Ansible Variables: Notes
Ansible Variables: An Overview
Ansible variables allow you to define dynamic values in your playbooks. They help
customize the playbooks for different environments, hosts, or conditions.
Types of Variables
1. Simple Variables:
- Basic key-value pairs.
my_variable: "Hello, World!"
2. Complex Variables:
- Variables containing lists, dictionaries, or other data structures.
my_list:
- item1
- item2
my_dict:
key1: value1
key2: value2
3. Facts:
- Automatically gathered information about the remote system.
- Use `ansible_facts` or `ansible_hostname`, `ansible_os_family`, etc.
- Can be accessed as `{{ ansible_facts['os_family'] }}` or `{{ ansible_hostname }}`.
4. Magic Variables:
- Special variables Ansible provides for context.
- Examples: `hostvars`, `groups`, `inventory_hostname`, `playbook_dir`, etc.
Variable Precedence Order
Ansible variables have a specific precedence order, which determines which variable is
used when there are conflicts. The following list shows the order from lowest to highest
precedence:
1. Command-line options (`-e`): Variables passed directly on the command line.
ansible-playbook playbook.yml -e "my_variable=value"
2. Role defaults: Defined in the `defaults/main.yml` file of a role.
3. Inventory variables: Defined in inventory files or directories (e.g., `inventory/hosts`).
Host-specific variables. Group-specific variables.
4. Playbook group_vars: Defined in the `group_vars/` directory within the playbook
structure. Apply to all hosts in the group.
5. Playbook host_vars: Defined in the `host_vars/` directory within the playbook structure.
Apply to a specific host.
6. Playbook vars_prompt: Variables prompted for at runtime using `vars_prompt`.
7. Playbook vars_files: Variables loaded from external files via `vars_files` in playbooks.
8. Playbook vars: Variables defined directly within a playbook using the `vars` keyword.
9. Task vars (only for the specific task): Variables defined for a specific task using the `vars`
keyword.
10. Block vars: Variables defined within a block of tasks.
11. Role vars: Defined in the `vars/main.yml` file of a role.
12. Include vars: Variables loaded from a file included in the playbook or task using
`include_vars`.
13. Set_facts / registered variables: Variables set using `set_fact` or registered from task
outputs.
14. Extra vars (highest precedence): Variables passed on the command line using the `--
extra-vars` or `-e` option.
Default Variables
1. Role Defaults:
- Variables defined in `defaults/main.yml` within a role.
- These have the lowest precedence and are often used to provide fallback values.
2. Fallback Values:
- You can set a default value for a variable using the Jinja2 `default` filter.
my_variable: "{{ my_variable | default('Default Value') }}"
Best Practices with Ansible Variables
1. Use Descriptive Variable Names: Make variable names descriptive and unique to avoid
conflicts.
2. Organize Variables: Use `group_vars` and `host_vars` directories to organize variables
according to groups and hosts.
3. Leverage Role Defaults: Use role defaults to provide baseline values that can be
overridden if necessary.
4. Avoid Hardcoding Values: Where possible, avoid hardcoding values; instead, use
variables to make playbooks flexible and reusable.
5. Use `vars_files`: Separate your variable definitions into `vars_files` for better organization
and readability.
