Introduction
Ansible Community Day Berlin 2023 brought together professionals from diverse backgrounds, and we had the opportunity to meet Kai and Sebastian from the Free University of Berlin. Their experience and insights shed light on the pivotal role of Ansible in enhancing efficiency and automation in educational institutions.
Meet Kai and Sebastian
Kai and Sebastian, representing the Free University of Berlin (Freie Universität Berlin), shared their experiences and feedback during our conversation at Ansible Community Day. Kai works at the university and has intriguing insights to offer, while Sebastian serves as the VMware administrator, where Ansible plays a crucial role in streamlining their operations.
Efficient WinRM Setup
Kai’s attention to detail in Luca Berton’s book, specifically regarding the WinRM setup, stood out. He highlighted that Luca’s simplification of the process to a single command, “enable PSRemoting,” using built-in PowerShell, was noteworthy. This streamlined approach to WinRM setup can be a valuable addition to the Ansible community’s resources.
WSL Configuration and Future Book Chapters
Kai also shared his desire for more detailed content on configuring the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) in future book chapters. Given that their team utilizes WSL on Windows computers to run Ansible against Windows hosts, having comprehensive guidance on this topic would be immensely beneficial. It’s a testament to the ever-evolving needs of Ansible users and the importance of addressing them in educational resources.
The Future of Ansible at the Free University of Berlin
When asked about their perspective on Ansible’s future, both Kai and Sebastian expressed their enthusiasm for its continued use and growth. They emphasized the importance of Ansible in automating daily tasks, allowing them to be more efficient and productive. Kai mentioned their plans to purchase Luca Berton’s book, particularly for its Ansible for VMware by Example automation content, as they seek to further leverage Ansible in their environment.
Sebastian, the VMware admin, highlighted how Ansible has become an indispensable tool for them, enabling them to manage repetitive tasks efficiently. With Ansible’s support, they can focus on higher-value activities and accomplish more in less time.
Interview
***Luca Berton: ***Hi friends, I’m Luca. I’m super excited to be in Berlin for this Ansible Community Day. And I bumped into this new friend of mine. Please introduce yourself.
***Kai: ***I’m Kai from the Free University of Berlin. This is where I work.
***Luca Berton: ***That’s cool. Oh, this is my book, Hands-on Ansible Automation.
***Kai: ***Yes, and I’ve noticed in his book where he’s installing WinRM, he can just…
Shrink it down to the simple command to “enable PSRemoting”. So it’s a built-in PowerShell command. You can run it as an administrator. And it should do all this stuff.
***Luca Berton: ***Thank you for sharing with us. This is a very interesting way. But somehow, I think that we also like to understand what’s behind the scenes. Do you have any other feedback about this?
***Kai: ***
Well, I’m currently reading, and it would be interesting to have a chapter where you go into the details of how to configure WSL on Windows. This is the Windows subsystem for Linux, and we use it in our Windows computers to run Ansible against Windows hosts.
***Luca Berton: ***Oh, I know. Sometimes it’s painful, this kind of stuff.
Do you use version 1 or version 2? We’re using version 2. Oh, that’s cool. So, we are using the hypervisor. Yep. So, thank you. How do you see the future of Ansible? In your day-to-day job.
***Kai: ***I think it’s great. We are pushing more to use it more. We are currently, um, going to buy your book after your presentation.
Do you? On the VMware part, because we have to automate our VMware environment.
***Luca Berton: ***I know. There is a lot of a lot of virtual machines in the wild. Sebastian, are you with us? Sorry, are you with us? With us? I’m, I’m sorry. Sorry. We have some problem about, uh, the length of the microphone. Please introduce yourself.
***Sebastian: ***Uh, I’m Sebastian Sig from the Fryer, uh, free university in Berlin. And, um, yeah, I’m the VMware admin at the university, and yeah, we have a lot of. daily jobs, repeating daily jobs, and Ansible is the tool for us to automate and make more time, make our time more efficient, so we can do a lot more than we can do now.
***Luca Berton: ***Yeah, I see, definitely. Augmentative productivity is one of the problems of a lot of teams, and this is great. Thank you for sharing this feedback with us and, well, this is a great hint. Thank you for sharing. I’m super excited about meeting of you both, and please, let’s automate more. Hi friends!
Links
Conclusion
Ansible’s impact extends beyond the realm of IT giants and into educational institutions like the Free University of Berlin, where automation drives efficiency and productivity. The experiences and insights of professionals like Kai and Sebastian highlight Ansible’s versatility and its potential to transform workflows across various industries.
As the Ansible community continues to evolve and adapt to the changing needs of its users, it remains a vital resource for individuals and organizations seeking to streamline their operations. The desire for more in-depth educational content and the dedication of Ansible users like Kai and Sebastian exemplify the community’s commitment to growth and improvement.
In the spirit of Ansible’s mission to automate more, let’s look forward to continued innovation and collaboration within the Ansible community.
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