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Lab: Using Loop with Include_Tasks in Ansible

Overview

In this lab, you will learn how to leverage Ansible's loop directive in conjunction with the include_tasks feature to create a more modular and efficient playbook structure. By iterating over a list of file-related configurations, you can include tasks from an external file to handle repetitive file operations dynamically.

Objectives

  • Use the loop directive to iterate over a list of dictionaries.
  • Include external tasks using the include_tasks module.
  • Modularize playbooks for cleaner and reusable structures.

Prerequisites

  • Ansible installed on your ansible machine.
  • A target host or set of hosts configured in your Ansible inventory.
  • Familiarity with basic Ansible file modules like file and copy.

Duration

Estimated Time: 30 minutes

Instructions

Step 1: Set Up the Main Playbook

  1. Create a new playbook named loop_include_playbook.yml.

  2. Define the play structure and include a variable for file configurations:

    ---
- name: Loop Play
  hosts: all
  gather_facts: no

  vars:
    filesInfo:
      - { item_src: "a.txt", item_dest_path: "/home/ubuntu/farshid", item_dest_file: "a.ini" }
      - { item_src: "b.txt", item_dest_path: "/home/ubuntu/sam", item_dest_file: "b.ini" }
      - { item_src: "c.txt", item_dest_path: "/home/ubuntu/tim", item_dest_file: "c.ini" }

    Explanation:

    • filesInfo: A list of dictionaries containing file source paths, destination directories, and file names.

Step 2: Add a Task to Include External Tasks with a Loop

  1. Under the tasks section, add a task to iterate over filesInfo and include external tasks:

      tasks:
    - name: Include external tasks with loop
      include_tasks:
        file: loop_task.yaml
      loop: "{{ filesInfo }}"
      loop_control:
        loop_var: file

    Explanation:

    • include_tasks: Dynamically includes tasks from an external file.
    • loop: Iterates over the filesInfo list.
    • loop_control.loop_var: Assigns a custom loop variable (file) for better readability within the included tasks.

Step 3: Create the External Task File

  1. Create a file named loop_task.yaml in the same directory as your main playbook.

  2. Add the following tasks to handle debugging, directory creation, and file copying:

    ---
- debug:
    msg: "Processing file: {{ file }}"

- name: Create destination directory
  file:
    dest: "{{ file.item_dest_path }}"
    state: directory

- name: Copy file to destination
  copy:
    src: "{{ file.item_src }}"
    dest: "{{ file.item_dest_path }}/{{ file.item_dest_file }}"

    Explanation:

    • debug: Prints the current dictionary being processed.
    • file: Creates the destination directory if it doesn’t exist.
    • copy: Copies the file from the source to the specified destination.

Step 4: Execute the Playbook

  1. Save both loop_include_playbook.yml and loop_task.yaml.

  2. Run the playbook using the following command:

    ansible-playbook loop_include_playbook.yml

  3. Ensure that the source files (a.txt, b.txt, c.txt) exist in your Ansible machine directory, or adjust the item_src paths accordingly.

  4. Observe the output. The playbook will process each dictionary in the filesInfo list, dynamically including tasks from loop_task.yaml for each iteration.

Solution Files

You can compare your playbook and task file with the following examples:

Conclusion

By combining Ansible's loop directive with include_tasks, you can create modular, clean, and efficient playbooks. This approach is particularly useful for managing repetitive tasks across varying configurations or environments. With this technique, you can streamline your playbook structure and improve reusability, making your automation workflows more dynamic and maintainable! 👏