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Foundation of Ansible Automation

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Foundation of Ansible Automation

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Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
Beginner level

Recommended experience

1 week to complete
at 10 hours a week
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace
Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
Beginner level

Recommended experience

1 week to complete
at 10 hours a week
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace

What you'll learn

  • Define core concepts, terminology, and components of the Ansible Automation Platform.

  • Explain the importance of IT automation and how Ansible fits into modern infrastructure.

  • Compare manual versus automated workflows to understand performance improvements.

  • Demonstrate basic Ansible operations, including writing and running simple playbooks.

Details to know

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Assessments

12 assignments

Taught in English

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This course is part of the Ansible Automation: From Fundamentals to Enterprise Specialization
When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Specialization.
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  • Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
  • Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
  • Earn a shareable career certificate

There are 3 modules in this course

Step into the future of IT operations with Foundations of Ansible Automation — a beginner-friendly course designed to help you automate repetitive, error-prone tasks using the power of the Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform. Whether you're a system admin tired of manual processes or a curious learner exploring DevOps, this course simplifies the complex world of automation through real-life examples, short videos, and interactive assessments.

You’ll gain practical insights into how Ansible works, its key components, and how organizations worldwide use it to scale operations, save time, and improve reliability. Perfectly suited for those with little to no prior experience, this course is your first step into the world of intelligent IT automation. By the end of this course, you will be able to: - Define core concepts, terminology, and components of the Ansible Automation Platform. - Explain the importance of IT automation and how Ansible fits into modern infrastructure. - Compare manual versus automated workflows to understand performance improvements. - Demonstrate basic Ansible operations, including writing and running simple playbooks. This course is ideal for: - System administrators and IT support professionals seeking to eliminate repetitive manual tasks - DevOps beginners and aspiring automation engineers looking to add Ansible to their toolkit - Cloud practitioners working with AWS, Azure, or GCP who want to integrate automation - Students and tech enthusiasts curious about the future of IT infrastructure and automation Note: This is a Course 1 of specilization series. No prior Ansible experience is required—just basic knowledge of IT systems or Linux is helpful. Disclaimer: This course is an independent educational resource developed by Board Infinity and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or officially associated with International Business Machines Corporation or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates. This course is not an official preparation material of International Business Machines Corporation. All trademarks, service marks, and company names mentioned are the property of their respective owners and are used for identification purposes only.

This introductory module lays the foundation for understanding IT automation. It highlights how automation is transforming traditional IT practices, replacing repetitive, error-prone manual tasks with efficient, scalable solutions. By examining common pain points in legacy operations, learners will understand the rising need for automation in modern digital enterprises and how it delivers speed, reliability, and reduced operational costs.

What's included

10 videos4 readings4 assignments1 discussion prompt1 plugin

10 videos•Total 90 minutes
  • Course Welcome Video•2 minutes
  • From Manual to Magical: What Is IT Automation?•9 minutes
  • Manual IT Tasks: The Old Way of Doing Things•13 minutes
  • Automation in Action: Simple Use Cases•14 minutes
  • The Business Need for Automation•17 minutes
  • Cost, Speed, and Risk: Key Benefits of Automation•11 minutes
  • Manual vs Automated: A Side-by-Side Comparison•6 minutes
  • The Pain Points of System Admins•6 minutes
  • Scaling Manual Tasks: Why It Fails•6 minutes
  • How Automation Solves These Challenges•6 minutes
4 readings•Total 100 minutes
  • Course Syllabus•10 minutes
  • Read More About What is IT Automation?•30 minutes
  • Read More About Why Is Automation Critical Today?•30 minutes
  • Read More About Challenges in Traditional IT Operations•30 minutes
4 assignments•Total 105 minutes
  • Graded Quiz - Introduction to IT Automation•60 minutes
  • Practice Quiz - What Is IT Automation?•15 minutes
  • Practice Quiz - Why Is Automation Critical Today?•15 minutes
  • Practice Quiz - Challenges in Traditional IT Operations•15 minutes
1 discussion prompt•Total 10 minutes
  • Meet and Greet•10 minutes
1 plugin•Total 5 minutes
  • Quick Course Check-In•5 minutes

This module introduces Ansible as a leading automation tool. Learners explore its purpose, unique agentless architecture, and foundational components such as playbooks, inventories, modules, and the control node. With visual metaphors and demonstrations, the module simplifies complex concepts, equipping learners with a clear understanding of how Ansible functions behind the scenes.

What's included

7 videos3 readings4 assignments

7 videos•Total 40 minutes
  • Ansible: The Smart Assistant for IT•5 minutes
  • Why Ansible? – Simplicity, Speed, and Power•6 minutes
  • Agentless Architecture: What Makes Ansible Different?•6 minutes
  • The Building Blocks: Modules, Tasks and Playbooks•5 minutes
  • The Ansible Workflow: From Plan to Execution•6 minutes
  • The Control Node: The Brain of Ansible•6 minutes
  • YAML: The Language Ansible Speaks•6 minutes
3 readings•Total 90 minutes
  • Read More About What Is Ansible?•30 minutes
  • Read More About Ansible Components and Terminology•30 minutes
  • Read More About How Ansible Works (Behind the Scenes)•30 minutes
4 assignments•Total 105 minutes
  • Graded Quiz - Getting to Know Ansible•60 minutes
  • Untitled•15 minutes
  • Practice Quiz - Ansible Components and Terminology•15 minutes
  • Practice Quiz - How Ansible Works (Behind the Scenes)•15 minutes

In this module, learners transition from theory to practice. It highlights how organizations across sectors like finance, healthcare, and cloud infrastructure deploy Ansible for configuration management, provisioning, and security updates. Real-world examples and demos reveal the breadth of Ansible's capabilities and how it empowers DevOps teams to manage complex environments with speed and precision.

What's included

7 videos3 readings4 assignments

7 videos•Total 38 minutes
  • Ansible in the Real World: Industry Use Cases•6 minutes
  • Ansible in DevOps & CI/CD•6 minutes
  • Configuration Management Made Easy•7 minutes
  • Patch Management and Security Fixes•8 minutes
  • Scaling Automation to Hundreds of Servers•6 minutes
  • Error Reduction and Audit Trails•4 minutes
  • Wish you All The Best!•2 minutes
3 readings•Total 90 minutes
  • Read More About Where Is Ansible Used?•30 minutes
  • Read More About Common Tasks Automated by Ansible•30 minutes
  • Read More About Advantages of Using Ansible at Scale•30 minutes
4 assignments•Total 105 minutes
  • Graded Quiz - Real-World Applications and Use Cases•60 minutes
  • Practice Quiz - Where Is Ansible Used?•15 minutes
  • Practice Quiz - Common Tasks Automated by Ansible•15 minutes
  • Practice Quiz - Advantages of Using Ansible at Scale•15 minutes

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Instructor

Board Infinity
261 Courses•428,749 learners

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Frequently asked questions

Ansible is an open-source IT automation tool used for configuration management, application deployment, and task automation. Learning Ansible helps you automate repetitive manual processes, reduce human errors, and manage large IT infrastructures efficiently. It’s widely adopted by DevOps teams and cloud engineers, making it a valuable skill in today’s job market.

Absolutely! This course is designed for absolute beginners with no prior experience in Ansible or automation. Through simple explanations, real-life analogies, and hands-on demos, you’ll quickly understand how Ansible works and how to start using it confidently in real-world scenarios.

You’ll only need a computer with internet access and a basic Linux environment (such as a virtual machine or cloud instance). We’ll walk you through any required setup, and you'll primarily use free, open-source tools like Ansible and YAML for exercises.

The course is structured for self-paced learning and can typically be completed in 12 to 16 hours. It includes short, focused video lessons, readings, and interactive assessments to reinforce your understanding quickly and effectively.

Yes! By the end of the course, you’ll be able to write and execute basic Ansible playbooks to automate tasks like user creation, software installation, and configuration management. You’ll also understand the full Ansible workflow and its core architecture.

This course is built with first-time learners in mind—we strip away the jargon, use storytelling and relatable metaphors, and focus on practical use cases. Unlike dense tutorials, we emphasize clarity, short lessons, and real-world relevance, making it easier for you to start applying what you learn immediately.

Definitely! Ansible is a core skill in DevOps, SRE, and cloud automation roles. This course introduces how Ansible integrates with AWS, Azure, GCP, and CI/CD pipelines, making it a great foundational course for cloud professionals and DevOps engineers.

Yes, if you buy the course instead of auditing then upon successfully completing all modules and assessments, you’ll receive a certificate of completion that you can showcase on your resume or LinkedIn profile to validate your automation skills.

To access the course materials, assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid. The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.

When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.

Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

Financial aid available,