This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Udoh Deborah
Step 1 – Create 3 EC2 Instances
• Go to AWS Console → EC2 → Launch Instances.
• Create 3 Ubuntu servers (e.g., t2.micro if on free tier).
• Use the same key pair for all three (so Ansible can connect easily).
• Tag them for easy identification (ansible_host, web1, web2).
Step 2 – Install Ansible on the Host Server (Ansible Control Node)
SSH into your chosen host server (Ansible Host):
ssh -i yourkey.pem ubuntu@<Ansible_Host_Public_IP>
Install Ansible:
sudo apt update
sudo apt install ansible -y
Step 3 – Copy Private Key to Ansible Host
From your local machine, upload the key to the Ansible Host:
scp -i yourkey.pem yourkey.pem ubuntu@<Ansible_Host_Public_IP>:/home/ubuntu/.ssh/
On the Ansible Host:
chmod 600 ~/.ssh/yourkey.pem
Step 4 – Configure the Inventory File
Edit the Ansible inventory file:
sudo vim /etc/ansible/hosts
Add your web servers:
[webservers]
web1 ansible_host=<Public_IP_of_Web1> ansible_user=ubuntu ansible_ssh_private_key_file=/home/ubuntu/.ssh/yourkey.pem
web2 ansible_host=<Public_IP_of_Web2> ansible_user=ubuntu ansible_ssh_private_key_file=/home/ubuntu/.ssh/yourkey.pem
Save and exit.
Step 5 – Create Ansible Playbook to Install Nginx
Create a playbook file:
vim install_nginx.yml
Add:
- name: Install Nginx on web servers
hosts: webservers
become: true
tasks:
- name: Update apt packages
apt:
update_cache: yes
- name: Install Nginx
apt:
name: nginx
state: present
Run it:
ansible-playbook install_nginx.yml
Step 6 – Deploy a Sample Web Page
Create a new playbook:
vim deploy_web.yml
Add:
- name: Deploy Sample Web Page
hosts: webservers
become: true
tasks:
- name: Copy index.html to servers
copy:
src: /home/ubuntu/index.html
dest: /var/www/html/index.html
First, create your sample file on the Ansible Host:
echo "<h1>Welcome to my Ansible Web Project 🚀</h1>" > index.html
Run the playbook:
ansible-playbook deploy_web.yml
Step 7 – Test Your Deployment
• Visit http:// and http:// in your browser.
• You should see: Welcome to my Ansible Web Project
With this, you’ve automated the installation of Nginx and the deployment of a web page across multiple servers using Ansible.
This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Udoh Deborah
Udoh Deborah | Sciencx (2025-09-28T14:34:02+00:00) Day 59: Ansible Project – Deploying a Simple Web App with Nginx. Retrieved from https://www.scien.cx/2025/09/28/day-59-ansible-project-deploying-a-simple-web-app-with-nginx/
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