Ansible
Ansible is an open-source IT automation tool used for:
- Provisioning
- Configuration management
- Application deployment
- Orchestration
It is agentless, uses SSH/WinRM, and relies on YAML playbooks.
Note
Ansible focuses on configuration management, while Terraform focuses on infrastructure provisioning.
What existed before Ansible?
- Bash / Shell scripts
- Python scripts
- Puppet and Chef (agent-based, steeper learning curve)
- Terraform (still used, but different scope)