Now I mentioned that we're going to look at file IO
here for our first real‑world example, win_file.
So first, just a quick review.
Ansible modules are the units of functionality within your playbooks.
You can look at it.
The same idea exists in PowerShell DSC if you've used that.
They're prebuilt, reusable code units that do specific tasks.
Maybe you've got a built‑in for managing environment variables,
another built‑in module for certificate services.
Just think of it that way.
So you've got a vast assortment of built‑in modules that Red Hat maintains.
You've got community modules that other developers have made.
And you can actually author your own custom modules to cover any task.
You also, through the use of variables and hosts and groups and inventories,
you can target specific machines very granularly.
All of this Ansible configuration is Infrastructure as Code,
and Ansible works in its actual operation in an idempotent way.
So, when Ansible evaluates the compliant state of a host,
it'll only make changes if the desired state is not already achieved.
So you can have no fear of applying the playbook on a
regular schedule to your target host.
It's not going to disturb anything that's in compliance.
And then lastly,
don't underestimate how powerful community support is.
Ansible has a large and active community.