covered the basics of using Ansible Vault to secure sensitive information in your Ansible projects. From creating vault files to running playbooks with encrypted data, you now have the knowledge to enhance the security of your automation workflows. Utilize Ansible Vault to keep your secrets safe and your automation projects secure.