Chapter 00Free
Free Ansible first contact
Learn the automation loop, inventory scope, module execution, playbook anatomy, syntax check, check mode, playbook apply, and idempotence proof.
8 focused lessons + 3 advanced lessonsZero Ansible knowledge to confident operator
Infrastructure Automation with Ansible
Learn Ansible as safe, inspectable desired-state automation.
Build practical Ansible judgment from inventory and playbooks through a focused Core Path. Find advanced engineering and controller operations in All Material.
No credit card for the free chapter. Preview what the chapter covers.
By the end
Observable skills you will practice.
- Explain the control node, managed node, inventory, module, result, and evidence loop
- Identify the active version and configuration, then retrieve installed module documentation by FQCN
- Prove inventory scope and constrain blast radius with patterns and limits
- Read, validate, preview, apply, rerun, and repair a playbook
- Interpret ok, changed, skipped, failed, unreachable, and registered result evidence
- Converge a Linux service with variables, facts, loops, templates, handlers, and roles
- Use remote connections, deliberate privilege escalation, Vault, and no_log safely
- Complete a canary-first Linux baseline workflow and prove an editor repair independently
Syllabus
26 chapters from the published course structure.
The focused path contains 79 required lessons. The advanced library remains available when your role needs more depth.
Focused path chapters14 chapters contain the required 79-lesson path.
Chapter 01Full course
Inventory and targeting
Learn YAML and INI inventories, groups, children, host vars, group vars, patterns, limits, and safe blast radius proof.
7 focused lessons + 6 advanced lessonsChapter 02Full course
Playbook anatomy
Learn plays, tasks, hosts, become, names, modules, arguments, and recap evidence.
9 focused lessons + 5 advanced lessonsChapter 03Full course
Idempotence and result states
Learn ok, changed, failed, skipped, unreachable, registered results, changed_when, failed_when, recovery controls, and safe repeatability.
8 focused lessons + 6 advanced lessonsChapter 04Full course
Files, packages, and services
Learn Linux desired state with file, copy, template, package, service, ownership, modes, boot enablement, previews, and narrow rollouts.
5 focused lessons + 9 advanced lessonsChapter 05Full course
Variables and precedence
Learn inventory vars, group_vars, host_vars, play vars, included vars, types, hostvars, extra vars, precedence, previews, and narrow overrides.
4 focused lessons + 10 advanced lessonsChapter 06Full course
Facts and conditionals
Learn setup facts, ansible_facts, focused filters, gathering cost, when logic, safe type conversion, defined guards, OS branching, fact-selected templates, and local facts.
4 focused lessons + 10 advanced lessonsChapter 07Full course
Registers, loops, and debug
Capture structured results, inspect them with debug, iterate over lists and dictionaries, apply per-item conditions, retry bounded work, and prove idempotence.
5 focused lessons + 9 advanced lessonsChapter 08Full course
Handlers and event-driven changes
Use changed-state notifications and deduplicated handlers, control execution boundaries, recover from failure, and prove idempotent event-driven changes.
4 focused lessons + 10 advanced lessonsChapter 09Full course
Templates and Jinja2
Learn the complete rendering contract: expressions, branches, loops, filters, defaults, types, tests, whitespace, validation, lookup, literal delimiters, and incident repair.
5 focused lessons + 9 advanced lessonsChapter 10Full course
Roles and reusable structure
Learn role contracts, defaults, vars, task entry points, role-owned assets and handlers, static imports, dynamic includes, dependencies, idempotence, and repair.
5 focused lessons + 8 advanced lessonsChapter 11Full course
Connections and privilege
Control connection identity and SSH settings, choose local or remote execution, apply become at the correct scope, and repair a privilege failure.
5 focused lessons + 8 advanced lessonsChapter 12Full course
Secrets with Vault
Protect files and variables with Vault, choose password sources and vault IDs, rekey safely, run protected playbooks, and prove no_log redaction.
5 focused lessons + 8 advanced lessonsChapter 13Full course
Linux baseline automation
Learn users, packages, services, directories, config files, cron, validation, and hardened host baseline proof.
5 focused lessons + 10 advanced lessonsExplore 12 advanced library chapters
These chapters provide optional drills and reference depth. They are not required to complete the focused path.
Library 03Full course
Ad hoc module fluency
Learn one-time module execution with ping, setup, command, copy, file, service, package, and result reading.
14 advanced lessonsLibrary 13Full course
Collections and FQCN discipline
Learn collection identity, requirements.yml, ansible-galaxy install and list, collection paths, FQCNs, docs lookup, collections search paths, role metadata, plugin types, version pins, and collision repair.
12 advanced lessonsLibrary 15Full course
Check mode, diff mode, and dry runs
Learn check mode, diff mode, module support limits, creates and removes guards, check-aware branches, task overrides, secret redaction, staged limits, and dry-run repair.
13 advanced lessonsLibrary 16Full course
Error handling and recovery
Learn result-state boundaries, blocks, rescue, always, ignored failures, failed_when, changed_when, unreachable recovery, bounded retries, abort policy, and incident repair.
13 advanced lessonsLibrary 17Full course
Tags and selective execution
Learn tag taxonomy, list-tags, list-tasks, --tags, --skip-tags precedence, always and never, inheritance, dynamic include boundaries, start-at-task, step mode, and focused reruns.
13 advanced lessonsLibrary 19Full course
Inventory at scale
Learn inventory directories, source composition, merged group_vars and host_vars, dynamic plugins, --list/--graph/--host/--export views, playbook context, constructed groups, cache freshness, safe limits, and source repair.
14 advanced lessonsLibrary 21Full course
Application deployment workflow
Learn artifacts, templates, handlers, serial rollout, health checks, and rollback notes.
14 advanced lessonsLibrary 22Full course
Testing and linting
Learn syntax checks, task and tag plans, check and diff review, ansible-lint profiles, naming, risky shell detection, CI exit status, machine-readable reports, and test repair.
14 advanced lessonsLibrary 23Full course
Collaboration and source control
Learn repo layout, README quality, shared ansible.cfg, requirements manifests, review packets, focused diffs, CI handoff, release notes, changelogs, tags, and team handoff proof.
14 advanced lessonsLibrary 24Full course
Troubleshooting and performance
Learn evidence surfaces, verbosity, task paths, debug output, registered result shape, profile callbacks, forks, serial, fact gathering cost, fact caching, strategies, pipelining, and incident repair.
14 advanced lessonsLibrary 25Full course
Final professional capstone
Combine inventory, variables, facts, templates, handlers, vault, check mode, diff mode, tags, lint, rollback, and a handoff report.
14 advanced lessonsLibrary 26Full course
Automation Controller and AWX operations
Operate Ansible as a team service with projects, inventory syncs, credentials, job templates, surveys, workflows, approvals, schedules, notifications, job events, and incident repair.
14 advanced lessonsFull access
Choose access for Infrastructure Automation with Ansible
Every available offer is shown with its exact CAD price and billing model. Checkout opens only after you choose an offer and enter the receipt email.
Questions
Know what to expect before you start.
What can I try for free?
Free Ansible first contact is free and contains 11 lessons. No credit card is requested before the free workspace opens.
What experience do I need?
No Ansible experience is required. Basic Linux terminal and SSH familiarity is helpful.
What does the focused path include?
79 required lessons, with 8 free and 71 included in paid access.
Is there material beyond the focused path?
Yes. The course also includes 274 advanced practice and reference resources. They are available when you need more depth, but they do not lengthen the required path.
Which paid options are available?
Academy Founder Annual: CA$139 per year. Founder Vault: CA$279 one-time.
How is paid access billed?
Academy Founder Annual: Access continues while the annual subscription remains active. Founder Vault: No recurring charge. Coverage includes courses launched during the first 24 months.
How long does it take?
The published estimate is 12 to 14 active hours for the Core Path. Your pace will depend on how much you repeat the practice.
Do I need to install anything?
No installation is required to start the guided free chapter. Later lessons explain the real tools, files, and operating boundaries relevant to the skill.
What technology is covered?
The syllabus and these stated outcomes are the source of truth: Explain the control node, managed node, inventory, module, result, and evidence loop; Identify the active version and configuration, then retrieve installed module documentation by FQCN; Prove inventory scope and constrain blast radius with patterns and limits; Read, validate, preview, apply, rerun, and repair a playbook; Interpret ok, changed, skipped, failed, unreachable, and registered result evidence; Converge a Linux service with variables, facts, loops, templates, handlers, and roles; Use remote connections, deliberate privilege escalation, Vault, and no_log safely; Complete a canary-first Linux baseline workflow and prove an editor repair independently.
Which browsers are supported?
Use a current browser with JavaScript enabled. The free chapter is the quickest compatibility check for your device.
Does the workspace work on mobile?
The reading pages reflow for small screens. Command-heavy practice is more comfortable with a physical keyboard and a larger display.
What happens when I make a mistake?
The practice state is isolated from production systems. Read the resulting evidence, revise the action, and try again.
How do I restore access?
Use the receipt email on the restore-access page. The sign-in link verifies the account before paid entitlements are loaded.