In this step will deploy a placeholder web application to the servers.

This file contains settings to use when configuring Nginx.

application.yml

---
application:
  Name: test
  Root: /var/www/html
  http_port: 80

---
application:
  Name: test
  Root: /var/www/html
  http_port: 80
ansible@autobox:~$ cat app-conf.j2
server {
    listen {{ application.http_port }} default_server;
 
    server_name {{ application.Name }};
    root {{ application.Root }};
    index index.php index.html;
 
    location / {
        try_files $uri $uri/ /index.php?$args;
    }
 
    location ~ \.php$ {
        try_files $uri =404;
        fastcgi_pass unix:/var/run/php/{{ php_fpm_version }}.sock;
        fastcgi_index index.php;
        fastcgi_param SCRIPT_FILENAME $document_root$fastcgi_script_name;
        include fastcgi_params;
    }
}

application_fleet.yml

---
- hosts: all
  name: application_fleet.yml
  become: true
  gather_facts: true
  vars_files:
    - application.yml
  tasks:
    - name: Install Nginx
      apt:
        name: nginx
        state: present
        update_cache: true
    - name: Install PHP and extensions
      apt:
        name:
          - php
          - php-fpm # For FastCGI Process Manager
        state: present
    - name: Start and enable Nginx
      service:
        name: nginx
        state: started
        enabled: true
    - name: Get list of services
      service_facts:
    - name: get the php-fwm version
      set_fact:
        php_fpm_version: "{{ item }}"
      when:
        - ansible_facts.services[item].name | regex_search("^php.+fpm$")
      with_items: "{{ ansible_facts.services }}"
    - name: Start and enable PHP-FPM
      service:
        name: "{{ php_fpm_version }}"
        state: started
        enabled: true
    - name: Create a phpinfo page
      blockinfile:
        path: /var/www/html/index.php
        block: |
          <?php phpinfo(); ?>
        create: true
        marker: ""
    - name: Create application conf file
      template:
        src: ./app-conf.j2
        dest: "/etc/nginx/sites-available/{{ application.Name }}.conf"
        mode: "755"
    - name: Activate Nginx site by creating symlink
      file:
        src: "/etc/nginx/sites-available/{{ application.Name }}.conf"
        dest: "/etc/nginx/sites-enabled/{{ application.Name }}.conf"
        state: link
    - name: Deactivate default site
      file:
        path: /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/default
        state: absent
    - name: Reload Nginx
      service:
        name: nginx
        state: reloaded

Run playbook: ansible-playbook -i inventory application_fleet.yml

Open each VM IP address in a web browser and confirm you see the standard phpinfo() page, similar to the following.

http://<IPADDRESS>

The following playbook will confirm a page with HTTP status 200 is returned (but not the contents)

check_fleet.yml

---
- hosts: all
  become: true
  tasks:
    - name: Check web server status on port 80
      uri:
        url: http://{{ inventory_hostname }}:80/
        follow_redirects: no
      register: web_status

    - name: Assert 200 HTTP status code
      assert:
        that: web_status.status == 200
        msg: "Expected HTTP 200 status code, but got {{ web_status.status }}. Please check web server health."

    - name: Print website response (optional)
      debug:
        msg: "Website response: {{ web_status.content }}"
      when: web_status_conent is defined and web_status.content != ''

This playbook reboots the fleet 50% at a time, waiting for the first group of servers to come up before rebooting the next group.

reboot-half.yml

---
- hosts: all
  name: reboot-half.yml
  become: true
  serial: "50%"
  tasks:
    - name: Reboot the servers
      reboot:
    - name: Wait for servers to come back online
      wait_for_connection:
        delay: 10
        connect_timeout: 120

This first method use's the OS shutdown command.

shutdown_fleet.yml

---
- hosts: all
  become: true
  tasks:
    - name: Gracefully shut down server
      community.general.shutdown:

Run playbook: ansible-playbook -i inventory shutdown_fleet.yml

Sending a power off signal using VirtualBox is a second way to gracefully power off the servers.

power_off_fleet.yml

---
- hosts: localhost  # Run actions on the local machine
  name: destroy_fleet.yml
  connection: local
  gather_facts: false
  vars_files:
    - variables.yml
    - servers.yml
  tasks:
    - name: Shut down VM
      command: "{{ Global.vboxmanage_path }} controlvm {{ item.Name }} acpipowerbutton"
      ignore_errors: true
      when: item.Deploy
      loop: "{{ Server_List }}"

Run playbook: ansible-playbook power_off_fleet.yml

There is only one way to turn them back on, though.

start_fleet.yml

---
- hosts: localhost  # Run actions on the local machine
  name: start_fleet.yml
  connection: local
  gather_facts: false
  vars_files:
    - variables.yml
    - servers.yml
  tasks:
    - name: Start VM
      command: "{{ Global.vboxmanage_path }} startvm {{ item.Name }}"
      ignore_errors: true
      when: item.Deploy
      loop: "{{ Server_List }}"

Run playbook: ansible-playbook start_fleet.yml

rebuild specified server from scratch complete with Apache and simulated application

Continue to Tear Down the Lab

Or back to Deploy a Fleet of VMs