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Ansible inventory is the authoritative list of VPS hosts, their groups, and the connection variables Ansible needs to reach them. For a small or deliberately managed fleet, keep a YAML inventory in Git, separate shared settings into group_vars, put host-specific connection details in host_vars, and validate every change with ansible-inventory before running a play. Move to dynamic inventory when a provider or automation system creates and removes instances frequently.
What an Ansible inventory does
The Ansible Community documentation defines inventory as the list, or group of lists, of managed hosts: “Ansible automates tasks on managed nodes or ‘hosts’ in your infrastructure by using a list or group of lists known as inventory.” An inventory therefore answers three operational questions:
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- Which VPSs can Ansible manage?
- How are those VPSs grouped for targeting?
- Which address, user, port, and SSH key should Ansible use for each host?
Inventory is not the same as a playbook. A playbook describes desired work; inventory identifies where that work can run and supplies connection behavior. Keep the inventory in version control so additions, removals, group changes, and connection changes are reviewed as infrastructure code.
Use a repository layout that separates environments
A practical starting layout for a VPS project is:
ansible/
inventories/
production/
hosts.yml
group_vars/
all.yml
web.yml
db.yml
host_vars/
web-01.yml
db-01.yml
playbooks/
site.ymlThe hosts.yml file defines hosts and group membership. Variables shared by every host or by a group live under group_vars. Exceptional values for one machine live under host_vars. A separate inventories/staging tree keeps staging values and membership independent from production.
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Ansible’s default inventory location is /etc/ansible/hosts. In a repository, select the intended file explicitly with -i, for example:
ansible-inventory -i inventories/production/hosts.yml --graphUsing an explicit path prevents a command from silently reading a different system-wide inventory.
Choose YAML or INI
| Format | Best fit | Strengths | Trade-offs |
|---|---|---|---|
| YAML | Nested groups, structured variables, or a growing repository | Hierarchical structure is visible, indentation makes parent-child relationships explicit, and complex host data is easier to review | Indentation errors can invalidate the file; consistent formatting is important |
| INI | A short list of hosts and simple groups | Compact and quick to edit for a small fleet | Nested relationships and structured values are less obvious as the inventory grows |
Both formats are valid static inventories. Select YAML when groups and variables have enough structure that a reviewer benefits from seeing the hierarchy. Select INI when a concise host-and-group list is all you need; migrate later if the file becomes difficult to audit.
Build a static YAML inventory
1. Define hosts and connection details
Create inventories/production/hosts.yml:
all:
children:
web:
hosts:
web-01:
ansible_host: 203.0.113.10
ansible_user: deploy
web-02:
ansible_host: 203.0.113.11
ansible_user: deploy
db:
hosts:
db-01:
ansible_host: 203.0.113.20
ansible_user: deploy
ansible_port: 2222web-01, web-02, and db-01 are Ansible host names. They are stable labels used in play patterns and do not have to match DNS names. ansible_host is the address Ansible actually connects to, ansible_user is the remote account, and ansible_port overrides the normal SSH port for the database host.
Using documentation-only addresses such as 203.0.113.10 in an example is safe; replace them with the reachable addresses of your VPSs. Do not use a public address merely because it is listed by a provider if the control node must reach the machine over a private network.
2. The equivalent compact INI form
[web]
web-01 ansible_host=203.0.113.10 ansible_user=deploy
web-02 ansible_host=203.0.113.11 ansible_user=deploy
[db]
db-01 ansible_host=203.0.113.20 ansible_user=deploy ansible_port=2222Host variables can be written inline in INI, but keeping many values on one line quickly becomes hard to review. The YAML form is usually easier once you need nested groups or several connection parameters.
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Design groups around how you operate
Start with operational roles
Group by the work a play performs: web, db, and monitoring are useful examples. A role-oriented group lets a play target exactly the machines that need a change, such as web-server configuration without touching databases.
Add orthogonal dimensions
After role groups, add independent dimensions such as production, staging, a region, or a provider. A host may belong to several groups at once. That avoids copying a host definition merely to express its environment and location.
For example, a production web host can be a member of both production and web, while also belonging to a region group. You can then target the intersection with production:&web. Quote that pattern in a shell command because the ampersand has shell meaning:
ansible-playbook -i inventories/production/hosts.yml playbooks/site.yml --limit 'production:&web'Use a group hierarchy when it reflects a real relationship. For instance, production can contain web and database child groups. Keep environment and role concepts distinct enough that a host can be selected by either dimension.
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Put variables in the right place
Group-wide values belong in group_vars
Place values shared by all hosts in group_vars/all.yml, and values shared by one role in a matching file such as group_vars/web.yml or group_vars/db.yml. A file can contain ordinary YAML variables used by your roles:
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# inventories/production/group_vars/web.yml
web_service_name: nginx
# inventories/production/group_vars/db.yml
database_backup_enabled: trueThe variable names above are examples for roles you write; inventory does not require those particular names. The important rule is scope: do not repeat the same group value in every host entry.
Host-specific values belong in host_vars
Use host_vars/<host-name>.yml for a one-off value or connection exception:
# inventories/production/host_vars/db-01.yml
ansible_port: 2222
ansible_ssh_private_key_file: ~/.ssh/production-dbThe file name must match the inventory host name, not necessarily its IP address. If every database uses the same nonstandard port, put ansible_port in group_vars/db.yml instead and override it only for exceptions.
Common SSH connection variables
ansible_host: the address or resolvable name used for the connection.ansible_user: the remote account.ansible_port: the SSH port when it differs from the default.ansible_ssh_private_key_file: the private key Ansible should use.
These are behavioral connection parameters. Keep them close to the inventory scope that owns them, and verify that the control node can reach the address and port before diagnosing Ansible itself.
Protect secrets
Never commit passwords, private keys, or other credentials to an inventory repository. Use Ansible Vault for secret values, restrict permissions on the control node, and keep private-key files outside the repository. A connection variable that points to a key is not the key itself, but the referenced file still requires appropriate filesystem permissions.
Separate production and staging safely
Use different inventory roots when environments have different addresses, credentials, or membership:
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inventories/
production/
hosts.yml
group_vars/
host_vars/
staging/
hosts.yml
group_vars/
host_vars/Run a playbook with the environment you intend:
ansible-playbook -i inventories/staging/hosts.yml playbooks/site.yml
ansible-playbook -i inventories/production/hosts.yml playbooks/site.ymlThis explicit choice is safer than relying on a default file whose contents may change. It also makes pull-request review clearer: a production host addition appears in the production inventory, while staging changes remain isolated.
Inspect and validate before changing anything
View the parsed group tree
ansible-inventory -i inventories/production/hosts.yml --graphThe graph shows whether hosts landed in web, db, environment groups, or ungrouped. Check this after every structural edit.
Inspect one host’s resolved data
ansible-inventory -i inventories/production/hosts.yml --host web-01Use the result to confirm the final address, user, port, key path, and variables Ansible associates with that host. This catches a misspelled host name or a variable placed under the wrong group.
Test connectivity with the ping module
ansible all -i inventories/production/hosts.yml -m pingA successful response confirms that Ansible can select the hosts, establish the configured connection, authenticate, and execute the module. It does not prove that an application port or service is healthy; those are separate checks.
Use a narrow first run
For a playbook change, begin with one host or one role group:
ansible-playbook -i inventories/production/hosts.yml playbooks/site.yml --limit web-01
ansible-playbook -i inventories/production/hosts.yml playbooks/site.yml --limit webExpand the limit only after the result is what you expect. The --limit option is a second safety boundary even when the play’s host pattern is broad.
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Target VPSs precisely
Use a play’s host pattern for the normal scope and --limit for an operational restriction. Typical choices include:
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Always specify the inventory file as well as the limit. A correct pattern against the wrong environment is still a dangerous run.
Static versus dynamic inventory
| Decision axis | Static inventory files | Dynamic inventory source |
|---|---|---|
| Change frequency | Best when VPS membership changes deliberately and infrequently | Best when instances are created and destroyed frequently by a cloud or hosting system |
| Source of truth | Git-managed YAML or INI | A provider API or another system discovered through an inventory plugin or dynamic source |
| Reviewability | Every host and group change can be reviewed in a commit | Membership is discovered at run time; review moves to provider or automation changes |
| Secret handling | Keep only non-secret connection metadata in the repository and protect secrets with Vault | Protect plugin credentials and any returned sensitive data using the provider and Ansible’s secret-management practices |
| Targeting precision | Explicit groups and host names are easy to inspect | Depends on the plugin’s discovered groups and supported grouping options |
| Failure mode | A malformed or stale file is visible in version control and can be validated before a run | An unavailable provider or API can prevent membership discovery or return incomplete data |
When to switch
Stay with a static file when the VPS list changes through controlled, reviewed operations. Choose an inventory plugin or another dynamic source when the provider is the system that creates and removes instances and manual synchronization is becoming a regular source of errors. The dynamic source should discover membership; stable role or environment groups can remain layered over it when the plugin supports that model.
Continue to run ansible-inventory --graph against the dynamic source. Discovery is not a reason to skip inspection; it is a reason to inspect the generated result immediately before a change.
Troubleshoot the failures that matter most
The host is unreachable
- Check
ansible_hostfor a typo or an address unreachable from the control node. - Check
ansible_userand confirm that the account exists and is allowed to log in. - Check
ansible_portwhen SSH is not using its normal port. - Check
ansible_ssh_private_key_file, file permissions, and whether the corresponding public key is authorized on the VPS. - Confirm network access and firewall rules independently of Ansible.
Run ansible-inventory --host <host-name> first. If the resolved values are wrong, fix inventory scope before changing SSH or playbook code.
The play reaches the wrong machines
Inspect --graph, verify environment selection with -i, and apply a host-level --limit for the next run. A host that appears under ungrouped may have been omitted from the intended role or environment group.
An inventory file fails to parse
YAML is indentation-sensitive. Keep child mappings consistently indented, avoid tabs, and validate the parsed result with ansible-inventory before running a playbook. In INI, check group headers and keep host variables on the same line as the intended host.
A host has the wrong port or key
Look for the variable at every applicable scope: inline host data, host_vars, and group_vars. Put shared behavior at group scope and leave only genuine exceptions in host_vars; this reduces accidental overrides.
A dynamic inventory run changes unexpectedly
Check whether the provider API is reachable and whether the plugin returned the expected groups. Treat an unavailable or partially responding provider as an operational failure: do not proceed until the discovered host set is known and reviewed.
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A repeatable inventory change checklist
- Choose the correct environment inventory path.
- Add or edit the host in the role and environment groups that describe its purpose.
- Set
ansible_host,ansible_user,ansible_port, or the key path only at the narrowest necessary scope. - Put shared settings in
group_varsand one-off settings inhost_vars. - Keep passwords and private keys out of Git; use Ansible Vault for secrets.
- Run
ansible-inventory --graphand inspect each changed host with--host. - Run
ansible ... -m pingagainst the intended inventory. - Apply the playbook first with
--limitto one host or a small role group. - Review the resulting change and expand the target only when the scope is correct.
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