Ansible Role: Control Node Setup

This Ansible role sets up a control node with Python virtual environments for both vSphere Automation SDK and Ansible-Core. It installs necessary system packages, sets up Python virtual environments, configures proxies, and ensures correct permissions.

Requirements

Ansible 2.9+
Python 3
Supported OS: CentOS, RHEL

Role Variables

The following variables are configurable within your playbook or inventory to customize the role's behavior:

Variable	Description	Default / Example Value
`required_packages`	List of system packages required for the environment.	`['python3', 'git', 'sshpass']`
`package_state`	State of the system packages (`present`, `latest`, etc.).	`present`
`virtualenv_sdk_packages`	Python packages for the vSphere SDK environment.	`['pip', 'setuptools', 'pynetbox', 'netaddr', 'requests']`
`virtualenv_requirements`	Python packages with specific versions for the Ansible-Core environment.	`['pynetbox', 'pytz', 'netaddr', 'ansible']`
`virtualenv_sdk_path`	Path to the vSphere SDK virtual environment.	`/opt/vsphere-automation-sdk-env`
`vsphere_sdk_url`	URL for the vSphere SDK package.	`git+https://github.com/vmware/vsphere-automation-sdk-python.git`
`venv_path`	Path for the Ansible-Core virtual environment.	`/opt/venv_ansible`
`requirements_file`	Path for the `requirements.txt` file.	`/opt/venv_ansible/requirements.txt`
`srv_ansible_home`	Home directory for the `srv-ansible` user.	`/home/srv-ansible`
`proxy_env`	Proxy settings to be configured in `.bashrc` for the service user.	`{http_proxy, https_proxy, no_proxy}`

Usage Example

Include this role in your playbook and set the required variables:

Example Playbook

- name: Install and Configure Ansible Control Node
  hosts: sites_prod
  become: true
  gather_facts: true
  roles:
    - role: ansible-control
      vars:
        required_packages:
          - python3
          - git
          - sshpass
        package_state: "latest"
        venv_path: "/opt/venv_ansible"
        virtualenv_requirements:
          - pynetbox
          - pytz
          - netaddr
          - ansible
        virtualenv_sdk_path: "/opt/vsphere-automation-sdk-env"
        vsphere_sdk_url: "git+https://github.com/vmware/vsphere-automation-sdk-python.git"
        proxy_env:
          http_proxy: "http://proxy.example.com:8080"
          https_proxy: "http://proxy.example.com:8080"
          no_proxy: "localhost,127.0.0.1"

Role Tasks

System Package Installation: Installs the required system packages using dnf.
Proxy Configuration: Sets up proxy environment variables in .bashrc for the srv-ansible user.
vSphere SDK Virtual Environment Setup: Creates and configures a Python virtual environment for the vSphere SDK.
Ansible-Core Virtual Environment Setup: Creates and configures a Python virtual environment for Ansible-Core, including a requirements.txt file for specified packages.
Permissions Management: Ensures that both virtual environment directories have the correct ownership and permissions.

Author Information

Ibrahim Musayev