Ansible

Ansible is an open source IT automation engine used to provision infrastructure, manage configurations, deploy applications, and orchestrate multi-node operations. It is designed to be agentless and typically operates over SSH, using human-readable automation content.

Key Features

• Agentless automation model leveraging existing remote access (commonly SSH)
• Playbooks and roles for repeatable configuration management and application deployment
• Ad-hoc task execution for quick remote operations across many hosts
• Inventory-driven automation for fleets, groups, and environments
• Extensible module system and reusable content via collections
• Supports network automation and cloud provisioning workflows

Use Cases

• Standardize server configuration and enforce desired state across environments
• Automate application rollouts and rolling updates across multiple nodes
• Provision and maintain cloud and network infrastructure as part of operations workflows

Ansible fits teams that want a readable, versionable automation approach without installing agents on managed nodes. Its ecosystem of modules and collections helps extend automation across common platforms and vendors.