Introduction
In the ever-evolving landscape of IT automation, staying ahead of the curve is essential for businesses of all sizes. Ansible, a leading automation platform, has taken a significant step forward in simplifying and streamlining automation with the introduction of Ansible validated content. This new initiative is designed to provide a trusted and expert-driven approach to automation across a wide array of use cases, spanning infrastructure, networking, cloud, security, and edge computing.
Announced during AnsibleFest 2022, Ansible validated content is a game-changer for automation enthusiasts. It offers a comprehensive set of pre-built YAML content, such as playbooks and roles, that are specifically crafted to address the most common automation challenges. Whether you are an experienced automation architect or just embarking on your automation journey, Ansible validated content provides you with the tools and knowledge needed to succeed.
The Two Pillars of Automation Success
To excel in automation, two critical components are necessary:
- A Rich Ecosystem of Integrations: Your IT portfolio comprises a diverse range of platforms, and your automation tools need to seamlessly integrate with them. This integration ensures that you can automate a wide variety of tasks across your IT environment.
- Subject Matter Expertise: Building effective automation requires a deep understanding of how to interact with your platforms and systems. This expertise comes from hands-on experience and best practices. For several years, Red Hat’s Ansible Certified Content has been instrumental in fulfilling the first need. It has grown exponentially, with numerous partners contributing to an expanding collection of Ansible modules that support a wide range of platforms.
However, having access to integrations is only part of the equation. Since the release of Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2.3 brings Ansible validated content to the forefront, translating subject matter expertise into actionable automation. It answers the question of how to automate tasks effectively, drawing from the insights and guidance of experts with real-world experience.
The Significance of Ansible Validated Content
Regardless of where you stand in your automation journey, Ansible validated content offers a range of benefits:
- Opinionated Approach: It provides expert guidance on foundational use cases to focus on initially, making it easier for you to get started with automation.
- Platform Expertise: Ansible validated content offers expert guidance on how to approach specific platforms, ensuring that you’re following best practices.
- Interoperability: These validated contents can be used as building blocks to consistently automate across different parts of your IT infrastructure.
- Learning Opportunity: Ansible validated content uses the Ansible language, which is known for its readability and transparency, making it a fantastic learning resource.
What Does “Validated” Mean?
The term “validated” in Ansible validated content refers to a rigorous curation process. This content is carefully curated by experts, such as the Red Hat Automation Community of Practice, to ensure:
The use cases are based on successful customer deployments. Content creators are trusted and verified subject matter experts. The content adheres to the latest best practices and guidelines from Red Hat’s engineering team. Ansible validated content is tested against supported versions of Ansible Automation Platform and is deemed production-ready. The curation process ensures that Ansible validated content is trustworthy and reliable.
Applications of Ansible Validated Content
Currently, Ansible validated content is authored by Red Hat and will eventually include contributions from partners. This content covers foundational automation across a variety of domains, including:
- Edge computing
- Hybrid cloud
- Infrastructure
- Networking
- Security
Within each domain, Ansible validated content addresses all stages of operations, from initial setup (Day 0) to ongoing maintenance (Day 2). These contents can be specific to certain platforms or platform-agnostic, offering flexibility to a wide range of users.
While it’s impossible to cater to every unique organizational need, Ansible validated content aims to provide valuable resources to IT teams working in these domains.
The Anatomy of Ansible Validated Content
Ansible validated content is distributed as collections of YAML-based content, such as roles and playbooks. This approach complements and builds upon Red Hat Ansible Certified Content Collections, which were introduced in 2019.
Where to Find Ansible Validated Content
To access Ansible validated content, you can use since Ansible Automation Platform 2.3 onward, where it’s available as a pre-loaded option inside the private automation hub. In the future, Ansible validated content will be accessible through the Ansible automation hub on console.redhat.com. As Red Hat and its partners continue to develop more Ansible validated content, the library will grow, providing even more options for automation enthusiasts.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Ansible validated content is a significant leap forward in the world of automation. It empowers organizations to tackle automation challenges with the wisdom and insights of experts while also serving as a valuable learning tool for those looking to enhance their automation skills. As the automation landscape continues to evolve, Ansible validated content is a crucial resource for staying ahead of the curve and achieving automation excellence. So, don’t miss out on the opportunity to explore Ansible Automation Platform and start your automation journey with the power of validated content.
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