Ansible configuration automation and Terraform provisioning

Configuration management and infrastructure provisioning

Ansible can automate tasks on managed systems. Its inventory identifies targets, and playbooks describe tasks using supported modules. Network-device support and connections depend on the chosen collection and platform. You do not need to install an agent on every target for every Ansible workflow, but you do need the supported access method.

Terraform manages infrastructure through providers using configuration and recorded state. A plan describes proposed changes before they are applied. State is operational data and can contain sensitive information. Treat it as something to protect, not a harmless public text file.

Review and validate infrastructure changes

1. Write down the intended outcome and current state.
2. Keep configuration in version control without secrets.
3. Validate syntax and review the difference.
4. Use a lab, appropriate check/plan support and a small scope.
5. Apply through an authorised change process, then verify.
6. Keep a recovery method and record the actual result.

Idempotence means repeating an operation should not keep introducing new changes once the intended state is reached. It depends on the operation and module; it is not a promise about every shell command. A plan or check-mode result is useful evidence, not a guarantee that execution cannot fail.