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Mastering Ansible Copy Module: Efficient File and Directory Transfers

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Introduction

MindMap

In this lab, you will explore the Ansible Copy module, which allows you to copy files and directories to remote hosts. The Copy module provides a flexible and efficient way to transfer files as part of your Ansible automation tasks.

Copy a File to Remote Host

In this step, you will copy a file from the control machine to a remote host using the Ansible Copy module.

First, create a new Ansible playbook file called /home/labex/project/copy-module-playbook.yaml and open it in a text editor.
Add the following content to the playbook file:

- hosts: localhost
  tasks:
    - name: Copy a file to remote host
      copy:
        src: /home/labex/file.txt
        dest: /home/labex/project/file.txt
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  • copy: Utilizes the Ansible copy module, which is used to copy files from the control node (local host) to a remote host.
  • src: Specifies the source file path, indicating the path of the file to be copied on the local host.
  • dest: Specifies the destination file path, indicating where the file should be copied to on the remote host.

Through this playbook task, the file /home/labex/file.txt will be copied to the path /home/labex/project/file.txt on the remote host. The Ansible copy module facilitates the process of copying files efficiently.

Next, create a file called file.txt in the /home/labex directory.

echo "This is the content of the file." > /home/labex/file.txt
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Then, run the playbook using the following command:

ansible-playbook copy-module-playbook.yaml
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Example output:

[WARNING]: No inventory was parsed, only implicit localhost is available
[WARNING]: provided hosts list is empty, only localhost is available. Note that
the implicit localhost does not match 'all'

PLAY [localhost] ***************************************************************

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

TASK [Copy a file to remote host] **********************************************
changed: [localhost]

PLAY RECAP *********************************************************************
localhost                  : ok=2    changed=1    unreachable=0    failed=0    skipped=0    rescued=0    ignored=0
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Finally, verify that the file file.txt exists in the specified destination path on the remote host.

cat /home/labex/project/file.txt
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Example output:

This is the content of the file.
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Here "This is the content of the file." is the same as the content of the /home/labex/file.txt file, which means that the /home/labex/file.txt file has been successfully copied to /home/labex/project/file.txt.

Copy a Directory to Remote Host

In this step, you will copy a directory from the control machine to a remote host using the Ansible Copy module.

First, modify the existing playbook file by removing all content and adding the following content to the playbook file:

- hosts: localhost
  tasks:
    - name: Copy a directory to remote host
      copy:
        src: /home/labex/directory
        dest: /home/labex/project/
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With the step1 type, if src is set to directory, this Playbook task copies the /home/labex/directory directory to the /home/labex/project/ path on the remote host.

Next, create a directory called directory in /home/labex directory and create a file called file2.txt in directory directory.

mkdir /home/labex/directory
touch /home/labex/directory/file2.txt
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Then, run the playbook using the following command:

ansible-playbook copy-module-playbook.yaml
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Example output:

[WARNING]: No inventory was parsed, only implicit localhost is available
[WARNING]: provided hosts list is empty, only localhost is available. Note that
the implicit localhost does not match 'all'

PLAY [localhost] ***************************************************************

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

TASK [Copy a directory to remote host] *****************************************
changed: [localhost]

PLAY RECAP *********************************************************************
localhost                  : ok=2    changed=1    unreachable=0    failed=0    skipped=0    rescued=0    ignored=0
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Finally, verify that the directory directory and its contents exist in the specified destination path on the remote host.

tree /home/labex/project
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Expected output:

/home/labex/project
├── copy-module-playbook.yaml
├── directory
│   └── file2.txt
└── file.txt

1 directory, 3 files
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You can see that the directory and the file2.txt file have been successfully copied to the /home/labex/project directory on the target host.

Preserve File Attributes

In this step, you will learn how to preserve file attributes, such as permissions and timestamps, when using the Ansible Copy module.

First, modify the existing playbook file by removing all content and adding the following content to the playbook file:

- hosts: localhost
  tasks:
    - name: Preserve file attributes
      copy:
        src: /home/labex/file.txt
        dest: /tmp/file.txt
        mode: preserve
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  • mode: preserve: This parameter preserves the mode (permissions) of the source file during the copy process, ensuring that the destination file retains the same permissions as the source file.

Through this playbook task, the file /home/labex/file.txt will be copied to /tmp/file.txt on the remote host, while preserving the file attributes such as permissions.

Then, run the playbook using the following command:

ansible-playbook copy-module-playbook.yaml
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Example output:

[WARNING]: No inventory was parsed, only implicit localhost is available
[WARNING]: provided hosts list is empty, only localhost is available. Note that
the implicit localhost does not match 'all'

PLAY [localhost] ***************************************************************

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

TASK [Preserve file attributes] ************************************************
changed: [localhost]

PLAY RECAP *********************************************************************
localhost                  : ok=2    changed=1    unreachable=0    failed=0    skipped=0    rescued=0    ignored=0
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Finally, verify that the file file.txt is copied to the specified destination path on the remote host while preserving its attributes.
Use ll to view /home/labex/file.txt details:

ll /home/labex/file.txt
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Example output:

-rw-rw-r-- 1 labex labex 33 Mar  9 08:34 /home/labex/file.txt
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Use ll to view /tmp/file.txt details:

ll /tmp/file.txt
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Example output:

-rw-rw-r-- 1 labex labex 33 Mar  9 09:00 /tmp/file.txt
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This Ansible playbook can be used to preserve permission patterns (permission bits) and owner information during the replication process.

Handle Permissions

In this step, you will explore how to handle file permissions when using the Ansible Copy module. You will learn how to set specific permissions for the copied file on the remote host.

First, modify the existing playbook file by removing all content and adding the following content to the playbook file:

- hosts: localhost
  tasks:
    - name: Handle permissions
      copy:
        src: /home/labex/file.txt
        dest: /tmp/file1.txt
        mode: "0644"
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  • mode: Replace "0644" with the desired permission mode for the file. Refer to the chmod documentation for more information on permission modes.

Through this playbook task, the file /home/labex/file.txt will be copied to /tmp/file1.txt on the remote host, with the specified permissions of 0644.

Then, run the playbook using the following command:

ansible-playbook copy-module-playbook.yaml
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Example output:

[WARNING]: No inventory was parsed, only implicit localhost is available
[WARNING]: provided hosts list is empty, only localhost is available. Note that
the implicit localhost does not match 'all'

PLAY [localhost] ***************************************************************

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

TASK [Handle permissions] ******************************************************
changed: [localhost]

PLAY RECAP *********************************************************************
localhost                  : ok=2    changed=1    unreachable=0    failed=0    skipped=0    rescued=0    ignored=0
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Finally, verify that the file file1.txt is copied to the specified destination path on the remote host with the set permissions.
Use ll to view /home/labex/file.txt details:

ll ll /home/labex/file.txt
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Example output:

-rw-rw-r-- 1 labex labex 33 Mar  9 08:34 /home/labex/file.txt
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Use ll to view /tmp/file1.txt details:

ll /tmp/file1.txt
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Example output:

-rw-r--r-- 1 labex labex 33 Mar  9 09:11 /tmp/file1.txt
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This Ansible playbook can be used to set specific permissions, such as read, write, and execute, for the file on the remote host.

Idempotent Copy

In this step, you will make the copy operation idempotent using the Ansible Copy module. You will ensure that the file is only copied if it doesn't exist on the remote host or if the source file has changed.

First, modify the existing playbook file by removing all content and adding the following content to the playbook file:

- hosts: localhost
  tasks:
    - name: Idempotent copy
      copy:
        src: /home/labex/file.txt
        dest: /tmp/file2.txt
        remote_src: yes
        force: yes
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  • remote_src: yes: This parameter specifies that the src path is on the remote host, allowing Ansible to transfer files from the remote host to another location.
  • force: yes: This parameter forces the file copy operation even if the destination file already exists, ensuring that the file is always copied to the specified destination.

Through this playbook task, the file /home/labex/file.txt located on the remote host will be copied to /tmp/file2.txt on the remote host, with the force option ensuring that the file is always copied, even if it already exists at the destination. The remote_src option allows for copying files from a remote location to another destination.

Next, check if the /tmp/file2.txt file exists.

ll /tmp/file2.txt
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Example output:

ls: cannot access '/tmp/file2.txt': No such file or directory
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Then, run the playbook using the following command:

ansible-playbook copy-module-playbook.yaml
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Example output:

[WARNING]: No inventory was parsed, only implicit localhost is available
[WARNING]: provided hosts list is empty, only localhost is available. Note that
the implicit localhost does not match 'all'

PLAY [localhost] ***************************************************************

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

TASK [Idempotent copy] *********************************************************
changed: [localhost]

PLAY RECAP *********************************************************************
localhost                  : ok=2    changed=1    unreachable=0    failed=0    skipped=0    rescued=0    ignored=0
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Finally, verify that the file file2.txt is copied to the specified destination path on the remote host only if it doesn't exist or if the source file has changed.

ll /tmp/file2.txt
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Example output:

-rw-rw-r-- 1 labex labex 33 Mar  9 08:34 /tmp/file2.txt
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At this point, run the playbook again.

ansible-playbook copy-module-playbook.yaml
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Example output:

[WARNING]: No inventory was parsed, only implicit localhost is available
[WARNING]: provided hosts list is empty, only localhost is available. Note that
the implicit localhost does not match 'all'

PLAY [localhost] ***************************************************************

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

TASK [Idempotent copy] *********************************************************
ok: [localhost]

PLAY RECAP *********************************************************************
localhost                  : ok=2    changed=0    unreachable=0    failed=0    skipped=0    rescued=0    ignored=0
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Note that changed=1 becomes changed=0, proving that this Ansible playbook can realize that the file will only be copied if it doesn't exist on the remote host or if the source file has been changed.

Summary

Congratulations! You have successfully completed the Ansible Copy Module lab. You have learned how to use the Copy module to copy files and directories to remote hosts, preserve file attributes, handle permissions, and ensure idempotence.

The Copy module is a powerful tool for transferring files in your Ansible automation tasks. It provides various parameters to customize the copy operation based on your requirements.

Now that you have a good understanding of the Copy module, you can leverage its capabilities in your Ansible playbooks to efficiently manage file transfers and synchronization across your infrastructure. Happy copying with Ansible!

🚀 Practice Now: Ansible Copy Module

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