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Ansible Updates Reference⚓︎

Overview⚓︎

This knowledge article provides quick reference information for requesting help with updates and modifications to the Ansible Infrastructure as Code setup. Use this guide to ensure the most effective assistance when making changes to infrastructure.

Request Templates⚓︎

Adding New Infrastructure Components⚓︎

Template: "I want to add [specific thing] to my Ansible Infrastructure as Code setup. Can you help me integrate it properly?"

Examples:

  • "I want to add nginx reverse proxy to my Ansible setup"
  • "I want to add a new monitoring script that checks SSL certificates"
  • "I want to add firewall configuration to my base-system role"
  • "I want to add automatic security updates to my system"

Modifying Existing Components⚓︎

Template: "I need to modify [specific role/script] in my Ansible setup. Here's what I want to change: [describe change]"

Examples:

  • "I need to modify my Docker role to install a different version of Docker Compose"
  • "I want to change my backup script to include additional directories"
  • "I need to add more packages to my essential packages list"
  • "I want to change the disk space threshold in my monitoring script"

Troubleshooting Issues⚓︎

Template: "My Ansible deployment is showing [specific error/issue]. Here's the output: [paste output]"

Examples:

  • "My Ansible deployment is failing with SSH connection errors. Here's the output: [paste]"
  • "The Docker role is showing permission errors during deployment. Here's what I see: [paste]"
  • "My base-system role is hanging on package updates. Here's the output: [paste]"

Essential Context to Include⚓︎

When requesting help, always provide:

1. Setup Identification⚓︎

Say: "This is for my Ansible Infrastructure as Code setup that we worked on - the one with Ubuntu servers managed from Synology NAS with robust deployment handling and system updates."

2. Role Specification⚓︎

Identify which role is affected:

  • base-system: SSH hardening, essential packages, system updates, user configuration
  • user-management: User creation, group management, dependency handling
  • docker: Docker environment, compose, networks, volumes
  • scripts: Custom automation scripts (backup, monitoring, cleanup)
  • cron: Scheduled tasks and maintenance jobs

3. Deployment Type⚓︎

Specify deployment approach:

  • "This is for a fresh deployment" (includes system updates)
  • "This is for an existing system" (skips system updates)
  • "I want to test this first with test inventory"
  • "I need this for production deployment"

4. Update Strategy⚓︎

Clarify update handling:

  • "I want system updates included" (fresh_deployment=true)
  • "I want to skip system updates" (standard deployment)
  • "I'm not sure which approach to use"

Complete Integration Request⚓︎

For the most comprehensive help, ask for:

Template: "Can you provide the complete integration steps including: file changes, test deployment commands, verification steps, and production deployment commands?"

This ensures you get:

  • Specific file modifications needed
  • Test inventory deployment command
  • Verification playbook commands
  • Production deployment command
  • Steps to verify the changes worked
  • Any additional configuration required

Architecture Quick Reference⚓︎

Control Machine: Synology NAS running Ansible in Docker container
Project Location: /volume2/ansible-infrastructure
Target Servers: Ubuntu 24.04 LTS with SSH key authentication
Key Features: Robust deployment handling, system updates, comprehensive backups, automated maintenance
Testing: Test inventory support with verification playbooks

Role Structure Reference⚓︎

/volume2/ansible-infrastructure/roles/
├── base-system/          # System hardening, packages, updates
├── user-management/      # User/group management with retry logic
├── docker/               # Docker environment & configuration  
├── scripts/              # Custom automation scripts
└── cron/                 # Scheduled maintenance tasks

Deployment Commands Reference⚓︎

Fresh Deployment (with updates)⚓︎

docker run --rm -it \
  -v /volume2/ansible-infrastructure:/ansible \
  -w /ansible \
  cytopia/ansible:latest \
  sh -c "apk add --no-cache openssh-client && ansible-playbook -i inventory/hosts.yml playbooks/infrastructure.yml --ask-become-pass -e 'fresh_deployment=true' -v"

Existing System (skip updates)⚓︎

docker run --rm -it \
  -v /volume2/ansible-infrastructure:/ansible \
  -w /ansible \
  cytopia/ansible:latest \
  sh -c "apk add --no-cache openssh-client && ansible-playbook -i inventory/hosts.yml playbooks/infrastructure.yml --ask-become-pass -v"

Test Deployment⚓︎

docker run --rm -it \
  -v /volume2/ansible-infrastructure:/ansible \
  -w /ansible \
  cytopia/ansible:latest \
  sh -c "apk add --no-cache openssh-client && ansible-playbook -i inventory/test-hosts.yml playbooks/infrastructure.yml --ask-become-pass -e 'fresh_deployment=true' -v"

Common Update Scenarios⚓︎

Package Management⚓︎

  • Adding new essential packages to base-system role
  • Removing unnecessary packages
  • Updating package sources
  • Managing system updates for fresh vs. existing deployments

Script Modifications⚓︎

  • Adding new monitoring scripts
  • Modifying existing automation
  • Changing notification settings
  • Updating log rotation policies

Docker Environment⚓︎

  • Updating Docker Compose version detection
  • Adding new networks or volumes
  • Modifying daemon configuration
  • Managing Docker group dependencies

User Management⚓︎

  • Adding new users with proper group handling
  • Managing Docker group membership
  • Handling user creation retry logic
  • Resolving permission conflicts

Scheduling Changes⚓︎

  • Adding new cron jobs
  • Modifying existing schedules
  • Changing log retention policies
  • Managing cron job dependencies

Workflow Reminder⚓︎

  1. Update Ansible configurations first
  2. Test with test inventory (inventory/test-hosts.yml)
  3. Run verification playbooks (verify-*.yml)
  4. Deploy to production (inventory/hosts.yml)
  5. Verify functionality

Best Practices for Requests⚓︎

Be Specific⚓︎

  • State exactly what needs to be achieved
  • Provide current configuration if relevant
  • Include any error messages or unexpected behavior
  • Specify whether this is for fresh deployment or existing system

Include Context⚓︎

  • Mention the Infrastructure as Code setup
  • Specify which components are affected
  • Reference any related previous changes
  • Indicate testing preferences

Request Complete Solutions⚓︎

  • Ask for file changes AND deployment steps
  • Request verification commands
  • Include both test and production deployment steps
  • Request rollback procedures if needed

Error Handling Context⚓︎

When reporting issues, include:

Common Deployment Issues⚓︎

  • APT lock errors: Usually handled automatically by base-system role
  • Permission errors: Usually handled by user-management role retry logic
  • SSH connection issues: Check openssh-client installation in Docker commands
  • Service timeout errors: Handled by systemd daemon reload logic

System Update Issues⚓︎

  • Package conflicts: May need fresh_deployment=false for existing systems
  • Reboot requirements: System may need manual reboot after updates
  • Repository errors: May need repository configuration updates

Emergency Situations⚓︎

For urgent issues, lead with: "URGENT: My Ansible Infrastructure as Code setup has [critical issue]. Here's what's happening: [description]"

Include:

  • What was working before
  • What changed recently
  • Current error symptoms
  • Impact on services
  • Whether this affects fresh deployment or existing system

Follow-up Questions⚓︎

After receiving help, good follow-up questions include:

  • "How can I verify this is working correctly?"
  • "Should I run the verification playbooks after this change?"
  • "What should I monitor to ensure this change is stable?"
  • "Are there any maintenance tasks I should add for this new component?"
  • "How would I roll this back if needed?"
  • "Does this change affect both fresh and existing deployments?"

Testing and Verification⚓︎

When requesting changes, consider asking:

  • "Can you provide the verification steps for this change?"
  • "Should I test this with the test inventory first?"
  • "Are there specific verification playbooks I should run?"
  • "How do I confirm the change worked as expected?"

Documentation Updates⚓︎

When making significant changes, consider asking: "Should this change be documented in my main Infrastructure as Code knowledge article or disaster recovery guide?"

This helps keep documentation current and comprehensive.

Deployment Strategy Questions⚓︎

For complex changes, ask:

  • "Should this be deployed with fresh_deployment=true or standard deployment?"
  • "Does this change require system updates to work properly?"
  • "Are there any dependencies I should be aware of?"
  • "Should existing systems be updated differently than fresh deployments?"

Conclusion⚓︎

Using these templates and providing complete context will ensure the most effective help with Infrastructure as Code updates. The key is being specific about what needs to be achieved while providing enough context about the existing setup, including deployment type, testing preferences, and update strategy requirements.