Integrating With Docker

Introduction

Docker is a platform designed to help developers build, share, and run applications with containers. Ansible can be used to manage Docker containers and automate container orchestration. This tutorial will guide you through the process of integrating Ansible with Docker, from installation to executing playbooks.

Prerequisites

Before you start, ensure you have the following:

Docker: Installed and running. You can follow the official Docker installation guide.
Ansible: Installed on your machine. Follow the official Ansible installation guide.

Step 1: Install Docker SDK for Python

Ansible uses the Docker SDK for Python to interact with Docker. You can install it using pip:

$ pip install docker

Step 2: Creating an Ansible Playbook for Docker

Create a new file named docker_playbook.yml and add the following content:

---
- name: Manage Docker Container
  hosts: localhost
  tasks:
    - name: Ensure Docker is running
      docker_container:
        name: my_container
        image: nginx
        state: started

This playbook ensures that an NGINX container named my_container is running.

Step 3: Running the Playbook

To run the playbook, use the following command:

$ ansible-playbook docker_playbook.yml

You should see output indicating that the container has been started:

PLAY [Manage Docker Container] ****************************

TASK [Ensure Docker is running] ***************************
changed: [localhost]

PLAY RECAP ************************************************
localhost                  : ok=1    changed=1    unreachable=0    failed=0    skipped=0    rescued=0    ignored=0

Step 4: Additional Configurations

You can add more configurations to your playbook, such as exposing ports or mounting volumes. Here's an example:

---
- name: Manage Docker Container
  hosts: localhost
  tasks:
    - name: Ensure Docker is running with additional configurations
      docker_container:
        name: my_container
        image: nginx
        state: started
        ports:
          - "8080:80"
        volumes:
          - "/host/path:/container/path"

Conclusion

Integrating Ansible with Docker allows you to automate the management of Docker containers efficiently. By following this tutorial, you have learned how to install necessary dependencies, create a basic Ansible playbook, and run it to manage Docker containers. You can further explore Docker module configurations in Ansible to enhance your automation scripts.