Ansible is an open-source automation tool used for: Configuration Management (installing & configuring software) Application Deployment (deploying apps to multiple servers) IT Orchestration (managing complete workflows across servers) It allows you to automate tasks on many servers at once using simple YAML playbooks. 📌 Key Points in the Definition: Agentless → Unlike tools like Puppet or Chef, Ansible doesn’t need any special agent software installed on the target machines. Uses SSH/WinRM → Connects to Linux servers via SSH and to Windows servers via WinRM . Idempotent → If you run a playbook multiple times, it won’t break anything—it ensures the system reaches the desired state. Human-Readable → Uses YAML syntax, easy for beginners. 📌 Example in One Line: 👉 Ansible is like a remote controller for your servers—it lets you install, configure, and manage 1000+ systems just by writing a few lines of YAML code. Step 1: Install Minimal U...