Ansible Tower Workflows

Introduction

Ansible Tower, now part of the Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform, provides a web-based interface to manage Ansible automation tasks. Tower Workflows allow users to define complex automation processes through a series of interlinked jobs, providing a powerful way to orchestrate automation tasks.

Key Concepts

1. What is a Workflow?

A workflow in Ansible Tower is a sequence of job templates and other workflows that can be executed in a defined order. They allow for conditional branching and can handle complex automation scenarios.

2. Job Template

A job template is a definition and set of parameters for running an Ansible job. It includes the playbook to be executed, inventory, and any credential requirements.

3. Workflow Job Template

A workflow job template is similar to a job template but allows you to define a sequence of job templates and workflows, enabling complex automation processes.

Step-by-Step Process

Creating a Workflow in Ansible Tower

Login to Ansible Tower.
Navigate to the Templates section.
Click on the Add button and select Workflow Template.
Enter a name for your workflow template.
Add job templates to your workflow:
You can add multiple job templates and other workflows in a sequence.
Define any necessary parameters for each job template.
Configure any notifications or credentials needed.
Save the workflow template.
Launch the workflow template to execute the defined jobs.

Best Practices

Use descriptive names for your workflow templates to ensure clarity.
Group related jobs into workflows to promote reusability.
Test workflows in a staging environment before deploying to production.
Utilize notifications for successful and failed job runs to monitor workflow status.
Document workflows to clarify their purpose and structure for future reference.

FAQ

What is the difference between a job template and a workflow?

A job template is a single execution of a playbook, while a workflow is a sequence of job templates executed in a specific order.

Can workflows include other workflows?

Yes, workflows can call other workflows, allowing for nested workflows and complex automation scenarios.

How can I monitor workflow execution?

You can monitor workflow execution from the Ansible Tower dashboard, which displays the status of running jobs and workflows.

Visual Workflow Representation


        graph TD;
            A[Start] --> B[Job Template 1];
            B --> C{Success?};
            C -->|Yes| D[Job Template 2];
            C -->|No| E[Error Handling];
            D --> F[Job Template 3];
            F --> G[End];