How to Create a Ansible Lab on your Local Machine using Vagrant in 5 min using ChatGPT

This is an exciting experiment of mine as DevOps. As I am experimenting with the Tools available ... So, the quest is to "Vagrantfile which creates 3 instances of Centos 8 servers, each server shall be able to connect on the same network for easy communication"

Here is what we want to achieve:

- Build 3 servers to use Ansible

Jumped into via ChatGPT via Bing Copilot and created the following prompt.

"Hi Copilot, can you write a Vagrantfile which creates 3 instances of Centos 8 servers, each server shall be able to connect on the same network for easy communication, these instance serves are to be used as Ansible Lab environments comprised of one Ansible Tower and two deployments environments, please"

The output:

# -*- mode: ruby -*-
# vi: set ft=ruby :

Vagrant.configure("2") do |config|
  # Define the base box
  config.vm.box = "centos/8"

  # Ansible Tower Server
  config.vm.define "ansible_tower" do |ansible_tower|
    ansible_tower.vm.hostname = "ansible-tower"
    ansible_tower.vm.network "private_network", ip: "192.168.56.10"
  end

  # Deployment Environment 1
  config.vm.define "deploy_env1" do |deploy_env1|
    deploy_env1.vm.hostname = "deploy-env1"
    deploy_env1.vm.network "private_network", ip: "192.168.56.11"
  end

  # Deployment Environment 2
  config.vm.define "deploy_env2" do |deploy_env2|
    deploy_env2.vm.hostname = "deploy-env2"
    deploy_env2.vm.network "private_network", ip: "192.168.56.12"
  end

  # Provisioning with Ansible (Optional)
  # config.vm.provision "ansible" do |ansible|
  #   ansible.playbook = "playbook.yml"
  # end
end

Source code on Git Hub repository.

To use this Vagrantfile:

1. Install VirtualBox and Vagrant on your system.
2. Save the above code into a file named Vagrantfile.
3. Open a terminal and navigate to the directory containing the Vagrantfile.
4. Run vagrant up to create the VMs.

This Vagrantfile configures each CentOS 8 server with a static IP on a private network, allowing them to communicate with each other. You can uncomment and adjust the Ansible provisioning block to run your Ansible playbooks automatically.

You’ll have three CentOS 8 servers (server1, server2, and server3) along with an Ansible Tower instance (ansible-tower) for your lab environment. Adjust memory and CPU settings as needed based on your system resources.

Happy Ansible-ing! 🚀

Next - 

To test the Ansible connection to the three CentOS 8 servers you've set up, you can use a simple Ansible playbook that employs the ping module. This module is specifically designed for connection testing and doesn't actually send ICMP pings but attempts an SSH connection and returns pong on success.

Here's an example playbook, test_connection.yml, that you can use:

yaml
---
- name: Test Ansible Connection to Servers
  hosts: all
  gather_facts: no

  tasks:
    - name: Test connectivity with ping module
      ansible.builtin.ping:

Before running the playbook, ensure you have an inventory file (inventory.ini or your preferred name) that lists the IPs or hostnames of your servers under a group [servers] or individually. Here's an example:

javascript
[servers]
192.168.56.10 ansible_user=your_username ansible_ssh_private_key_file=/path/to/private_key
192.168.56.11 ansible_user=your_username ansible_ssh_private_key_file=/path/to/private_key
192.168.56.12 ansible_user=your_username ansible_ssh_private_key_file=/path/to/private_key

Replace your_username and /path/to/private_key with the appropriate user and SSH key path for your setup.

To run the playbook and test the connection to all servers in your inventory, use the following command:

bash
ansible-playbook -i inventory.ini test_connection.yml

This command will attempt to connect to each server listed in inventory.ini and report back whether the connection was successful.
....

Nice !! Now, let us push this code further ..  I have tested the script on my machine and Made all 3 instances up and running.  Further improved the code and stored in Github source code here

Here the code on VisualCode:

Continue on  part 2

🌐 Sourcesmedium.com - How to Create Multiple Virtual Machines Using Vagrant Tool

stackoverflow.com - Two Operating Systems in a single Vagrantfile

How to Hide and Unhide Hard Disk Volumes Using CMD on Windows 10 and Windows 11

I'd be glad to create a step-by-step guide on hiding and unhiding hard disk volumes using CMD commands for Windows 10 and 11, incorporating best practices and addressing potential risks:

Important Note:

• Hiding a drive letter makes the volume inaccessible through File Explorer, but the data remains on the disk. It's generally not recommended for everyday use as it can be confusing.
• Proceed with caution, especially if you're unsure which drive contains critical system files. Hiding the wrong drive could lead to unexpected behaviour.

Hiding a Hard Disk Volume:

1. Run Command Prompt as Administrator:

   • Press the Windows key + X, or right-click the Start button.
   • Select "Command Prompt (Admin)" or "Windows PowerShell (Admin)".
   • Click "Yes" if prompted for permission (User Account Control).

2. Identify the Volume:

   • Type diskpart and press Enter to launch the DiskPart utility.
   • Type list volume and press Enter to see a list of all disk volumes.
   • Note the volume number (Volume column) of the drive you want to hide.

3. Select the Volume:

   • Type select volume <number> (replace <number> with the actual volume number) and press Enter.
   • Verify you've selected the correct volume.

4. Remove Drive Letter:

   • Type remove letter <drive_letter> (replace <drive_letter> with the actual drive letter) and press Enter.
   • Example: remove letter G would hide drive G.

Unhiding a Hard Disk Volume:

1. Run Command Prompt as Administrator (same steps as hiding)

2. Identify the Hidden Volume (Optional):

   • If you don't remember the volume number, use diskpart and list volume to view all volumes. Look for volumes with a No Letter status.

3. Select the Volume:

   • Type select volume <number> (replace <number> with the hidden volume number) and press Enter.

4. Assign a Drive Letter:

   • Type assign letter <drive_letter> (replace <drive_letter> with the desired drive letter) and press Enter.
   • Choose a drive letter that isn't currently in use.

5. Exit DiskPart:

   • Type exit and press Enter.

Additional Considerations:

• Alternative Method: You can also hide or unhide drives through Disk Management (accessible by searching for it in the Start menu). However, the CMD method offers more granular control.
• Rebooting May Be Necessary: In some cases, a system restart might be required for the changes to take full effect.
• Data Security: Hiding a drive letter doesn't encrypt or secure the data. Consider using encryption tools for sensitive information.

By following these steps carefully and considering the potential risks, you can effectively hide and unhide hard disk volumes using CMD commands on Windows 10 and 11.