Ansible is a widely used open-source automation tool that allows IT professionals to automate configuration management, software provisioning, and application deployment. Developed by Michael DeHaan in 2012, Ansible quickly became popular due to its simplicity and agentless architecture. Unlike other automation tools that rely on complex agents or custom code, Ansible uses standard SSH and Python, making it easy to deploy and use across a wide range of systems.
The tool is written in Python and designed to be minimal in nature, consistent, secure, and highly reliable. It uses playbooks written in YAML, a language that is easy to read and write, to define tasks in a structured and human-readable way. This simplicity allows even new users to begin automating tasks in a matter of hours.
In 2015, Red Hat, Inc. acquired the company that maintained Ansible, integrating it into its suite of enterprise solutions. Later in 2019, when Red Hat was acquired by IBM, Ansible also became part of IBM’s product portfolio. This evolution ensured that Ansible received long-term enterprise support and continued development, allowing it to scale for use in complex environments.
Ansible provides robust automation capabilities but lacks a native graphical user interface and advanced features like role-based access control or detailed logging. This limitation can be a challenge for larger organizations that require more governance and oversight in their automation processes. To address this need, Ansible Tower was introduced.
What is Ansible Tower
Ansible Tower is a web-based interface that acts as a front-end for Ansible automation. It enhances Ansible by offering additional features targeted at enterprise users. While Ansible can be used effectively via command-line tools, Ansible Tower offers a visual and more manageable way to handle complex automation tasks. Its core function is to help teams manage, control, and monitor their Ansible deployments with ease.
Ansible Tower provides a centralized platform for managing Ansible automation. It enables users to control their infrastructure in real-time, offering features such as job scheduling, role-based access controls, and visual dashboards. The tower is built to allow multiple team members to interact with Ansible automation in a safe, auditable, and scalable way.
The platform enables you to view the current status of your systems through a centralized dashboard, helping ensure that deployments, configurations, and updates are happening as expected. It also logs every automation task and makes it easier to troubleshoot issues through detailed logging and auditing capabilities.
Ansible Tower supports integration with a wide variety of cloud providers and infrastructure platforms, making it an excellent choice for hybrid environments. It also allows sharing SSH credentials securely without revealing them directly, enabling safe automation across a distributed environment. These capabilities are especially useful in large teams or regulated industries where governance and accountability are critical.
Ansible Tower is the commercial version of the open-source AWX project. While AWX is available to the public, it is not officially supported in production environments, whereas Ansible Tower includes commercial support from Red Hat and is optimized for stability and enterprise use.
Key Benefits of Using Ansible Tower
Ansible Tower offers a broad range of features that extend the functionality of the Ansible automation engine. Its user-friendly web interface allows users of varying skill levels to participate in automation efforts without needing to master the Ansible command line.
One major benefit is the ability to manage inventory dynamically. Ansible Tower can synchronize inventories from cloud providers like AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud, updating host lists in real-time based on changes to cloud infrastructure. This reduces the manual effort needed to keep inventories current and eliminates human errors.
Role-based access control is another important feature of Ansible Tower. It allows administrators to define exactly who can run what tasks on which machines, and what information they can see. This ensures security and accountability across teams, preventing unauthorized access or changes.
Job templates in Ansible Tower provide a way to standardize automation processes. These templates define which playbooks to run, on which inventories, and with which credentials. Once set up, job templates allow users to trigger automation workflows without requiring in-depth knowledge of the underlying playbooks.
The platform also includes real-time job status monitoring. Users can watch the progress of automation jobs as they run, view outputs, and diagnose issues if failures occur. This feature is extremely helpful in environments where uptime and reliability are critical.
Another valuable feature is the support for scheduling jobs. System administrators can automate tasks at specific times or intervals, such as applying updates nightly or restarting services every weekend. This helps reduce manual intervention and ensures consistent operations.
Ansible Tower integrates with external logging systems like Splunk, Logstash, and others. This makes it easier to aggregate logs and create a centralized log monitoring solution, which is helpful for compliance and forensic analysis.
Ansible Tower vs Ansible CLI
Although both Ansible and Ansible Tower share the same core automation engine, the user experience they provide is significantly different. Ansible CLI is powerful, script-based, and well-suited for individual operators who are comfortable working from the command line. In contrast, Ansible Tower adds a layer of abstraction, making automation more accessible to users with different technical backgrounds.
The command-line version of Ansible lacks built-in multi-user support, job auditing, and workflow visualization. These limitations become apparent in larger environments where coordination among teams is necessary. In such cases, Ansible Tower shines by providing a secure, collaborative, and scalable automation solution.
Ansible Tower is also preferable when regulatory compliance and audit trails are required. Because it logs every action and supports integrations with security and compliance tools, it provides visibility and traceability that cannot be easily achieved with the CLI version alone.
Additionally, for teams managing dynamic environments such as Kubernetes clusters or cloud infrastructure, Tower’s real-time inventory updates and integration with version control systems like Git are significant advantages.
While Ansible is ideal for learning, testing, or automating simple tasks, Ansible Tower is the solution of choice for managing enterprise-grade automation workflows with high reliability, visibility, and control.
Ansible Tower Architecture
Ansible Tower is designed to provide a scalable and centralized platform for automation, with components that enable flexibility, security, and high availability. Understanding its architecture is essential for deploying and managing it effectively in an enterprise environment.
At a high level, Ansible Tower consists of a web interface, an API backend, a task engine, and a database. It can be deployed as a single-node setup or as a multi-node cluster for high availability and better performance.
Let’s break down the core components and how they work together.
Web Interface
The web UI is the graphical interface that users interact with. It provides a user-friendly dashboard that displays job statuses, inventories, credentials, projects, and more. It allows users to launch jobs, monitor progress, and manage all aspects of Ansible automation without needing to use the command line.
Key features of the web interface:
- Visual dashboards for job status and statistics
- User and team management
- Access to job templates, credentials, and schedules
- Real-time job output and logs
RESTful API
Everything that can be done through the web interface can also be achieved using the RESTful API. This API allows for automation and integration with other systems and tools, such as CI/CD pipelines, custom portals, and monitoring systems.
Benefits of the API:
- Enables full automation of Tower operations
- Supports integration with third-party tools
- Provides fine-grained control over job execution and resource management
Task Engine
The task engine is the core component responsible for executing automation jobs. It interprets playbooks, handles scheduling, and communicates with target nodes over SSH (or WinRM for Windows). This engine ensures that jobs run reliably, even when initiated by different users or triggered by events.
Key features:
- Queues and executes jobs
- Handles job lifecycle (start, monitor, finish)
- Manages concurrency and task isolation
PostgreSQL Database
Ansible Tower uses PostgreSQL as its backend database. This is where all configuration data, job history, inventory information, credentials, and user roles are stored. The database plays a crucial role in maintaining state and ensuring reliable operations.
Reasons for using PostgreSQL:
- Robust and reliable relational database
- Supports transactional integrity and complex queries
- Easily scalable and supports clustering for high availability
Message Queue (RabbitMQ or Redis)
For distributed job handling, Ansible Tower uses a message broker such as RabbitMQ or Redis. These tools manage communication between different components, especially in multi-node or clustered environments.
Functionality:
- Queue jobs for worker nodes
- Balances load across multiple nodes
- Ensures reliable delivery of job messages
Node Types in a Cluster
In a clustered setup, Ansible Tower introduces the concept of node types:
- Control Node: Handles the web UI, API, and scheduling of jobs.
- Execution Node: Responsible for running playbooks and jobs.
- Hybrid Node: Performs both control and execution functions.
A distributed architecture improves scalability and fault tolerance. It also allows you to isolate workloads or scale execution capacity as needed.
Inventory and Credential Management
Ansible Tower manages inventory (the list of hosts) and credentials (authentication methods) separately from playbooks. This abstraction allows users to reuse resources across projects and jobs without embedding sensitive information into code.
Types of credentials supported:
- SSH keys
- Vault passwords
- Cloud provider credentials (AWS, Azure, GCP)
- SCM credentials (GitHub, GitLab, etc.)
Inventories can be:
- Static: Manually defined host lists
- Dynamic: Pulled from cloud providers or scripts
Projects and Playbooks
A project in Ansible Tower refers to the collection of playbooks stored in a source control system like Git, Subversion, or Mercurial. Tower syncs with these repositories to pull the latest playbooks and updates.
Projects enable:
- Version-controlled automation
- Easier collaboration through Git
- Automation standardization across teams
Job Templates and Workflows
Job templates are pre-configured settings for running a specific playbook on a defined inventory with set credentials. This simplifies job execution by allowing users to launch jobs without needing to know the underlying details.
Workflows combine multiple job templates and control their execution order. They can include conditional logic, allowing complex automation pipelines to be defined visually.
Workflows support:
- Sequential and parallel job execution
- Failure handling (e.g., run alternative jobs on failure)
- Reusable automation chains
Installing and Setting Up Ansible Tower
Setting up Ansible Tower involves preparing your environment, installing the necessary software, and performing initial configurations. In this section, you’ll learn the step-by-step process to install Ansible Tower in a supported environment.
Note: Ansible Tower is a commercial product by Red Hat. While a trial version is available, production use requires a valid subscription. The open-source upstream project is called AWX, which shares many features but is intended for non-production environments.
System Requirements
Before you install Ansible Tower, make sure your system meets the minimum requirements. These ensure stable performance and proper operation of all Tower components.
Hardware Requirements
- Minimum (for testing or small teams):
- 2 CPUs
- 4 GB RAM
- 20 GB disk space
- 2 CPUs
- Recommended (for production):
- 4+ CPUs
- 8–16 GB RAM (or more, depending on job size)
- 40+ GB disk space
- SSD storage is strongly recommended
- 4+ CPUs
Supported Operating Systems
Ansible Tower is supported on the following platforms:
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 and 8 (64-bit)
- CentOS 7 (note: support ending)
- Other RHEL-compatible systems (consult Red Hat docs for full list)
Ensure your OS is fully updated before installation.
Installation Methods
Ansible Tower can be installed using a bundled setup script provided by Red Hat. The installation includes all necessary dependencies, including PostgreSQL, NGINX, and RabbitMQ.
There are two typical installation methods:
- Online Installation (default) – Downloads components from the internet during install
- Offline Installation – Uses a pre-downloaded bundle for environments without internet access.
Downloading the Installer
- Visit the Red Hat Customer Portal.
- Navigate to the Ansible Tower downloads page.
- Download the latest setup bundle (e.g., ansible-tower-setup-<version>.tar.gz).
Extract it:
bash
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tar xvzf ansible-tower-setup-<version>.tar.gz
cd ansible-tower-setup-<version>
Editing the Inventory File
Before running the installer, configure the inventory file found in the setup directory. This file defines settings such as admin credentials, database passwords, and node roles.
Example snippet from the inventory file:
ini
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[tower]
localhost
[database]
[all: vars]
admin_password=’StrongPassword123′
pg_password=’DBPassword’
rabbitmq_password=’RabbitPassword’
Customize the variables to suit your environment.
Running the Installation
Once the inventory file is configured, start the installation:
bash
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./setup.sh
This script performs the following tasks:
- Installs dependencies (PostgreSQL, RabbitMQ, NGINX)
- Configures system services
- Initializes the Tower application
- Sets up the web interface
If everything completes successfully, you’ll receive a message confirming that Ansible Tower is installed and accessible.
Accessing the Web Interface
After installation:
- Open your browser.
- Visit https://<your-server-ip> or https://localhost if accessing locally.
You’ll be prompted to log in. Use the admin credentials set in the inventory file.
Initial Configuration
After logging in, complete the following setup steps:
Step 1: Add a License
- Upload your Red Hat subscription or trial license file.
- This step is required to unlock full functionality.
Step 2: Create Users and Teams
- Navigate to Access → Users and Teams.
- Define roles and permissions based on your team structure.
Step 3: Set Up Credentials
- Go to Credentials → Add.
- Add SSH keys, cloud provider credentials, or Vault passwords.
Step 4: Configure Inventories
- Go to Inventories → Add.
- Create static or dynamic inventories.
- For cloud-based inventories, use credential integrations (AWS, Azure, GCP).
Step 5: Create Projects
- Go to Projects → Add.
- Link your project to a Git repository or upload playbooks manually.
Step 6: Create Job Templates
- Go to Templates → Add.
- Set up job templates using the inventory, project, and credentials.
- Define any extra variables needed.
Optional: Enable HTTPS with Custom Certificates
By default, Ansible Tower generates a self-signed certificate. For production use, replace it with a valid SSL certificate.
- Upload your certificate and key files to /etc/tower/tower.cert and /etc/tower/tower.key.
- Restart services:
bash
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ansible-tower-service restart
Managing Job Templates, Inventories, and Workflows
After installing and configuring Ansible Tower, the next step is to define how automation will be executed. This involves setting up inventories, job templates, and workflows. These components allow users to organize, reuse, and control the execution of playbooks efficiently and consistently.
Inventories in Ansible Tower
An inventory in Ansible Tower represents the systems or hosts where tasks will be executed. It serves a similar function to the inventory file in traditional Ansible CLI, but is managed via the graphical interface.
Types of Inventories
There are two types of inventories. A static inventory is where hosts are manually entered into the Tower interface, typically used in smaller or more stable environments. A dynamic inventory automatically pulls host information from external sources like cloud providers or scripts, which is particularly useful in environments where infrastructure is constantly changing.
Creating a Static Inventory
To create a static inventory, navigate to the Inventories section and add a new inventory. You will need to provide a name, an optional description, and assign it to an organization. After saving the inventory, you can switch to the Hosts tab to enter host IP addresses or DNS names manually. These hosts can also be grouped logically into host groups for easier targeting during job execution.
Setting Up a Dynamic Inventory
To set up a dynamic inventory, create a new inventory and then go to the Sources tab. From there, select a source type such as AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud. Assign the appropriate credentials and configure options such as how often to sync the inventory. Once configured, a sync operation will pull live host information from the chosen provider into Tower.
Creating Job Templates
Job templates in Ansible Tower define how an automation job is run. They serve as reusable definitions that combine a playbook, inventory, credentials, and other settings into a single launchable unit.
Creating a Job Template
To create a job template, go to the Templates section and choose to add a new job template. You will need to enter a name, select an inventory, pick a project that holds your playbooks, and choose a specific playbook to execute. You also assign credentials required to access the target systems. Additional fields allow you to limit the scope of execution to certain hosts, increase verbosity for debugging, or supply extra variables in either YAML or JSON format. Once all the fields are complete, save the template and launch it to start the job.
Job Results and Logs
Once a job is launched, Tower provides real-time feedback in the Job Details view. Task results are color-coded for clarity, indicating success, failure, or unreachable hosts. Historical job information is stored and can be accessed later through the Jobs section for auditing or troubleshooting purposes.
Using Workflow Templates
Workflow templates allow you to connect multiple job templates into a series of steps or branches. This enables the creation of complex automation pipelines that include conditional logic and parallel execution.
Creating a Workflow Template
To begin building a workflow template, go to the Templates section and add a new workflow. Enter a name and description, then open the Visualizer tool to start defining the workflow structure.
Building a Workflow
Inside the visualizer, you can add job templates as nodes. Each node can be connected to others based on success, failure, or always-run conditions. For example, you can configure a job to run only if the previous one succeeded or define fallback tasks if a step fails. The workflow can grow into a linear sequence or a branching structure based on your automation logic. Once the design is complete, save the workflow template.
Launching a Workflow
Workflows are launched in the same way as job templates. When executed, you will see a visual progression of each step, with real-time updates showing the status of every job in the workflow. Logs and outputs for individual steps are available for review.
Best Practices for Job and Workflow Management
Variables should be used efficiently to make playbooks more flexible and reusable. Rather than hardcoding values, use Tower’s features like Extra Vars, Vault, or Credentials. Apply role-based access control to manage who can view, edit, or run specific jobs and workflows. Scheduled jobs help automate repetitive tasks such as system maintenance, patching, or reporting. Notifications can be configured to inform teams about job completions, failures, or other events via email, messaging apps, or webhooks. It’s also recommended to link projects to Git repositories to take advantage of version control, team collaboration, and change tracking.
Final Thoughts
Ansible Tower provides a powerful, centralized solution for managing IT automation at scale. With its intuitive web interface, robust API, and enterprise-grade features like role-based access control, job scheduling, and workflow automation, Tower enables teams to collaborate efficiently while maintaining security and control over infrastructure changes.
By walking through the architecture, installation, and usage of inventories, job templates, and workflows, you now have a solid foundation to start using Ansible Tower in real-world environments. Whether you’re automating server provisioning, application deployments, or routine system maintenance, Tower streamlines operations and brings visibility to every automation task.
To get the most out of Ansible Tower:
- Treat your playbooks as reusable assets by storing them in version-controlled projects.
- Structure your workflows to reflect business processes and recovery logic.
- Use RBAC and credentials management to enforce least-privilege access.
- Monitor job outputs, logs, and events to ensure operational transparency and auditability.
If you’re running in large or dynamic environments, consider scaling with clustering, integrating dynamic inventories, and taking advantage of Tower’s REST API for full automation pipelines.
Ansible Tower bridges the gap between developers, operations teams, and business needs—turning infrastructure into manageable, repeatable code and automation into a shared organizational asset.