Your system must meet the following minimum system requirements to install and run Red Hat Containerized Ansible Automation Platform.

Use the experimental postinstaller feature of containerized Ansible Automation Platform to define and load the configuration during the initial installation. This uses a configuration-as-code approach, where you simply define your configuration to be loaded as simple YAML files.

Definition files use the infra certified collections. The controller_configuration collection is preinstalled as part of the installation and uses the installation controller credentials you supply in the inventory file for access into the Ansible Automation Platform controller. You simply need to give the YAML configuration files.

You can setup Ansible Automation Platform configuration attributes such as credentials, LDAP settings, users and teams, organizations, projects, inventories and hosts, job and workflow templates.

The following example shows a sample your-config.yml file defining and loading controller job templates. The example demonstrates a simple change to the preloaded demo example provided with an Ansible Automation Platform installation.

/full_path_to_your_configuration_as_code/
├── controller
    	└── job_templates.yml

controller_templates:
 - name: Demo Job Template
   execution_environment: Default execution environment
   instance_groups:
 	- default
   inventory: Demo Inventory

Installation of Ansible Automation Platform is controlled with inventory files. Inventory files define the hosts and containers used and created, variables for components, and other information needed to customize the installation.

For convenience an example inventory file is provided, that you can copy and modify to quickly get started.

Edit the inventory file by replacing the < > placeholders with your specific variables, and uncommenting any lines specific to your needs.

# This is the AAP installer inventory file
# Please consult the docs if you're unsure what to add
# For all optional variables please consult the included README.md

# This section is for your AAP Controller host(s)
# -------------------------------------------------
[automationcontroller]
fqdn_of_your_rhel_host ansible_connection=local

# This section is for your AAP Automation Hub host(s)
# -----------------------------------------------------
[automationhub]
fqdn_of_your_rhel_host ansible_connection=local

# This section is for your AAP EDA Controller host(s)
# -----------------------------------------------------
[automationeda]
fqdn_of_your_rhel_host ansible_connection=local

# This section is for your AAP Execution host(s)
# ------------------------------------------------
#[execution_nodes]
#fqdn_of_your_rhel_host

# This section is for the AAP database(s)
# -----------------------------------------
# Uncomment the lines below and amend appropriately if you want AAP to install and manage the postgres databases
# Leave commented out if you intend to use your own external database and just set appropriate _pg_hosts vars
# see mandatory sections under each AAP component
#[database]
#fqdn_of_your_rhel_host ansible_connection=local

[all:vars]

# Common variables needed for installation
# ----------------------------------------
postgresql_admin_username=postgres
postgresql_admin_password=<set your own>
# If using the online (non-bundled) installer, you need to set RHN registry credentials
registry_username=<your RHN username>
registry_password=<your RHN password>
# If using the bundled installer, you need to alter defaults by using:
#bundle_install=true
# The bundle directory must include /bundle in the path
#bundle_dir=<full path to the bundle directory>
# To add more decision environment images you need to set the de_extra_images variable
#de_extra_images=[{'name': 'Custom decision environment', 'image': '<registry>/<namespace>/<image>:<tag>'}]
# To add more execution environment images you need to set the ee_extra_images variable
#ee_extra_images=[{'name': 'Custom execution environment', 'image': '<registry>/<namespace>/<image>:<tag>'}]
# To use custom TLS CA certificate/key you need to set these variables
#ca_tls_cert=<full path to your TLS CA certificate file>
#ca_tls_key=<full path to your TLS CA key file>

# AAP Database - optional
# --------------------------
# To use custom TLS certificate/key you need to set these variables
#postgresql_tls_cert=<full path to your TLS certificate file>
#postgresql_tls_key=<full path to your TLS key file>

# AAP Controller - mandatory
# --------------------------
controller_admin_password=<set your own>
controller_pg_host=fqdn_of_your_rhel_host
controller_pg_password=<set your own>

# AAP Controller - optional
# -------------------------
# To use the postinstall feature you need to set these variables
#controller_postinstall=true
#controller_license_file=<full path to your manifest .zip file>
#controller_postinstall_dir=<full path to your config-as-code directory>
# When using config-as-code in a git repository
#controller_postinstall_repo_url=<url to your config-as-code git repository>
#controller_postinstall_repo_ref=main
# To use custom TLS certificate/key you need to set these variables
#controller_tls_cert=<full path to your TLS certificate file>
#controller_tls_key=<full path to your TLS key file>

# AAP Automation Hub - mandatory
# ------------------------------
hub_admin_password=<set your own>
hub_pg_host=fqdn_of_your_rhel_host
hub_pg_password=<set your own>

# AAP Automation Hub - optional
# -----------------------------
# To use the postinstall feature you need to set these variables
#hub_postinstall=true
#hub_postinstall_dir=<full path to your config-as-code directory>
# When using config-as-code in a git repository
#hub_postinstall_repo_url=<url to your config-as-code git repository>
#hub_postinstall_repo_ref=main
# To customize the number of worker containers
#hub_workers=2
# To use the collection signing feature you need to set these variables
#hub_collection_signing=true
#hub_collection_signing_key=<full path to your gpg key file>
# To use the container signing feature you need to set these variables
#hub_container_signing=true
#hub_container_signing_key=<full path to your gpg key file>
# To use custom TLS certificate/key you need to set these variables
#hub_tls_cert=<full path to your TLS certificate file>
#hub_tls_key=<full path to your TLS key file>

# AAP EDA Controller - mandatory
# ------------------------------
eda_admin_password=<set your own>
eda_pg_host=fqdn_of_your_rhel_host
eda_pg_password=<set your own>

# AAP EDA Controller - optional
# -----------------------------
# When using an external controller node unmanaged by the installer.
#controller_main_url=https://fqdn_of_your_rhel_host
# To customize the number of default/activation worker containers
#eda_workers=2
#eda_activation_workers=2
# To use custom TLS certificate/key you need to set these variables
#eda_tls_cert=<full path to your TLS certificate file>
#eda_tls_key=<full path to your TLS key file>

# AAP Execution Nodes - optional
# -----------------------------
#receptor_port=27199
#receptor_protocol=tcp
# To use custom TLS certificate/key you need to set these variables
#receptor_tls_cert=<full path to your TLS certificate file>
#receptor_tls_key=<full path to your TLS key file>
# To use custom RSA key pair you need to set these variables
#receptor_signing_private_key=<full path to your RSA private key file>
#receptor_signing_public_key=<full path to your RSA public key file>

Use the following command to install containerized Ansible Automation Platform:

ansible-playbook -i inventory ansible.containerized_installer.install

If your privilege escalation requires a password to be entered, append *-K* to the command line. You will then be prompted for the *BECOME* password.

You can use increasing verbosity, up to 4 v’s (-vvvv) to see the details of the installation process.

After the installation completes, these are the default protocol and ports used:

These can be changed. Consult the README.md for further details. It is recommended that you leave the defaults unless you need to change them due to port conflicts or other factors.

https://<your_rhel_host>:8443

Log in as the admin user with the password you created for controller_admin_password.

If you supplied the license manifest as part of the installation, the Ansible Automation Platform dashboard is displayed. If you did not supply a license file, the Subscription screen is displayed where you must supply your license details. This is documented here: Chapter 1. Activating Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform.

https://<hub node>:8444

Log in as the admin user with the password you created for hub_admin_password.

https://<eda node>:8445

Log in as the admin user with the password you created for eda_admin_password.

By default, the installer generates TLS certificates and keys for all services which are signed by a custom Certificate Authority (CA). You can provide a custom TLS certificate/key for each service. If that certificate is signed by a custom CA, you must provide the CA TLS certificate and key.

ca_tls_cert=/full/path/to/tls/certificate
ca_tls_key=/full/path/to/tls/key

controller_tls_cert=/full/path/to/tls/certificate
controller_tls_key=/full/path/to/tls/key

hub_tls_cert=/full/path/to/tls/certificate
hub_tls_key=/full/path/to/tls/key

eda_tls_cert=/full/path/to/tls/certificate
eda_tls_key=/full/path/to/tls/key

postgresql_tls_cert=/full/path/to/tls/certificate
postgresql_tls_key=/full/path/to/tls/key

receptor_tls_cert=/full/path/to/tls/certificate
receptor_tls_key=/full/path/to/tls/key

Receptor signing is now enabled by default unless receptor_disable_signing=true is set, and a RSA key pair (public/private) is generated by the installer. However, you can provide custom RSA public/private keys by setting the path variable.

receptor_signing_private_key=/full/path/to/private/key
receptor_signing_public_key=/full/path/to/public/key

Automation hub allows you to sign Ansible collections and container images. This feature is not enabled by default, and you must provide the GPG key.

hub_collection_signing=true
hub_collection_signing_key=/full/path/to/collections/gpg/key
hub_container_signing=true
hub_container_signing_key=/full/path/to/containers/gpg/key

When the GPG key is protected by a passphrase, you must provide the passphrase.

hub_collection_signing_pass=<collections gpg key passphrase>
hub_container_signing_pass=<containers gpg key passphrase>

The containerized installer can deploy remote execution nodes. This is handled by the execution_nodes group in the ansible inventory file.

[execution_nodes]
fqdn_of_your_execution_host

An execution node is by default configured as an execution type running on port 27199 (TCP). This can be changed by the following variables:

Receptor type value can be either execution or hop, while the protocol is either TCP or UDP. By default, the nodes in the execution_nodes group will be added as peers for the controller node. However, you can change the peers configuration by using the receptor_peers variable.

[execution_nodes]
fqdn_of_your_execution_host
fqdn_of_your_hop_host receptor_type=hop receptor_peers=’[“fqdn_of_your_execution_host”]’

To uninstall a containerized deployment, execute the uninstall.yml playbook.

$ ansible-playbook -i inventory ansible.containerized_installer.uninstall

This will stop all systemd units and containers and then delete all resources used by the containerized installer such as:

To keep container images, you can set the container_keep_images variable to true.

$ ansible-playbook -i inventory ansible.containerized_installer.uninstall -e container_keep_images=true

To keep postgresql databases, you can set the postgresql_keep_databases variable to true.

$ ansible-playbook -i </path/to/inventory> ansible.containerized_installer.uninstall -e postgresql_keep_databases=true