Ansible

This plugin allows to execute Ansible tasks as a job build step.

Ansible needs to be on the PATH for the build job in order to be used. This can be done through either Jenkins Global Tool Configuration or including Ansible on the OS User PATH variable.

Configuring Ansible through the Global Tool Configuration in Jenkins (Jenkins → Manage Jenkins → Global Tool Configuration) allows for multiple Ansible installations to be present and used by different Jenkins jobs.

1. Click "Add Ansible"

2. Configure the name and path

   Field name	Description
   Name	Symbolic name used to identify a specific Ansible installation when multiple installations are configured
   Path to ansible executables directory	Directory containing the ansible, ansible-playbook, and ansible-vault binaries

3. Repeat for any additional desired installations

There is no automatic ansible installation possible using Global Tools.

Ansible can also be added to the PATH user used by the Jenkins executor instead of configured through Global Tool Configuration. This is done through normal OS tools outside of Jenkins and is not covered by this guide.

The plugin is tested against supported ansible-core versions (https://endoflife.date/ansible-core). It might work with older versions, but this is not guaranteed.

See PipelineTest.java

private static Stream<String> ansibleVersions() {
    return Stream.of("2.16.14", "2.17.7", "2.18.1");
}

Adhoc commands allow for simple operations to be done without writing a full playbook. This allows for a convenient way of doing quick tasks with Ansible.

Jenkinsfile

ansibleAdhoc credentialsId: 'private_key', inventory: 'inventories/a/hosts', hosts: 'hosts_pattern', moduleArguments: 'module_arguments'

Jenkinsfile

ansibleAdhoc(credentialsId: 'private_key', inventory: 'inventories/a/hosts', hosts: 'hosts_pattern', moduleArguments: 'module_arguments')

See also jenkins.io documentation.

Ansible playbook operations can be run with the plugin. The plugin provides several conveniences such as easily using credentials from the Jenkins credential store, unbuffered color output in the log, etc.

Jenkinsfile

ansiblePlaybook credentialsId: 'private_key', inventory: 'inventories/a/hosts', playbook: 'my_playbook.yml'

Jenkinsfile

ansiblePlaybook(credentialsId: 'private_key', inventory: 'inventories/a/hosts', playbook: 'my_playbook.yml')

Additional scripted and declarative pipeline examples can be found on the plugin's GitHub readme.

Refer to jenkins.io for documentation extracted from the online help of the plugin.

Refer to the ansible-playbook manual page for details on how each command line argument is interpreted.

SSH keys are the recommended authentication method for SSH connections. The plugin supports the credential type "SSH Username with private key" configured in the Jenkins credential store through the SSH crendentials plugin.

Even if using SSH keys is recommended authentication method, password authentication may sometimes be required. The plugin has supported password based authentication since 0.3.0. When using password based authentication, the sshpass binary is expected to be on the PATH. The plugin supports the credential type "Username with password" configured in the Jenkins credential store through the SSH crendentials plugin.

Vault credentials can be setup in the Jenkins credential store as either a "Secret text" or a "Secret file".

The AnsiColor plugin is needed for colorized console output. Once installed, colorized output can be enabled with the argument "colorized: true".

Jenkinsfile

ansiColor('xterm') {
    ansiblePlaybook(
        playbook: 'path/to/playbook.yml',
        inventory: 'path/to/inventory.ini',
        credentialsId: 'sample-ssh-key',
        colorized: true)
}

Extra parameters is a string passed to the Ansible Command Line invocation as-is and can be useful for arguments occasionally added to an invocation at runtime, such as tags and host limits.

A string path to the inventory file to use with the playbook invocation.

The provided content is used as the content of the inventory file for the playbook invocation.

Jenkins environment variables can be accessed from within an Ansible playbook. The Jenkins variables are injected as environment variables making them available through the Ansible lookup plugin.

The following Ansible playbook accesses the Jenkins BUILD_TAG variable:

playbook.yml

---
- hosts: example
  tasks:
    - debug: msg="{{ lookup('env','BUILD_TAG') }}"

Most Ansible Vault operations can be performed with the plugin. Interactive operations such as create, edit, and view are not supported through the plugin. One use case for this enabling developers to encrypt secret values while keeping the vault password a secret.

Encrypts a File

ansibleVault action: 'encrypt', input: 'vars/secrets.yml', vaultCredentialsId: 'ansible_vault_credentials'

Encrypts a String

ansibleVault action: 'encrypt_string', content: 'secret_content', vaultCredentialsId: 'ansible_vault_credentials'

Jenkinsfile

ansibleVault(action: 'encrypt', input: 'vars/secrets.yml', vaultCredentialsId: 'ansible_vault_credentials')

Jenkinsfile

ansibleVault(action: 'encrypt_string', content: 'secret_content', vaultCredentialsId: 'ansible_vault_password')

See also jenkins.io Pipeline step documentation.

Vault credentials can be setup in the Jenkins credential store as either a "Secret text" or a "Secret file".

Changelog is now published on GitHub release.

It is possible to access build and environment variables in ansible playbooks. These variables are injected as environment variables within the ansible process. For example, use this code in an ansible playbook to access Jenkins BUILD_TAG variable.

---
- hosts: example
  tasks:
    - debug: msg="{{ lookup('env','BUILD_TAG') }}"

steps {
    ansiblePlaybook(String playbook) {
        inventoryPath(String path)
        inventoryContent(String content, boolean dynamic = false)
        ansibleName(String name)
        limit(String limit)
        tags(String tags)
        skippedTags(String tags)
        startAtTask(String task)
        credentialsId(String id)
        checkMode(boolean checkMode = false)
        become(boolean become = true)
        becomeUser(String user = 'root')
        sudo(boolean sudo = true)
        sudoUser(String user = 'root')
        forks(int forks = 5)
        unbufferedOutput(boolean unbufferedOutput = true)
        colorizedOutput(boolean colorizedOutput = false)
        hostKeyChecking(boolean hostKeyChecking = false)
        additionalParameters(String params)
        extraVars {
            extraVar(String key, String value, boolean hidden)
        }
    }

    ansibleAdHoc(String module, String command) {
        ansibleName(String name)
        inventoryPath(String path)
        inventoryContent(String content, boolean dynamic = false)
        credentialsId(String id)
        hostPattern(String pattern)
        become(boolean become = true)
        becomeUser(String user = 'root')
        sudo(boolean sudo = true)
        sudoUser(String user = 'root')
        forks(int forks = 5)
        unbufferedOutput(boolean unbufferedOutput = true)
        colorizedOutput(boolean colorizedOutput = false)
        hostKeyChecking(boolean hostKeyChecking = false)
        additionalParameters(String params)
        extraVars {
            extraVar(String key, String value, boolean hidden)
        }
    }
}

steps {
    ansiblePlaybook('path/playbook.yml') {
        inventoryPath('hosts.ini')
        ansibleName('1.9.4')
        tags('one,two')
        credentialsId('credsid')
        become(true)
        becomeUser("user")
        checkMode(false)
        extraVars {
            extraVar("key1", "value1", false)
            extraVar("key2", "value2", true)
        }
    }
}

steps {
    ansiblePlaybookBuilder {
        playbook('path/playbook.yml')
        inventory {
            inventoryDoNotSpecify()
        }
        unbufferedOutput(true)
        extraVars {
            extraVar {
                key('key1')
                secretValue(hudson.util.Secret.fromString('value1'))
                hidden(false)
            }
            extraVar {
                key('key2')
                secretValue(hudson.util.Secret.fromString('value2'))
                hidden(true)
            }
        }
    }
}

Ansible playbooks can be executed from workflow scripts. Only the playbook parameter is mandatory.

node {
    ansiblePlaybook(
        playbook: 'path/to/playbook.yml',
        inventory: 'path/to/inventory.ini',
        credentialsId: 'sample-ssh-key',
        extras: '-e parameter="some value"')
}

Extra variables can be passed to ansible by using a map in the pipeline script. Supported value types are: String, Boolean, Number. By default the value will be considered potentially sensitive and masked in the logs. To override this give a map with keys value and hidden.

node {
    ansiblePlaybook(
        inventory: 'local_inventory/hosts.cfg',
        playbook: 'cloud_playbooks/create-aws.yml',
        extraVars: [
            login: 'mylogin',
            toggle: true,
            forks: 8,
            not_secret: [value: 'I want to see this in the logs', hidden: false]
        ])
}

You need to install the AnsiColor plugin to output a colorized Ansible log.

node {
    wrap([$class: 'AnsiColorBuildWrapper', colorMapName: "xterm"]) {
        ansiblePlaybook(
            playbook: 'path/to/playbook.yml',
            inventory: 'path/to/inventory.ini',
            credentialsId: 'sample-ssh-key',
            colorized: true)
    }
}

Refer to our contribution guidelines

Licensed under MIT, see LICENSE