Red Hat 10 System Administration - Part 3: Linux Automation with Ansible

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Course overview

This four-day course gives you practical experience automating Red Hat Enterprise Linux environments using Ansible. Throughout the training, you’ll learn how to install and configure Ansible on RHEL and Debian-based systems, set up inventories and authentication, and run ad-hoc commands.

Drive efficient Linux automation with Ansible

Build practical Linux automation skills using Ansible in Red Hat environments. The course focuses on real-world, command-line based administration, giving you experience in automating the configuration, deployment and management of Red Hat Enterprise Linux systems.

Learning objectives

Install and configure Ansible
Manage inventory and SSH authentication
Write and run playbooks
Use modules for system administration
Create variables and manage facts
Build roles and templates
Secure automation with Ansible Vault
Implement error handling and loops

What you'll learn

You’ll gain practical experience using Ansible to automate administration tasks across Red Hat Enterprise Linux systems. From ad-hoc commands to structured playbooks and roles, you’ll effectively develop the professional skills to manage infrastructure consistently, securely and efficiently in enterprise environments.

Deploying Ansible

Install and configure Ansible on both RHEL-based and Debian-based systems, understanding the architectural differences and practical considerations in mixed environments. The course covers SSH key-based authentication, control node configuration, inventory structuring and client setup. You’ll explore configuration files, validate connectivity, troubleshoot common deployment issues and apply best practice approaches to ensure reliable, scalable automation foundations.

Playbooks and modules

Design structured playbooks that move beyond simple commands into repeatable, enterprise-ready automation workflows. Using modules such as file, lineinfile, copy, archive, service, firewalld, user, parted, mount and cron, you’ll automate system configuration, service management and security controls. You’ll work with tags, command-line options and modular design principles to create automation that is predictable, testable and easy to maintain across environments.

Roles, templates and Galaxy

Construct reusable Ansible roles using defined directory structures that support scalable automation projects. The course covers creating file templates with dynamic variables, separating logic from configuration data and maintaining clear role boundaries. You’ll use Ansible Galaxy to locate, evaluate and download community roles, integrating them safely into your own automation framework while maintaining control over versioning and dependencies.

Security, Vault and advanced automation

Secure sensitive configuration data using Ansible Vault, encrypting variables and controlling access to confidential information. The course explores logging configuration, output redirection and controlled error handling using handlers and failure conditions. You’ll build loops, implement retries, generate number sequences and incorporate random values where required. Finally, integrate Ansible into shell scripts, enabling broader orchestration and operational automation across enterprise Linux estates.

What’s included

Four days instructor-led training
Hands-on live labs
Expert Red Hat practitioners
Comprehensive course materials
Practical automation exercises
Post-course reference resources

Key facts

Ideal for

Linux System Administrators, DevOps engineers, infrastructure teams and technical managers who need to automate configuration, deployment and maintenance of Red Hat Enterprise Linux systems at scale.

Prerequisites

You should have enterprise Linux administration experience equivalent to Red Hat 9 System Administration Part 2 or FastTrack Red Hat System Administrator level before attending this course.

Learning experience

Our experienced trainers and interactive labs create a focused, practical environment – so you can put theory into practice from day one.

Full module listing

Click on each day below to see the breakdown of the modules that you'll cover on the course.

Day one

Day two

Day three

Day four

Day one

Session 1: INTRODUCTION TO ANSIBLE

Ansible in steps
Ansible overview

Session 2: DEPLOYING ANSIBLE

Installing Ansible on RHEL-based systems
Installing Ansible on Debian-based systems
Authenticating Ansible with SSH keys
Ansible configuration
Creating the Ansible Inventory
Ansible client configuration
Exercise

Session 3: AD-HOC COMMANDS

Generating an ad-hoc command
Command line options
Module documentation
Using modules with ad-hoc commands
Verifying Ansible syntax
Stat and shell modules
Specifying an alternate Inventory
Exercise

Session 4: YAML

YAML basics
Common YAML syntax errors
Writing YAML with vim
Installing and configuring code editors
Exercise

Day two

Session 5: PLAYBOOKS AND TASKS

What is a playbook
Playbook header
Tasks within a playbook
Importing items and playbooks
Playbook best practices
Exercise

Session 6: SIMPLE PLAYBOOKS

Basic Ansible modules
file module
lineinfile module
copy module
archive module
Exercise

Session 7: SYSTEM ADMINISTRATION PLAYBOOKS

Playbook command line options
Playbook tags
System administration modules
service module
firewalld module
user module
Exercise

Session 8: FURTHER ANSIBLE PLAYBOOKS

Further Ansible modules
parted module
mount module
cron module
Security related modules
seboolean module
SELinux module
seport module
Exercise

Day three

Session 9: VARIABLES AND FACTS

Simple variables
List and Dictionary methods
Defining variable locations
Variables within external files
Command line variables
Ansible prompts
Registering variables
Using module return values
Capturing Ansible failures
Iteration using lists
Ansible facts
Commonly used Ansible facts
Using facts within a task
Using conditional statements with Facts
Exercise

Session 10: ROLES AND TEMPLATES

Ansible roles
Ansible Galaxy command
Role directory structure
Constructing an Ansible Role
Constructing a File Template
Ansible Galaxy repository
Downloading and executing Roles
Exercise

Day four

Session 11: FURTHER CONFIGURATION

Ansible Parallelism and Forks
Fact Caching
Ansible Vault
Creating and accessing the Vault
Encrypting variables
Ansible client and server logging
Omitting and redirecting log output
Error handling and ignoring failed commands
Handlers and failures
Exercise

Session 12: LOOPS AND SCRIPTING

Ansible loops
Looping through variables
Number sequencing
Random values
Retries
Ansible within shell scripts
Menu driven and copy scripts

FAQs

This Red Hat 10 System Administration - Part 3: Linux Automation with Ansible course focuses on practical Linux automation skills using Ansible. It supports Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE) exam preparation and develops the capability to manage enterprise Linux systems efficiently and securely.

Do I need prior Ansible experience?

You don’t need extensive Ansible experience, but you must be confident administering Linux systems in an enterprise environment. The course builds from core Ansible concepts through to advanced automation techniques.

Does this course cover security features in Ansible?

Yes. You’ll work with Ansible Vault to encrypt sensitive data, configure logging and implement error handling. Security-related modules and SELinux integration are also covered.

How does this course improve Linux automation in Red Hat Enterprise Linux environments?

This course develops practical Linux automation skills using Ansible within Red Hat Enterprise Linux environments. You’ll learn how to automate configuration management, service deployment and system administration tasks at scale. By the end of the four days, you’ll be able to reduce manual administration, improve consistency across servers and manage infrastructure from a central control point.

What practical skills will I gain from this Ansible training course?

You’ll gain hands-on experience installing and configuring Ansible, writing playbooks, building reusable roles and securing automation with Ansible Vault. The course also covers variables, facts, conditionals, loops and error handling. These are essential skills for system administrators and DevOps professionals responsible for managing enterprise Linux environments efficiently.

Why is Ansible important for Red Hat system administrators?

Ansible is a key automation tool for managing Red Hat Enterprise Linux systems in modern IT environments. It allows administrators to standardise configuration, deploy updates reliably and maintain compliance across multiple servers. Developing Ansible expertise strengthens your ability to support scalable infrastructure and prepares you for progression towards the RHCE certification.

What our customers say

“Course was informative and well paced. Instructor was knowledgeable and explained the concept in a clear and well thought out manner. He really helped clarify some issues I had with Ansible and left me with a deeper understanding of how the automation process worked.”

Tony, Programmer/Analyst – Academic

“Very well laid out and John does an amazing job of explaining things in detail.”

Ali, Operations Technical Service Analyst - Utilities

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