Skip to main content

Ansible Infrastructure Management

Overview​

Ansible is used for automated infrastructure management across all project servers. This FDD outlines the structure, roles, and playbooks used to maintain consistent server configurations.

Status​

  • Basic server setup playbooks
  • Common role for standard configurations
  • Monitoring role for Prometheus/Grafana
  • Inventory management for production servers
  • Development environment playbooks
  • Backup and restore procedures
  • Disaster recovery playbooks

TODO​

Inventory Migration​

  • Import and configure prod servers:

    • prod12 (138.201.82.203)
    • prod17-fsn (49.13.30.146)
    • prod18-hel (37.27.105.83)
    • prod19-hel (95.216.193.249)
    • prod24-fin (95.216.19.225)

  • Import and configure dev servers:

    • dev8 (5.161.52.126)
    • dev20-usa (5.78.78.186) # Amnezia VPN
    • dev21-hel (37.27.88.96)
    • dev22-hel (37.27.203.171) # Amnezia VPN
    • dev23-fsn (49.12.240.7) # Amnezia VPN

  • Import and configure laptops:

    • kuu
    • armbian
    • redmi
    • devmate

Migration Steps for Each Server​

  1. Add to appropriate inventory group
  2. Configure SSH key access
  3. Run basic server setup
  4. Install monitoring stack
  5. Verify configuration
  6. Document server-specific roles

Components​

Directory Structure​

ansible/
├── inventories/
│   └── production/
│       └── inventory.ini
├── playbooks/
│   ├── site.yml
│   ├── server-setup.yml
│   ├── monitoring.yml
│   └── cockpit.yml
└── roles/
    ├── common/
    │   └── tasks/
    │       └── main.yml
    └── monitoring/
        └── tasks/
            └── main.yml

Server Groups​

  • [desktops]: Development machines with GPU support
  • [laptops]: Developer workstations
  • [servers]: Production servers
  • [gpu_hosts]: Machines with GPU capabilities
  • [monitoring_servers]: Servers running monitoring stack
  • [development_machines]: Local development environments
  • [production_servers]: Production deployment targets

Technical Implementation​

Common Role​

The common role provides base configuration for all servers:

  • User setup with sudo privileges
  • Essential packages installation
  • UFW firewall configuration
  • Standard directory structure
  • Git and shell environment setup

Monitoring Role​

Handles installation and configuration of:

  • Prometheus for metrics collection
  • Grafana for visualization
  • Node exporter for system metrics
  • Custom exporters as needed

Server Setup​

Basic server provisioning includes:

  • System package updates
  • Security configurations
  • Essential services installation
  • Network setup

Configuration​

Inventory Management​

  • Production inventory in inventories/production/inventory.ini
  • Server groups defined by functionality
  • Host-specific variables when needed
  • Common variables in [all:vars] section

SSH Access​

  • Key-based authentication required
  • Passwordless sudo for dev user
  • UFW configured to allow SSH

Security Measures​

  • UFW enabled by default
  • SSH key authentication only
  • Fail2ban for brute force protection
  • Regular system updates

Development Guidelines​

Adding New Servers​

  1. Add server to appropriate group in inventory
  2. Configure SSH key access
  3. Run site.yml playbook
  4. Verify configuration

Creating New Roles​

  1. Use ansible-galaxy init for structure
  2. Follow existing role patterns
  3. Document in this FDD
  4. Test on development servers first

Playbook Development​

  1. Start with existing playbooks as templates
  2. Use --check mode for testing
  3. Document all variables
  4. Include clear task names

Best Practices​

  • Use tags for selective execution
  • Keep tasks idempotent
  • Document all changes
  • Test before production deployment

NEXT_TASK: Implement development environment playbooks with standardized configurations for Docker, Node.js, and development tools across all dev machines