Configure the inventory file

You can control the installation of Ansible Automation Platform with inventory files. Inventory files define the host details, certificate details, and component-specific settings needed to customize the installation.

Example inventory files are available in this document that you can copy and change to get started.

Important

The inventory file requirements differ based on your installation type:

  • Online installation: Requires the registry_username and registry_password variables to authenticate and pull container images from Red Hat registries during installation.
  • Disconnected (bundled) installation: Does not require registry_username or registry_password because all container images are pre-packaged in the bundle. Instead, requires the bundle_install=true and bundle_dir variables.

The following inventory file examples are for online installations. For disconnected installation inventory requirements, see Perform a disconnected installation.

Additionally, growth topology and enterprise topology inventory files are available in the following locations:

  • In the downloaded installation program package:
    • The default inventory file, named inventory, is for the enterprise topology pattern.
    • To deploy the growth topology (all-in-one) pattern, use the inventory-growth file instead.
  • In Container growth topology and Container enterprise topology in Tested deployment models.

To use the example inventory files, replace the < > placeholders with your specific variables, and update the host names.

Refer to the README.md file in the installation directory or Inventory file variables for more information about optional and required variables.

Inventory file for online installation for containerized growth topology (all-in-one)
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Use the example inventory file to perform an online installation for the containerized growth topology (all-in-one):

# This is the Ansible Automation Platform installer inventory file intended for the container growth deployment topology.
# This inventory file expects to be run from the host where Ansible Automation Platform will be installed.
# Consult the Ansible Automation Platform product documentation about this topology's tested hardware configuration.
# https://docs.redhat.com/en/documentation/red_hat_ansible_automation_platform/2.6/plan-ref_installation_deployment_models
#
# Consult the docs if you are unsure what to add
# For all optional variables consult the included README.md
# or the Ansible Automation Platform documentation:
# https://docs.redhat.com/en/documentation/red_hat_ansible_automation_platform/2.6/install-con_aap_containerized_installation_intro

# This section is for your platform gateway hosts
# -----------------------------------------------------
[automationgateway]
aap.example.org

# This section is for your automation controller hosts
# -----------------------------------------------------
[automationcontroller]
aap.example.org

# This section is for your automation hub hosts
# -----------------------------------------------------
[automationhub]
aap.example.org

# This section is for your Event-Driven Ansible controller hosts
# -----------------------------------------------------
[automationeda]
aap.example.org

# This section is for the Ansible Automation Platform database
# -----------------------------------------------------
[database]
aap.example.org

[all:vars]
# Ansible
ansible_connection=local

# Common variables
# https://docs.redhat.com/en/documentation/red_hat_ansible_automation_platform/2.6/install-ref_general_inventory_variables
# -----------------------------------------------------
postgresql_admin_username=postgres
postgresql_admin_password=<set your own>

registry_username=<your RHN username>
registry_password=<your RHN password>

redis_mode=standalone

# Platform gateway
# https://docs.redhat.com/en/documentation/red_hat_ansble_automation_platform/2.6/install-ref_gateway_variables
# -----------------------------------------------------
gateway_admin_password=<set your own>
gateway_pg_host=aap.example.org
gateway_pg_password=<set your own>

# Automation controller
# https://docs.redhat.com/en/documentation/red_hat_ansible_automation_platform/2.6/install-ref_controller_variables
# -----------------------------------------------------
controller_admin_password=<set your own>
controller_pg_host=aap.example.org
controller_pg_password=<set your own>
controller_percent_memory_capacity=0.5

# Automation hub
# https://docs.redhat.com/en/documentation/red_hat_ansible_automation_platform/2.6/install-ref_hub_variables
# -----------------------------------------------------
hub_admin_password=<set your own>
hub_pg_host=aap.example.org
hub_pg_password=<set your own>
hub_seed_collections=false

# Event-Driven Ansible controller
# https://docs.redhat.com/en/documentation/red_hat_ansible_automation_platform/2.6/install-ref_eda_controller_variables
# -----------------------------------------------------
eda_admin_password=<set your own>
eda_pg_host=aap.example.org
eda_pg_password=<set your own>
  • ansible_connection=local - Used for all-in-one installations where the installation program is run on the same node that hosts Ansible Automation Platform.
    • If the installation program is run from a separate node, do not include ansible_connection=local. In this case, use an SSH connection instead.
  • [database] - This group in the inventory file defines the Ansible Automation Platform managed database.

Inventory file for online installation for containerized enterprise topology
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Use the example inventory file to perform an online installation for the containerized enterprise topology:

# This is the Ansible Automation Platform enterprise installer inventory file
# Consult the docs if you are unsure what to add
# For all optional variables consult the included README.md
# or the Red Hat documentation:
# https://docs.redhat.com/en/documentation/red_hat_ansible_automation_platform/2.6/install-con_aap_containerized_installation_intro

# This section is for your platform gateway hosts
# -----------------------------------------------------
[automationgateway]
gateway1.example.org
gateway2.example.org

# This section is for your automation controller hosts
# -----------------------------------------------------
[automationcontroller]
controller1.example.org
controller2.example.org

# This section is for your Ansible Automation Platform execution hosts
# -----------------------------------------------------
[execution_nodes]
hop1.example.org receptor_type='hop'
exec1.example.org
exec2.example.org

# This section is for your automation hub hosts
# -----------------------------------------------------
[automationhub]
hub1.example.org
hub2.example.org

# This section is for your Event-Driven Ansible controller hosts
# -----------------------------------------------------
[automationeda]
eda1.example.org
eda2.example.org

[redis]
gateway1.example.org
gateway2.example.org
hub1.example.org
hub2.example.org
eda1.example.org
eda2.example.org

[all:vars]

# Common variables
# https://docs.redhat.com/en/documentation/red_hat_ansible_automation_platform/2.6/install-ref_general_variables
# -----------------------------------------------------
postgresql_admin_username=<set your own>
postgresql_admin_password=<set your own>
registry_username=<your RHN username>
registry_password=<your RHN password>

# Platform gateway
# https://docs.redhat.com/en/documentation/red_hat_ansible_automation_platform/2.6/install-ref_gateway_variables
# -----------------------------------------------------
gateway_admin_password=<set your own>
gateway_pg_host=externaldb.example.org
gateway_pg_database=<set your own>
gateway_pg_username=<set your own>
gateway_pg_password=<set your own>

# Automation controller
# https://docs.redhat.com/en/documentation/red_hat_ansible_automation_platform/2.6/install-ref_controller_variables
# -----------------------------------------------------
controller_admin_password=<set your own>
controller_pg_host=externaldb.example.org
controller_pg_database=<set your own>
controller_pg_username=<set your own>
controller_pg_password=<set your own>

# Automation hub
# https://docs.redhat.com/en/documentation/red_hat_ansible_automation_platform/2.6/install-ref_hub_variables
# -----------------------------------------------------
hub_admin_password=<set your own>
hub_pg_host=externaldb.example.org
hub_pg_database=<set your own>
hub_pg_username=<set your own>
hub_pg_password=<set your own>

# Event-Driven Ansible controller
# https://docs.redhat.com/en/documentation/red_hat_ansible_automation_platform/2.6/install-ref_eda_controller_variables
# -----------------------------------------------------
eda_admin_password=<set your own>
eda_pg_host=externaldb.example.org
eda_pg_database=<set your own>
eda_pg_username=<set your own>
eda_pg_password=<set your own>

Tips for building inventories
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When building inventories for Ansible automation, consider the following best practices to ensure efficient and effective management of your hosts.

  • Ensure that group names are meaningful and unique.
  • Group names are also case sensitive.
  • Do not use spaces, hyphens, or preceding numbers (use floor_19, not 19th_floor) in group names.
  • Group hosts in your inventory logically according to their What, Where, and When:
    • What: Group hosts according to the topology, for example: db, web, leaf, spine.
    • Where: Group hosts by geographic location, for example: data center, region, floor, building.
    • When: Group hosts by stage, for example: development, test, staging, production.