RHCE 9.0 Practice Exam: Creating and Using an Ansible Role for Apache Deployment

CloudNetOps

CloudNetOps

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RHCE 9.0 Practice Exam: Creating and Using an Ansible Role for Apache Deployment
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📌 Article Overview

This tutorial is designed for RHCE 9.0 certification candidates and explains how to create and use an Ansible role to deploy Apache (httpd) on managed nodes.

💡 What You Will Learn:

✅ How to create an Ansible role using ansible-galaxy role init
✅ How to configure Apache (httpd) and firewalld using Ansible
✅ How to create and deploy an HTML template for a web page
✅ How to run an Ansible Playbook that applies the role to managed nodes
✅ How to verify that Apache is running and accessible

📜 1. Task Requirements

📍 1.1. Problem Statement

  1. Create an Ansible role named apache in /home/greg/ansible/roles
  2. Ensure that:
    • 🟢 httpd is installed, enabled at system startup, and running.
    • 🟢 firewalld is enabled and running, with HTTP traffic allowed.
      • HOSTNAME → Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN) of the managed node
      • IPADDRESS → Managed node’s IP address
  3. Create a Playbook named /home/greg/ansible/apache.yml that:
    • Runs on all hosts in the webservers inventory group.
    • Uses the apache role to configure the nodes.

🟢 A template file (index.html.j2) generates a web page showing:

Welcome to HOSTNAME on IPADDRESS

where:

📜 2. Creating the Apache Role

📍 2.1. Initialize the Role

On the control node (control), run:

$ ansible-galaxy role init --init-path /home/greg/ansible/roles apache

📌 Expected Output

- Role apache was created successfully
- /home/greg/ansible/roles/apache/
  - defaults/
  - files/
  - handlers/
  - meta/
  - tasks/
  - templates/
  - tests/
  - vars/

✅ The apache role structure is now created.

📜 3. Defining Apache Tasks

📍 3.1. Edit tasks/main.yml

$ vim /home/greg/ansible/roles/apache/tasks/main.yml

📄 Add the following content:

---
- name: Install Apache
  ansible.builtin.yum:
    name: httpd
    state: latest

- name: Start Apache (httpd) service
  ansible.builtin.systemd:
    name: httpd
    state: started
    enabled: yes

- name: Ensure firewalld is installed and running
  ansible.builtin.systemd:
    name: firewalld
    state: started
    enabled: yes

- name: Allow HTTP service in firewalld
  ansible.posix.firewalld:
    service: http
    permanent: yes
    state: enabled
    immediate: yes

- name: Deploy index.html using a Jinja2 template
  ansible.builtin.template:
    src: index.html.j2
    dest: /var/www/html/index.html
    mode: '0644'

📌 Key Points:

  • Installs Apache (httpd) using yum.
  • Starts and enables Apache on boot.
  • Ensures firewalld is enabled and running.
  • Allows HTTP traffic through the firewall.
  • Deploys the custom HTML page using a Jinja2 template.

💾 Save and exit: (ESC → :wq)

📜 4. Creating the HTML Template

📍 4.1. Create templates/index.html.j2

$ vim /home/greg/ansible/roles/apache/templates/index.html.j2

📄 Add the following content:

Welcome to {{ ansible_nodename }} on {{ ansible_default_ipv4.address }}

📌 Explanation:

  • {{ ansible_nodename }} → Captures the FQDN (Fully Qualified Domain Name).
  • {{ ansible_default_ipv4.address }} → Captures the IP address of the managed node.

💾 Save and exit: (ESC → :wq)

📜 5. Creating the Ansible Playbook

📍 5.1. Create apache.yml

$ vim /home/greg/ansible/apache.yml

📄 Add the following content:

---
- name: Deploy Apache Web Server
  hosts: webservers
  roles:
    - apache

📌 Explanation:

  • The playbook targets webservers (a group defined in the inventory).
  • The apache role is applied to all nodes in the webservers group.

💾 Save and exit: (ESC → :wq)

📜 6. Running the Playbook

📍 6.1. Execute the Playbook

$ ansible-navigator run /home/greg/ansible/apache.yml -m stdout

📌 Expected Output

PLAY [Deploy Apache Web Server] **********************************************

TASK [apache : Install Apache] ***********************************************
changed: [node3]
changed: [node4]

TASK [apache : Start Apache (httpd) service] *********************************
ok: [node3]
ok: [node4]

TASK [apache : Ensure firewalld is installed and running] ********************
ok: [node3]
ok: [node4]

TASK [apache : Allow HTTP service in firewalld] ******************************
changed: [node3]
changed: [node4]

TASK [apache : Deploy index.html using a Jinja2 template] ********************
changed: [node3]
changed: [node4]

PLAY RECAP ********************************************************************
node3       : ok=5    changed=3    unreachable=0    failed=0
node4       : ok=5    changed=3    unreachable=0    failed=0

✅ Apache is now installed, started, and configured on node3 and node4.

📜 7. Verifying the Apache Web Server

📍 7.1. Confirm Hosts in the webservers Group

$ ansible webservers --list-hosts

📌 Expected Output

hosts (2):
  node3
  node4

📍 7.2. Test Webpage Accessibility

$ curl http://node3

📌 Expected Output

Welcome to node3.lab.example.com on 172.25.250.11

$ curl http://node4

📌 Expected Output

Welcome to node4.lab.example.com on 172.25.250.12

✅ Apache is successfully serving the custom web page on both nodes!

📜 8. Scoring Criteria

Step Description Score
1. Create the apache role Role exists in /home/greg/ansible/roles 5 points
2. Configure tasks/main.yml Installs Apache, configures firewalld 10 points
3. Create index.html.j2 template Generates a custom web page 10 points
4. Define apache.yml Playbook Deploys apache role to webservers 10 points
5. Verify Apache deployment Web page returns correct hostname & IP 10 points

✅ Total Score: 45 points

🚀 Congratulations! You have successfully created, deployed, and verified an Ansible role for Apache in RHCE 9.0! 🚀
📢 If you found this guide helpful, share it with your RHCE 9.0 study group! 📢

🔥 Good luck on your RHCE 9.0 exam! 🔥

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