Installing Ansible Automation Platform 2.6

Installing Ansible Automation Platform 2.6 (Growth Topology) on a Standalone Server

This guide explains how to install the containerized Ansible Automation Platform (AAP) 2.6 with Growth Topology on a single-node (standalone) server.

Since AWX and Ansible Tower are no longer supported, it is a good idea to move to the Ansible Automation Platform (AAP). AAP provides a single, container-based system for automation with better speed, easier scaling, and a modern design. It is now the recommended choice for organizations that need reliable and advanced automation.

1. System Requirements

ComponentDetailsOSRHEL 9.6 (Base ISO)RAM16 GBCPU8 vCPUsHard at least Disk50 GB

2. Pre-requisites

2.1 Register the System

sudo subscription-manager register
sudo yum update

2.2 Disable Firewall and SELinux

sudo systemctl stop firewalld
sudo systemctl disable firewalld
sudo vi /etc/selinux/config

Set:

SELINUX=disabled

2.3 Configure Hostname and Hosts File

sudo vi /etc/hosts

Add:

<Your IP>  aap.example.com  aap

sudo vi /etc/hostname

Set:

aap.example.com

Apply and reboot:

sudo hostnamectl set-hostname aap.example.com
sudo reboot

3. Create and Configure the Ansible User

⚠️ Do not run the installation as root. Always switch to your ansible user before running commands.

sudo useradd -m -g wheel -s /bin/bash ansible
sudo visudo

Add this line (do not copy-paste the comment):

ansible ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: ALL

Then:

sudo passwd ansible
su - ansible
sudo dnf install -y ansible-core

💡 Make sure SSH is configured and the host is reachable via hostname/FQDN.

4. Download AAP 2.6 Containerized Setup Bundle

• Visit: **Red Hat Developers — Ansible Download**
• Download Platform 2.6 — x86_64 (Containerized Setup Bundle)

⚠️ You must download the Containerized version only.

Extract the Bundle

tar -zxvf <aap26>.tar.gz
mv <extracted-folder> aap26
cd aap26

Inside, you’ll find:

aap_install.log
ansible.cfg
bundle/
collections/
inventory
inventory-growth
inventory-growth-org
README.md

5. Configure Inventory for Growth Topology

5.1 Edit inventory-growth

Pay attention to the following:

• Correct path for bundle_dir
• Correct user (ansible)

vi inventory-growth

# ─── Gateway host ──────────────────────────────
[automationgateway]
aap.example.com ansible_connection=local ansible_user=ansible

# ─── Controller host ───────────────────────────
[automationcontroller]
aap.example.com ansible_connection=local ansible_user=ansible

# ─── Automation Hub host ───────────────────────
[automationhub]
aap.example.com ansible_connection=local ansible_user=ansible

# ─── Event Driven Ansible host ─────────────────
[automationeda]
aap.example.com ansible_connection=local ansible_user=ansible

# ─── Database host ─────────────────────────────
[database]
aap.example.com ansible_connection=local ansible_user=ansible

[all:vars]
ansible_connection=local

# PostgreSQL
postgresql_admin_username=postgres
postgresql_admin_password=password

# Bundle install
bundle_install=true
bundle_dir='/home/ansible/aap26/bundle'

# Redis
redis_mode=standalone

# ─── Gateway ──────────────────────────────
gateway_admin_password=password
gateway_pg_host=aap.example.com
gateway_pg_password=password

# ─── Controller ───────────────────────────
controller_admin_password=password
controller_pg_host=aap.example.com
controller_pg_password=password
controller_percent_memory_capacity=0.5
controller_hostname=aap.example.com

# ─── Automation Hub ───────────────────────
hub_admin_password=password
hub_pg_host=aap.example.com
hub_pg_password=password

# ─── EDA Controller ───────────────────────
eda_admin_password=password
eda_pg_host=aap.example.com
eda_pg_password=password

5.2 Verify Install Playbook Path

Ensure this file exists:

/home/ansible/aap26/collections/ansible_collections/ansible/containerized_installer/playbooks/install.yml

5.3 Enable Podman and Linger

loginctl enable-linger ansible
sudo systemctl enable --now podman.socket
sudo systemctl status podman.socket

6. Run the Installation

Switch to the ansible user:

su - ansible

Run the installation playbook:

ansible-playbook -i inventory-growth \
./collections/ansible_collections/ansible/containerized_installer/playbooks/install.yml -k

This installs:

• Automation Controller
• Event Driven Ansible
• Automation Hub
• Automation Gateway (UI)
• Database
• Receptor
• Redis

7. Troubleshooting

7.1 Podman Socket Access

Depending on your OS installation type: If you installed a minimal version, you may face Podman errors. Run the missing commands and reinstall.

7.2 SELinux / Firewall Port 443

If the Gateway cannot resolve port 443, check SELinux or firewall status.

7.3 Reinstalling

If you need to reinstall completely:

podman rm -f $(podman ps -a -q)
# Then re-run the ansible-playbook

8. Post-Install Steps

Access the AAP Web UI:

🔗 **https://aap.example.com**

Login with the credentials you set in inventory-growth.

Quick Checklist

✅ RHEL registered & updated ✅ SELinux & firewall disabled ✅ Hostname & hosts file set ✅ ansible user created with sudo privileges ✅ Bundle downloaded & extracted ✅ inventory-growth updated ✅ Playbook executed

9. Upload Red Hat Subscription Manifest

After your first login to the AAP Web UI, you must upload a Subscription Manifest.

1. Log in to your Red Hat account
2. Go to Subscriptions → Manifests
3. Create a new manifest (select Satellite as the product)
4. Download the manifest file
5. Upload it in the AAP Web UI → Settings → Subscription

Once uploaded, your installation will be registered with Red Hat.

Note: If you connect remotely, ensure your SSH tunnel or VPN connection is properly configured.