This IBM Redbooks® publication helps you install, tailor, and configure an automation environment by using Red Hat Ansible in an IBM Power server environment. Ansible is a versatile IT automation platform that you use to deploy and maintain your applications and systems. With Ansible, you can automate almost anything: code deployment, network configuration, server infrastructure deployment, security and patch management, and cloud management. Ansible is implemented in a human-readable language (YAML) and uses Secure Shell (SSH) to connect to the managed systems, with no agents to install on remote systems.

This IBM Redbooks publication shows you how to integrate Ansible to manage all aspects of your IBM Power infrastructure, including server hardware, the Hardware Management Console (HMC), IBM PowerVM®, IBM PowerVC, IBM AIX®, IBM i, and Linux on Power. We provide guidance about where to run your Ansible automation controller nodes, demonstrate how Ansible can be installed on any operating system (OS) that is supported on IBM Power, and show you how to set up your IBM Power infrastructure components to be managed by using Ansible.

This publication is intended for use by anyone who is interested in automaton by using Ansible, whether they are getting started or they are experts on Ansible and want to understand how to integrate IBM Power into their existing environment.

Chapter 1. Introducing Ansible and IBM Power

Chapter 2. Ansible architecture and design

Chapter 3. Getting started with Ansible

Chapter 4. Automated application deployment on IBM Power servers

Chapter 5. Infrastructure as Code by using Ansible

Chapter 6. Day 2 management operations

Chapter 7. Future trends and directions

Appendix A. Unveiling IBM i Modernization Engine for Lifecycle Integration