Ansible on CentOS 10 Hardened

My main use case for Ansible on CentOS 10 involves patching and database building, managing the start with respect to OS patching, and handling those activities after kernel updates.

For these activities using Ansible on CentOS 10, I connect to the machine and perform a YUM update on that machine. If there is any update, including a kernel update, it will automatically update, and I block certain updates like Java updates from going through YUM update. Those kinds of updates I handle through another automation tool called Chef, where those are created using tags and versions. All other configurations with respect to CentOS are managed through Ansible code.

I have nothing else to add about my use case with Ansible on CentOS 10 that may be unique to my organization.

Ansible on CentOS 10 has positively impacted my organization by reducing the time to production significantly compared to other automation agents like Chef or Puppet, where an agent is involved and other elements like groups and roles are required. With Ansible, those elements also exist and are very easy to manage.

When I say the time to production is lower, I estimate that it is almost 50 to 60 percent faster compared to my previous process.

The best features Ansible on CentOS 10 offers include being very user-friendly. I can read the code and write the code myself without using any kind of loops or high-level languages like Java. I simply use the YAML language, which is very basic and everyone can easily understand. Additionally, with respect to CentOS, there are no agents involved. I just need an SSH connection to connect with a system, which is very basic, and Ansible works with Python in the backend, so I don't need any other additional software as Python is automatically installed on every machine.

I do not have anything else to add about the features of Ansible on CentOS 10 that I find especially helpful or unique.

There are many ways Ansible on CentOS 10 can be improved, but most of them are already in the open-source platform and in development, so for now, my use cases with respect to this organization are sufficient.

I would add that some features in the code itself are very much appreciated, such as being able to write the code and identify where the issues with the code are.

On a scale of 1 to 10, I would rate Ansible on CentOS 10 a nine.

I choose a nine because Ansible on CentOS 10 is very useful for me and my team.

Ansible on CentOS 10 is deployed in my organization in an on-premises and hybrid cloud setup.

I use both Azure and AWS as the cloud providers in my hybrid cloud setup.

My advice to others looking into using Ansible on CentOS 10 is to proceed with confidence. It is very simple, and you can use it.

My main use case for Ansible on CentOS 10 includes configuration drift detection and remediation, configuration management with idempotency, and patching and vulnerability remediation.

I typically implement drift detection or vulnerability remediation with Ansible on CentOS 10 using Ansible playbooks that have playbooks and roles, running daily scheduled jobs through Ansible AWX. If there is any drift detected, such as in the `/etc/ssh/sshd_config` file, it will automatically remediate on the particular server.

I also use Ansible on CentOS 10 for hardening.

Ansible on CentOS 10 has positively impacted my organization by enabling configuration management, drift detection, patching, and vulnerability remediation. It has reduced the time to implement and secure Linux servers, as well as to implement vulnerability remediation, patching, and configuration management as required.

I have seen specific outcomes such as time saved and no errors once implemented.

Ansible on CentOS 10 offers valuable features including that CentOS ships with foundational runtime software, specifically Python 3.9.12 and GCC 14.12. Since Ansible is built on Python, this native inclusion means that the operating system natively fulfills all environment requirements for running configuration management tasks.

The main feature of Ansible on CentOS 10 is idempotency when using the Ansible built-in modules, which is excellent.

I do not find any improvement areas for Ansible on CentOS 10. I have not found anything that could be improved or added to make Ansible on CentOS 10 even better to date.

I have been using Ansible on CentOS 10 for hardly one year because CentOS is a recently released distribution.

Ansible on CentOS 10 is stable.

Ansible on CentOS 10's scalability is good, allowing me to scale to a large number of servers.

I never needed any customer support for Ansible. I resolved issues from internet resources.

Before using Ansible on CentOS 10, I was using BMC TrueSight Server Automation, and I switched due to the high licensing cost and longer time taken for deploying patches.

I have seen a return on investment with time saved and money saved, as the licensing part is one aspect I can optimize since Ansible AWX is open source. With fewer employees, I can manage depending upon the number of configuration items.

Before choosing Ansible on CentOS 10, I evaluated other options and found Ansible to be the best one.

On a scale of one to ten, I rate Ansible on CentOS 10 a ten. I chose ten as my rating because I did not find any issues with Ansible on CentOS 10.

Regarding Ansible on CentOS 10's AI capabilities, I think for governance and security, if you implement the hardening part and patch the servers regularly while remediating vulnerabilities once identified, then it is suitable. Otherwise, you should choose Red Hat Enterprise Linux servers for enterprise-grade support and vendor patches.

Ansible on CentOS 10 is deployed in my organization in the public cloud. I use mostly Azure, GCP, and AWS as my cloud providers.

My advice for others looking into using Ansible on CentOS 10 is that it is the best choice.

My main use case for Ansible on CentOS 10 is patch application, where we need to push patches across our infrastructure. Whenever we want to execute ad hoc queries or commands and retrieve command output for multiple servers, including hundreds of servers, that is one of our primary use cases. We also execute configuration changes for particular files across multiple servers simultaneously, which is another critical use case. There are many use cases we are utilizing Ansible for across our organization.

One specific task I regularly automate with Ansible on CentOS 10 is adding NFS mount points from VAST data storage, as we work in the AI infrastructure field. We create NFS mount points from VAST data that are shared across multiple AI infrastructure environments, including DGX or HGX boxes. This is one of our main use cases recently, where we attach particular mount points across all the servers, numbering over 100 servers. This would typically be a manual activity, and Ansible has transformed how we handle this task. The particular mount point is shared across all 100 plus servers and added into /etc/fstab, which Ansible takes care of automatically.

Regarding my use cases for Ansible on CentOS 10, ad-hoc queries have greatly helped us because AI infrastructure is booming and many people are not completely aware of the entire AI infrastructure server ecosystem. This is where ad-hoc tasks become invaluable. When Nvidia develops their complete products, there are features we do not completely understand. Whenever there is a new issue, they ask us to execute new commands on all servers and provide results.

To execute a single command on all servers, we do not need to manually log in to all systems to execute commands and collect outputs. Instead, we use ad-hoc queries to customize what we want, including grepping particular answers, and receive only the expected output. This ad-hoc customization through Ansible really helps in our current day-to-day activities.

Ansible on CentOS 10 has positively impacted my organization significantly. Instead of onboarding multiple people for day-to-day operations, we have a junior team and mid-level team with very few resources. We initially thought that with increasing servers we would need to add more people, but Ansible has reduced that need as major operational tasks are now scheduled via Ansible. This has saved us considerable time, and the number of people we need to hire has also reduced. This is definitely a great advantage for our organization, as it has saved substantial costs.

I estimate that we have saved almost $10,000 per annum in operational costs.

The best features Ansible on CentOS 10 offers include being very easy to use because of the JSON format. Even non-programmers or engineers who do not know coding can easily learn and create playbooks. The second advantage is that it is agentless, requiring only SSH, which eliminates the need for manual effort to install and monitor agents. This avoids unnecessary troubleshooting and potential issues caused by agents, which is a major advantage I consider.

The agentless feature of Ansible on CentOS 10 has helped my team save time and avoid specific issues compared to other tools that require agents. This has reduced configuration time for multiple servers significantly because we do not need to access servers for agent configuration, nor do we need to monitor it. Troubleshooting is also minimized since unnecessary issues, such as agents consuming CPU and memory resources, are avoided. I have faced situations where some agents caused 100% CPU and memory consumption. To avoid these issues, it is better to adopt the agentless configuration that Ansible on CentOS 10 provides.

Regarding improvements for Ansible on CentOS 10, there are several modules we want to integrate, particularly those that are Red Hat-linked since both CentOS and Red Hat are similar. However, the integration for modules specifically meant for other operating systems that are not CentOS or Red Hat needs improvement.

Community support needs some improvements since not all of the data is available. This would be really helpful for organizations like ours that have newly implemented this, especially on CentOS 10. The documentation needs to be improved as well.

I have been using Ansible on CentOS 10 for almost four years, but I have used Ansible for around ten years.

Ansible on CentOS 10 is completely stable.

Ansible on CentOS 10 is very scalable. As we add thousands of servers, our Ansible setup can easily increase by enhancing resources for Ansible servers. We have not faced any issues regarding scalability so far.

Regarding customer support, I can say it is good but not great. The response time needs to be improved, but other than that, everything is perfectly fine.

I would rate the customer support on a scale of one to ten as a seven.

Previously, we used Terraform, but we switched to Ansible because it is more user-friendly, allowing everyone to learn it easily compared to Terraform, which had some difficulties.

The return on investment for Ansible on CentOS 10 is great. Compared to other applications or tools we have purchased recently, we have definitely seen a strong return on investment. Initially, we planned to hire a few experts exclusively for Ansible, needing at least $10,000 for two or three expert resources. However, existing team members learned it easily and completed implementation without needing additional resources. This saved significant costs.

Additionally, we negotiated costs related to licensing, saving us more money and time, allowing us to focus on new developments. There is definitely a good return on investment.

I have not been fully involved in pricing, setup cost, and licensing, but I do have some understanding of it.

Before choosing Ansible on CentOS 10, we did evaluate other options, specifically Terraform.

On a scale of one to ten, I would rate Ansible on CentOS 10 as a nine.

I chose nine out of ten for my rating mainly because of the user-friendliness. This user-friendliness is excellent, allowing anybody to use it. It is crucial that even those new to the organization can use it. Therefore, Ansible on CentOS 10 is excellent and very user-friendly.

Regarding Ansible on CentOS 10's AI capabilities, I think the governance and security are solid as we have not faced any issues so far. There are no known loopholes or bugs, but perhaps with longer usage, we might discover if there are any security vulnerabilities.

In terms of accuracy and reliability of output, I can say it is ninety percent accurate, but it still needs to meet one hundred percent accuracy.

My advice to others looking into using Ansible on CentOS 10 is to procure it. This definitely improves the quality for engineers working in infrastructure. You can automate a lot, which reduces manual effort and eases employee pressure. From a management perspective, costs also decrease in the long run. In both ways—employee and management—it is beneficial, so I definitely recommend purchasing and using it.

My main use case for Ansible on CentOS 10 is automation. I automate any given task and anything I want to automate.

A specific example of something I've automated using Ansible on CentOS 10 includes tasks related to my own workflows, specifically for my own services.

When it comes to one of those tasks that Ansible helps with regularly, I focus on patching and updating, specifically updating. The video tasks involve scheduling based on some date, and Ansible has made them easier in that aspect.

I use Ansible on CentOS 10 to get containers, meet parts, and then patch them. I use it specifically for patching.

In my opinion, the best features Ansible on CentOS 10 offers include automating user administration tasks, patching tasks, and overall automation.

Definitely for patching is the feature I find most helpful or time-saving because I have to update my servers frequently.

Ansible on CentOS 10 has positively impacted my organization as our servers are up-to-date, they are less vulnerable, and without vulnerability.

I can definitely say that Ansible on CentOS 10 has saved a considerable amount of time and effort for me and my team, as a job that used to be done by ten admins can now be done by only one admin.

Regarding improvements for Ansible on CentOS 10, I don't think any improvement is required.

If I would like to add more about the needed improvements, it would be that if the UI can be easier and dynamic inventories could be more advanced.

I have been using Ansible on CentOS 10 for the last six years, but on CentOS 10, I have been using it for a couple of years.

Ansible on CentOS 10 is stable.

The scalability of Ansible on CentOS 10 is as much as you want, as it is highly scalable.

When it comes to customer support, it's Red Hat, so you can imagine the support; it's the best you could get.

I would rate the customer support for Ansible on CentOS 10 a strong 10.

Previously, I did use a different solution, scripting, but I found that scripting is imperative, and I needed something easy and fast, which was Ansible on CentOS 10.

I have definitely seen a return on investment with fewer employees, money saved, and time saved.

My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing is positive since I use the open-source version, which means it's free.

Before choosing Ansible on CentOS 10, I evaluated other options like Chef and Puppet, but eventually, Ansible on CentOS 10 is the best.

On a scale of one to ten, I would rate Ansible on CentOS 10 a solid ten.

I choose ten out of ten because it's the best for automation.

Regarding Ansible on CentOS 10's AI capabilities, I think it doesn't have anything like AI capability; it's just automation.

When I think of Ansible on CentOS 10's accuracy, I can confirm that it does not have AI capabilities.

My advice for others looking into using Ansible on CentOS 10 is simple: if you're looking for automation, just go for it, don't think twice.