Software Engineering Institute

In Ansible, roles allow system administrators to automate the loading of certain variables, tasks, files, templates, and handlers based on a known file structure. Grouping content by roles allows for easy sharing and reuse. When developing roles, users must deal with various concerns, including what operating system(s) and version(s) will be supported and whether a single node or a cluster of machines is needed. In this SEI podcast, Matthew Heckathorn, an integration engineer with the SEI’s CERT Division, offers guidance for systems engineers, system administrators, and others on developing Ansible roles and automating infrastructure as code.