Let me quickly show you how to connect the Ansible controller machine on Ubuntu from a Windows server.
To follow the steps below, you need to have python 3.x and Ansible installed on both the system. You can follow the below articles if you need help.
Below are the details of both the servers I am using:
- Ansible Controller – 192.168.0.108
- Windows Server – 192.168.0.102
Step 1: Create Ansible Windows User
Create a new user for the Ansible windows connection setup.
- Open Computer Management on your Windows system and go to Local Users and Groups.
- Right-click on Users and create a new user.
- Select Password never expires checkbox and click on create.
- Now among the available groups, right-click on the Administrators group and click on properties.
- Click on Add and enter ansible in object names.
- Click on the check names option and then Ok.
Now, an ansible user on a windows machine is ready.
Step 2: Setup Libraries and WinRM
Go to your ansible controller machine, update it, and install the libraries mentioned below.
[email protected]:~$ sudo apt-get update
[email protected]:~$ sudo apt-get install gcc python-dev
[email protected]:~$ sudo apt install python3-pipWinRM stands for windows remote management. It allows you to perform management tasks on remote windows systems. We will install python3-winrm, a python client that is used to make a connection to the windows system.
[email protected]:~$ sudo apt-get install python3-winrm
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
The following packages were automatically installed and are no longer required:
gyp libc-ares2 libhttp-parser2.8 libjs-async libjs-inherits libjs-is-typedarray libjs-node-uuid libuv1 libuv1-dev node-abbrev node-ajv
node-ansi node-ansi-color-table node-ansi-regex node-ansi-styles node-ansistyles node-aproba node-archy node-are-we-there-yet node-async
node-validate-npm-package-license node-wcwidth.js node-which node-which-module node-wide-align node-wrap-ansi node-wrappy node-y18n
node-yallist node-yargs node-yargs-parser nodejs nodejs-doc
Use 'sudo apt autoremove' to remove them.
The following additional packages will be installed:
python3-kerberos python3-ntlm-auth python3-requests-kerberos python3-requests-ntlm python3-xmltodict
The following NEW packages will be installed:
python3-kerberos python3-ntlm-auth python3-requests-kerberos python3-requests-ntlm python3-winrm python3-xmltodict
0 upgraded, 6 newly installed, 0 to remove and 231 not upgraded.
Need to get 84.8 kB of archives.
After this operation, 442 kB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n] Y
Get:1 http://old-releases.ubuntu.com/ubuntu cosmic/universe amd64 python3-kerberos amd64 1.1.14-1build1 [16.8 kB]
Get:2 http://old-releases.ubuntu.com/ubuntu cosmic/universe amd64 python3-ntlm-auth all 1.1.0-1 [19.6 kB]
Get:3 http://old-releases.ubuntu.com/ubuntu cosmic/universe amd64 python3-requests-kerberos all 0.11.0-2 [10.1 kB]
Get:4 http://old-releases.ubuntu.com/ubuntu cosmic/universe amd64 python3-requests-ntlm all 1.1.0-1 [6,004 B]
Get:5 http://old-releases.ubuntu.com/ubuntu cosmic/universe amd64 python3-xmltodict all 0.11.0-2 [10.6 kB]
Get:6 http://old-releases.ubuntu.com/ubuntu cosmic/universe amd64 python3-winrm all 0.3.0-2 [21.7 kB]
Fetched 84.8 kB in 1s (70.3 kB/s)
Selecting previously unselected package python3-kerberos.
(Reading database ... 244430 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack .../0-python3-kerberos_1.1.14-1build1_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking python3-kerberos (1.1.14-1build1) ...
Selecting previously unselected package python3-ntlm-auth.
Selecting previously unselected package python3-xmltodict.
Preparing to unpack .../4-python3-xmltodict_0.11.0-2_all.deb ...
Unpacking python3-xmltodict (0.11.0-2) ...
Selecting previously unselected package python3-winrm.
Preparing to unpack .../5-python3-winrm_0.3.0-2_all.deb ...
Unpacking python3-winrm (0.3.0-2) ...
Setting up python3-kerberos (1.1.14-1build1) ...
Setting up python3-winrm (0.3.0-2) ...Step 3: Update the Ansible Inventory file
Now, I will edit the ansible hosts file with the windows system IP address. So now ansible will know which windows system it needs to connect.
[email protected]:~$ sudo gedit /etc/ansible/hosts
[win]
192.168.0.102Step 4: Update the Ansible Group Variables
Create a directory for putting variables need to connect to the windows system.
[email protected]:~$ mkdir /etc/ansible/group_vars
[email protected]:~$ sudo chmod -R 777 /etc/ansible/Create a file win.yaml and put the user details you created in the 1st step and few more variables required to connect to the windows system.
[email protected]:~$ gedit /etc/ansible/group_vars/win.yaml---
ansible_user: ansible
ansible_password: ansible
ansible_connection: winrm
ansible_winrm_server_cert_validation: ignore
ansible_winrm_transport: basic
ansible_winrm_port: 5985
ansible_python_interpreter: C:UsersgeekflareAppDataLocalProgramsPythonPython37pythonStep 5: Configure Windows Servers to Manage
Open your windows power shell and upgrade it. You need to have Powershell 3.0 and .NET Framework 4.0 present on the windows machine.
PS C:WINDOWSsystem32> $url = "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/jborean93/ansible-windows/master/scripts/Upgrade-PowerShell.ps1"
PS C:WINDOWSsystem32> $file = "$env:tempUpgrade-PowerShell.ps1"
PS C:WINDOWSsystem32> $username = "ansible"
PS C:WINDOWSsystem32> $password = "ansible"
PS C:WINDOWSsystem32> (New-Object -TypeName System.Net.WebClient).DownloadFile($url, $file)
PS C:WINDOWSsystem32> Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted -Force
PS C:WINDOWSsystem32> &$file -Version 5.1 -Username $username -Password $password -VerboseTo configure WinRM on a Windows system with ansible, a remote configuration script has been provided by ansible. Run the script in the PowerShell.
PS C:WINDOWSsystem32> $url = "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ansible/ansible/devel/examples/scripts/ConfigureRemotingForAnsible.ps1"
PS C:WINDOWSsystem32> $file = "$env:tempConfigureRemotingForAnsible.ps1"
PS C:WINDOWSsystem32> (New-Object -TypeName System.Net.WebClient).DownloadFile($url, $file)
PS C:WINDOWSsystem32> powershell.exe -ExecutionPolicy ByPass -File $file
PS C:WINDOWSsystem32> winrm enumerate winrm/config/Listener
Listener
Address = *
Transport = HTTP
Port = 5985
Hostname
Enabled = true
URLPrefix = wsman
CertificateThumbprint
ListeningOn = 127.0.0.1, 169.254.8.240, 169.254.36.9, 169.254.102.217, 169.254.215.170, 192.168.0.102, ::1, fe80::3131:c6d7:9ef5:8f0%7, fe80::51b7:9134:550d:d7aa", fe80::88f1:1229:e1dd:2409, fe80::99cf:5796:4f8e:f5c1, fe80::fd77:c19d:e0f2:66d9%9
Listener
Address = *
Transport = HTTPS
Port = 5986
Hostname = DESKTOP-2L8QMI6
Enabled = true
URLPrefix = wsman
CertificateThumbprint = C83B3FC8B274D0B650F0FD647DC7AC129BBE3FA0
ListeningOn = 127.0.0.1, 169.254.8.240, 169.254.36.9, 169.254.102.217, 169.254.215.170, 192.168.0.102, ::1, fe80::3131:c6d7:9ef5:8f0%7, fe80::51b7:9134:550d:d7aa", fe80::88f1:1229:e1dd:2409, fe80::99cf:5796:4f8e:f5c1, fe80::fd77:c19d:e0f2:66d9%9Set winrm to allow HTTP traffic.
PS C:WINDOWSsystem32> winrm set winrm/config/service '@{AllowUnencrypted="true"}'
Service
RootSDDL = O:NSG:BAD:P(A;;GA;;;BA)(A;;GR;;;IU)S:P(AU;FA;GA;;;WD)(AU;SA;GXGW;;;WD)
MaxConcurrentOperations = 4294967295
MaxConcurrentOperationsPerUser = 1500
EnumerationTimeoutms = 240000
MaxConnections = 300
MaxPacketRetrievalTimeSeconds = 120
AllowUnencrypted = true
Auth
Basic = true
Kerberos = true
Negotiate = true
Certificate = false
CredSSP = false
CbtHardeningLevel = Relaxed
DefaultPorts
HTTP = 5985
HTTPS = 5986
IPv4Filter = *
IPv6Filter = *
EnableCompatibilityHttpListener = false
EnableCompatibilityHttpsListener = false
CertificateThumbprint
AllowRemoteAccess = trueSet the authentication to basic in wirm.
PS C:WINDOWSsystem32> winrm set winrm/config/service/auth '@{Basic="true"}'
Auth
Basic = true
Kerberos = true
Negotiate = true
Certificate = false
CredSSP = false
CbtHardeningLevel = RelaxedStep 6: Test Connectivity to the Windows Server
Now all the steps on the machine are done. Go to ansible controller machine and ping the windows server machine using win_ping ansible module.
[email protected]:~$ ansible win -m win_ping
192.168.0.102 | SUCCESS => {
"changed": false,
"ping": "pong"
}The success message shows that the connection has been established. Now, the windows system is ready to be administered remotely from the Ansible running on Ubuntu.
