Differences between Ansible Static and Dynamic files.

 

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 Difference between static and dynamic files in Ansible

In Ansible, files play an essential role in configuration management, deployment, and automation. They can be categorized into static and dynamic files.

1. Static Files

Definition:
Static files are unchanging, pre-defined files that Ansible transfers to managed hosts without modification. These files are usually stored in the files/ directory of a role or playbook.

Characteristics:

• Directly copied to the target system.
• No variables or Jinja2 templating.
• Used for binaries, images, certificates, scripts, or pre-configured config files.

Example Usage:

• Copying a static file to a remote host.

# yaml

- name: Copy a static configuration file
  copy:
    src: files/nginx.conf
    dest: /etc/nginx/nginx.conf
    owner: root
    group: root
    mode: 0644

Here, nginx.conf is a static file that will be placed on the remote system without any modifications.

2. Dynamic Files

Definition:
Dynamic files are generated at runtime, usually using Jinja2 templates. These files contain variables, loops, or conditions that allow customization based on the host’s attributes.

Characteristics:

• Generated dynamically using Jinja2 templates.
• Can include host-specific data.
• Used for configuration files that change based on environment, hostname, or system settings.
• Stored in the templates/ directory of a role or playbook.

Example Usage:

• Using a Jinja2 template to generate an Nginx configuration.

Template (templates/nginx.conf.j2):

# jinja

server {
    listen {{ nginx_port }};
    server_name {{ server_name }};

    location / {
        root {{ document_root }};
        index index.html;
    }
}

Playbook to Deploy the Template:

# yaml

- name: Deploy a dynamic Nginx config
  template:
    src: templates/nginx.conf.j2
    dest: /etc/nginx/nginx.conf
    owner: root
    group: root
    mode: 0644

Variable File (vars.yml):

# yaml

nginx_port: 80
server_name: example.com
document_root: /var/www/html

Result:
When applied, Ansible replaces {{ nginx_port }}, {{ server_name }}, and {{ document_root }} with actual values, generating a customized configuration file.

Key Differences:

Feature	Static Files	Dynamic Files
Modification	Not modified	Generated dynamically
Storage	files/ directory	templates/ directory
Processing	Copied as-is	Processed via Jinja2
Usage	Predefined files (binaries, scripts)	Configuration files with variables

When to Use Static vs. Dynamic Files

• Use Static Files When:

  • Deploying binaries, certificates, scripts, or images.
  • The file content remains unchanged for all hosts.
  • You need exact replicas of the source file.

• Use Dynamic Files When:

  • Configurations vary per environment (dev, prod).
  • Using host-specific values (IP, hostname, user).
  • You need flexibility through variables, loops, and conditions.

twtech-Take-Home:

• Static files are copied as-is.
• Dynamic files are templated and generated per host.
• Using Jinja2 templates in Ansible provides flexibility and scalability for configuration management.