Author: Toru Dutt

Before considering IT automation, you should deal with Elasticsearch and Weka (Walkato Environment for Knowledge Analysis). Elasticsearch is an open-source and readily scalable search engine based on Lucene library. If you watched the Elasticsearch Query tutorial, you will know that it is the most popular enterprise search engine.

When you make queries, Elasticsearch will return results under ten milliseconds using SQL. The query is expressed in a simple language – Query DSL. Elasticsearch also converts raw data into internal documents and puts them in a basic data structure like a JSON object. In the case of storing a document, it stores once for every repository it resides. This means that full-text searches are extremely fast because the documents are stored in close proximity.

Aside from Elasticsearch, you need to consider Weka, which is a suite of machine learning software written in Java. For your information, machine learning is a type of artificial intelligence that enables computers to learn the data without any assistance from explicit programs. Basically, machine learning crawls through the data to find patterns. When patterns are found, it allows adjusting the program actions accordingly.

When you checked the Weka tutorial PDF, you will know the features of Weka – an independent platform, free, easy to use, features data processing tools, presents GUI (Graphical User Interface), offers flexibility for scripting experiments and provides machine learning algorithms for data mining. Essentially, the algorithms can be applied to the data from the Java code.

Now that you know basic things about Elasticsearch and Weka, it is time to consider Ansible. Here are things that you need to know about Ansible:

What is ansible?

Ansible is a simple IT automation engine. It automates IT needs like cloud provisioning, configuration management, intra-service orchestration, application deployment and many more. Basically, Ansible will model your IT infrastructure by describing how systems inter-relate rather than just managing one system at any given time.

What is it capable of?

Ansible boasts of the full suite of mobile solutions and services that range from mobile media planning and analytics, strategy and consulting, development of mobile websites and applications.

It also features mobile marketing tools (QR codes, image recognition solutions, augmented reality, NFC, SMS/MMS outbound communication and gamification), trade marketing (SMS and IVR entry and Terms and Conditions and Permit approval) and content creation and adaptation (wallpapers, ringtones, and games).

Why consider this?

Ansible does not use agents and other additional security infrastructure so it is easy to deploy. It also uses simple language (YAML, which is called Ansible Playbooks) that allows you to describe the automation jobs in a way that it is in plain English and easily understandable.

It is crucial that you know why you need to consider Ansible. You should consider it based on the following features:

Efficient architecture

The goal of Ansible is to connect your nodes and pushing out small programs (called Ansible modules) to them. These programs are created to be resource models of the desired state of your system. At the end of the day, Ansible will execute these modules and removes them when it is finished.

You have to know that the library of models resides on any machine. This means that there are no databases or servers required. Typically, you will work with your preferred terminal program, version of the control system and text editor.

SSH keys are the best

You must know that passwords are supported. However, SSH keys are one of the best ways to utilise Ansible. You can also use Kerberos if you want to. Actually, there are many options available. Root logins are not needed for you can log in as any user and then sudo to any user.

Manage inventory

Ansible represents what machines it manages utilising simple INI file – by default. The file will put all of the managed machines in groups according to your preference. To add new machines, there is no additional SSL signing involved. This means that there is never any hassle.

If in case you have another source of truth in the infrastructure, Ansible can plugin to drawing inventory and variable information sources (like EC2M OpenStack and Rackspace). As soon as the inventory hosts are noted, variables can be assigned in simple text files in the inventory file.

Playbooks can direct topology

After the Ansible Playbook tutorial, you will know the powerful automation language. Playbooks can direct different infrastructure topology. You will see detailed control over how many machines to deal at a time.

This is where things get interesting. Ansible’s approach to direction is simple. Essentially, Ansible believes that automation code should make sense to the users down the road.

Provides thousands of modules

Ansible provides over 1,300 modules in its core distribution. This provides a great base to build automation. You can use the modules and tailor it to your specific environment. From the databases to cloud providers, you do not have to start from scratch.