When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Specialization.
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There are 3 modules in this course
Step into the world of enterprise-scale automation with Enterprise Automation and Advanced Use Cases with Ansible — an advanced course designed for IT professionals ready to take their automation expertise to the next level. This course goes beyond foundational skills, equipping you with the tools and strategies to design, manage, and govern automation at scale across complex, hybrid environments. Through real-world enterprise case studies, advanced architectural patterns, and hands-on labs, you’ll gain the expertise needed to lead automation initiatives in large organizations.
You’ll explore advanced concepts such as dynamic inventories, multi-environment scaling, security automation, compliance enforcement, CI/CD integrations, and governance using Ansible Automation Platform. By mastering these capabilities, you’ll be prepared to tackle enterprise automation challenges, from scaling to thousands of nodes to enforcing security policies across global infrastructure.
By the end of this course, you will be able to:
- Implement dynamic inventory and advanced variable handling.
- Integrate Ansible with CI/CD tools for streamlined automation workflows.
- Automate security compliance and audit tasks using Ansible.
- Apply Ansible Tower/AAP Controller features for scalable automation governance.
- Design enterprise automation architecture aligned with best practices.
This course is ideal for:
- Experienced IT professionals and system administrators leading automation in large environments.
- DevOps engineers and architects responsible for CI/CD pipelines and infrastructure governance.
- Security engineers aiming to automate compliance and audit processes at scale.
- Teams and leaders looking to design and implement enterprise automation strategies.
Note: This is Course 3 of the specialization series. Learners are expected to have completed the beginner and intermediate courses, or possess equivalent hands-on experience with Ansible.
Disclaimer: This course is an independent educational resource developed by Board Infinity and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or officially associated with International Business Machines Corporation or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates. This course is not an official preparation material of International Business Machines Corporation. All trademarks, service marks, and company names mentioned are the property of their respective owners and are used for identification purposes only.
This module introduces dynamic inventory concepts and enterprise-level architecture design using Ansible Automation Platform. Learners will explore real-world strategies for integrating cloud providers, managing host groups at scale, and architecting robust inventory systems.
What Is Dynamic Inventory and Why It Matters•4 minutes
Using Inventory Plugins (Cloud & Custom)•4 minutes
Tagging and Grouping Dynamic Hosts•5 minutes
Nested Groups and Host Patterns•5 minutes
Managing Variables Across Multiple Groups•4 minutes
Inventory File Organization for Enterprise Teams•5 minutes
Architecting Control Nodes and Execution Strategies•5 minutes
Ansible Mesh and Execution Nodes•4 minutes
Case Study: Scaling to 10,000+ Nodes•2 minutes
4 readings•Total 40 minutes
Course Syllabus•10 minutes
Read More About Working with Dynamic Inventories•10 minutes
Read More About Managing Complex Inventory Structures•10 minutes
Read More About Designing Scalable Ansible Architecture•10 minutes
4 assignments•Total 105 minutes
Graded Quiz - Dynamic Inventories and Scalable Architecture•60 minutes
Practice Quiz - Working with Dynamic Inventories•15 minutes
Practice Quiz - Managing Complex Inventory Structures•15 minutes
Practice Quiz - Designing Scalable Ansible Architecture•15 minutes
1 discussion prompt•Total 10 minutes
Meet and Greet•10 minutes
1 plugin•Total 15 minutes
Quick Course Check-In•15 minutes
Security Automation and Compliance
Module 2•3 hours to complete
Module details
This module teaches how to automate security hardening, vulnerability patching, and compliance auditing using Ansible. Learners will apply security content collections and frameworks such as CIS and STIG, and implement automation pipelines for policy enforcement.
What's included
7 videos3 readings4 assignments
Show info about module content
7 videos•Total 36 minutes
Ansible for OS and Service Hardening•5 minutes
Patch Management Automation•5 minutes
Vulnerability Remediation with Ansible•3 minutes
Security Compliance Frameworks and Ansible•5 minutes
Running Compliance Scans with Ansible•6 minutes
Generating Logs and Reports from Playbooks•6 minutes
Integrating with SIEM Tools (Splunk, ELK)•6 minutes
3 readings•Total 30 minutes
Read More About Security Hardening with Ansible•10 minutes
Read More About Compliance Automation•10 minutes
Read More About Logging and Audit Automation•10 minutes
4 assignments•Total 105 minutes
Graded Quiz - Security Automation and Compliance•60 minutes
Practice Quiz - Security Hardening with Ansible•15 minutes
Practice Quiz - Compliance Automation•15 minutes
Practice Quiz - Logging and Audit Automation•15 minutes
CI/CD, Governance, and Enterprise Best Practices
Module 3•3 hours to complete
Module details
This module focuses on integrating Ansible with CI/CD pipelines, implementing governance using Ansible Tower/AAP Controller, and following enterprise automation best practices for versioning, testing, and collaboration.
What's included
7 videos3 readings4 assignments
Show info about module content
7 videos•Total 46 minutes
Automating with GitHub Actions, GitLab, and Jenkins•6 minutes
Version Control and Branching Strategies•7 minutes
Introduction to Ansible Tower / AAP Controller•6 minutes
Patch Management and Security Fixes•6 minutes
Workflow Templates and Job Chains•7 minutes
Organizing Playbooks and Roles for Teams•6 minutes
Board Infinity is a full-stack career platform, founded in 2017 that bridges the gap between career aspirants and industry experts. Our platform fosters professional growth, delivering personalized learning experiences, expert career coaching, and diverse opportunities to help individuals fulfill their career dreams. Board Infinity has successfully facilitated over 20,000 career transitions, marking a significant impact in the career development landscape.
Ansible is an open-source IT automation tool that simplifies repetitive tasks like configuration management, software provisioning, and application deployment. Learning Ansible helps you save time, reduce errors, and scale IT operations—making it a must-have skill for modern DevOps and system administration.
Do I need prior programming or DevOps experience to take this course?
No. This course is designed for beginners with little to no prior experience. A basic understanding of IT systems or Linux is helpful, but not mandatory. The lessons build from the ground up with practical examples.
How is this course structured?
The course includes short, easy-to-follow videos, real-life examples, interactive quizzes, and hands-on exercises. Each lesson builds on the previous one, helping you gradually move from core concepts to writing and running simple Ansible playbooks.
What tools or setup do I need before starting?
You’ll need a computer with internet access. While Linux knowledge is useful, we provide step-by-step guidance on installing and running Ansible locally or using cloud platforms like AWS, Azure, or GCP.
What practical skills will I gain from this course?
- Use Ansible to perform basic configuration and management tasks.
Who is the ideal learner for this course?
This course is perfect for system administrators, IT support professionals, DevOps beginners, cloud practitioners, and students interested in automation. Essentially, anyone curious about automating IT workflows can benefit.
How does this course fit into the specialization series?
This is Course 3 of the specialization. It focuses on foundations and beginner-level skills. Once completed, you’ll be prepared to move on to intermediate and advanced courses covering more complex Ansible automation, integrations, and enterprise use cases.
Will I be able to apply these skills in real-world jobs?
Yes. Ansible is widely used in IT operations, DevOps, and cloud engineering. The skills you gain here—like automating server setups, configurations, and deployments—are directly applicable to real-world job roles and will make you more efficient and valuable in the workplace.
When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
To access the course materials, assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid. The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.