How to run Ansible Windows Module

by Anish

Posted on Tuesday June 25, 2019

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Ansible Windows module uses winrm connection, in order to execute commands in the Windows machine. There are many module supported by the ansible

Let's setup a BASIC ping-pong using win_ping module

This is the directory struture we are going to build

|--group_vars
|------all.yml
|--hosts
|--test.yml

The all.yml file in the group_vars directory will hold necessary credentials for Windows Authentication. When setting up the inventory, the following variables are required:

---
ansible_ssh_user: "Administrator"
ansible_ssh_pass: "Administrator"
ansible_ssh_port: "5985"
ansible_connection: "winrm"
ansible_winrm_server_cert_validation: ignore

• By default WinRM : The default HTTP port is 5985.
• By default, basic Authentication or if kerberos module is installed it will use kerberos.

The test.yml is the ansible-playbook which is using win_ping module to. A windows version of the classic ping module

---
- hosts: win
  tasks:
   - name: Ping Windows Hosts
     win_ping:

Run the Playbook

$ ansible-playbook  test.yml  -i hosts
PLAY [win] **********************************************************************************************************************************************************
TASK [Gathering Facts] **********************************************************************************************************************************************
ok: [10.65.148.49]
TASK [Ping Windows Hosts] *******************************************************************************************************************************************
ok: [10.65.148.49]
PLAY RECAP **********************************************************************************************************************************************************
10.65.148.49 : ok=2 changed=0  unreachable=0  failed=0  skipped=0  rescued=0  ignored=0

We tested sucessfully ping command, now jump to another ansible windows module win_shell which will help to execute any command in windows from the controller node.

Here is the sample ansible-playbook for win_shell.yml

---
- hosts: win
  tasks:
  - name: Execute command in Windows
    win_shell: dir
    args:
        executable: cmd
    register: out

  - debug: var=out.stdout_lines

Run the playbook.

$ ansible-playbook  win_shell.yml  -i hosts 

PLAY [win] **********************************************************************************************************************************************************

TASK [Gathering Facts] **********************************************************************************************************************************************
ok: [10.65.148.49]

TASK [Execute command in Windows] ***********************************************************************************************************************************
changed: [10.65.148.49]

TASK [debug] ********************************************************************************************************************************************************
ok: [10.65.148.49] => {
    "out.stdout_lines": [
        " Volume in drive C has no label.", 
        " Volume Serial Number is D0D0-E635", 
        "", 
        " Directory of C:\\Users\\Administrator", 
        "", 
        "06/24/2019  04:03 AM    <DIR>          .", 
        "06/24/2019  04:03 AM    <DIR>          ..", 
        "06/17/2019  08:45 PM    <DIR>          Contacts", 
        "06/17/2019  08:45 PM    <DIR>          Desktop", 
        "06/17/2019  08:45 PM    <DIR>          Documents", 
        "06/17/2019  08:45 PM    <DIR>          Downloads", 
        "06/17/2019  08:45 PM    <DIR>          Favorites", 
        "06/17/2019  08:45 PM    <DIR>          Links", 
        "06/17/2019  08:45 PM    <DIR>          Music", 
        "06/17/2019  08:45 PM    <DIR>          Pictures", 
        "06/17/2019  08:45 PM    <DIR>          Saved Games", 
        "06/17/2019  08:45 PM    <DIR>          Searches", 
        "06/17/2019  08:45 PM    <DIR>          Videos", 
        "               0 File(s)              0 bytes", 
        "              13 Dir(s)  64,714,444,800 bytes free"
    ]
}
PLAY RECAP **********************************************************************************************************************************************************
10.65.148.49               : ok=3    changed=1    unreachable=0    failed=0    skipped=0    rescued=0    ignored=0   

Video Demo

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