Exercise - Surveys
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Table of Contents
- Objective
- Guide
- The Apache-Configuration Role
- Create the Project
- Create a Template with a Survey
- Launch the Template
- What About Some Practice?
Objective
Demonstrate the use of the Ansible Automation Controller survey feature. Surveys allow for setting extra variables for the playbook, similar to ‘Prompt for Extra Variables,’ but in a user-friendly Q&A format. They also allow for validation of user input.
Guide
You’ve installed Apache on all hosts in the job you just ran. Now, let’s build on this:
- Use a proper role that includes a Jinja2 template to deploy an
index.htmlfile. - Create a job Template with a survey to collect values for the
index.htmltemplate. - Launch the job Template.
Additionally, the role will ensure that the Apache configuration is set up correctly for this exercise.
Tip
The survey feature provides a simple query for data but does not support dynamic data queries, nested menus, or four-eye principles.
The Apache-Configuration Role
The playbook and role with the Jinja2 template are located in the GitHub repository https://github.com/ansible/workshop-examples in the rhel/apache directory.
- Have a look at the playbook
apache_role_install.yml, which references the role. - The role is located in the
roles/role_apachesubdirectory. - Inside the role, note the two variables in the
templates/index.html.j2template file marked by ``. - The
tasks/main.ymlfile deploys the template.
The playbook creates a file (dest) on the managed hosts from the template (src).
Because the playbook and role are located in the same GitHub repo as the apache_install.yml playbook, you don’t need to configure a new project for this exercise.
Create a Template with a Survey
Now, let’s create a new Template that includes a survey.
Create Template
-
Go to Automation Execution → Templates, click the Create template button, and choose Create job template.
-
Fill out the following details:
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Name | Create index.html |
| Job Type | Run |
| Inventory | Workshop Inventory |
| Project | Workshop Project |
| Execution Environment | Default execution environment |
| Playbook | rhel/apache/apache_role_install.yml |
| Credentials | Workshop Credential |
| Limit | web |
| Options | Privilege Escalation |
- Click Save.
Warning
Do not run the template yet!
Add the Survey
- In the Template, click the Survey tab, then click Create survey question.
- Fill out the following for the first survey question:
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Question | First Line |
| Answer Variable Name | first_line |
| Answer Type | Text |
- Click Save.
- Click Create survey question to create a second survey question:
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Question | Second Line |
| Answer Variable Name | second_line |
| Answer Type | Text |
- Click Save.
- Enable the survey by toggling the Survey disabled button to the on positon.
Launch the Template
Now, launch the Create index.html job template by clicking the Launch template button.
Before the job starts, the survey will prompt for First Line and Second Line. Enter your text and click Next. The Preview window shows the values—if all looks good, click Finish to start the job.
Once the job completes, verify the Apache homepage by running the following curl command in the SSH console on the control host:
$ curl http://node1
<body>
<h1>Apache is running fine</h1>
<h1>This is survey field "First Line": line one</h1>
<h1>This is survey field "Second Line": line two</h1>
</body>
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