The document discusses the benefits and considerations of automating database management using Ansible, emphasizing that while there are fears of job loss and mistakes, automation can improve efficiency and safety. It outlines various database tasks suitable for automation, such as configuration management, patching, and backups, and introduces key Ansible concepts like orchestration and idempotency. The author encourages responsible automation to enhance database management practices.

1. Practical Database
Automation with Ansible®

2. @derek_downey
linkedin.com/in/derekjdowney/
Open Source DBA
Practical automation enthusiast
Derek Downey
Headshot
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About me

3. Copyright 2021 - Distributed Database Administrators, LLC - All rights reserved
Practical Database Automation
● Why automate databases?
● Using Ansible to manage databases
● Automate with caution

4. Copyright 2021 - Distributed Database Administrators, LLC - All rights reserved
Assumption: Automation is bad
● Leads to job loss
● Prone to mistakes
● Data is too critical
FEAR

5. Copyright 2021 - Distributed Database Administrators, LLC - All rights reserved
Database tasks
● Config management
● User control
● Schema migrations
● Patching/Upgrading
● Backup and Restores
● Failovers
● Shard management

6. Copyright 2021 - Distributed Database Administrators, LLC - All rights reserved
Automate anyway
● DBaaS is doing some of this already
● Config management
● User control
● Schema migrations
● Patching/Upgrading
● Backup and Restores
● Failovers
● Shard management

7. Copyright 2021 - Distributed Database Administrators, LLC - All rights reserved
Automate anyway
● DBaaS is doing some of this already
● Low value consumers of time
● Bring safety to managing databases
● Become a linchpin!

8. Copyright 2021 - Distributed Database Administrators, LLC - All rights reserved
Automate with Ansible
● Simple configuration language
● Minimal dependencies
● Open Source!
● Push or Pull automation

9. Copyright 2021 - Distributed Database Administrators, LLC - All rights reserved
Ansible Concepts
● Orchestration
● Idempotency
● Inventories
● Playbooks
● Handling secrets

10. Copyright 2021 - Distributed Database Administrators, LLC - All rights reserved
Orchestration
MySQL A (source)
T 0 T 1 T 2 T 3
MySQL A (replica)
MySQL B (source)
MySQL B (replica)
Create
user
Replicate
Validate

11. Copyright 2021 - Distributed Database Administrators, LLC - All rights reserved
Idempotency

12. Copyright 2021 - Distributed Database Administrators, LLC - All rights reserved
Idempotency
MySQL A (source)
T 0 T 1 T 2 T 3
MySQL A (replica)
MySQL B (source)
MySQL B (replica)
Create
user
Replicate
Validate

13. Copyright 2021 - Distributed Database Administrators, LLC - All rights reserved
Inventories

14. Copyright 2021 - Distributed Database Administrators, LLC - All rights reserved
Playbooks
$ ansible-playbook users.yml

15. Copyright 2021 - Distributed Database Administrators, LLC - All rights reserved
Handling secrets

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Handling secrets
$ ansible-playbook --ask-vault-pass
-e @passwords.yml
users.yml

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Demo

18. Copyright 2021 - Distributed Database Administrators, LLC - All rights reserved
Beyond user control
Orchestration, Idempotency, Secrets
● Config management
● User control
● Schema migrations
● Patching/Upgrading
● Backup and Restores
● Failovers
● Shard management

19. Copyright 2021 - Distributed Database Administrators, LLC - All rights reserved
CAUTION!
Nails everywhere
Credit: Quora

20. Copyright 2021 - Distributed Database Administrators, LLC - All rights reserved
CAUTION!
Nails everywhere
BEWARE: Humans

21. Copyright 2021 - Distributed Database Administrators, LLC - All rights reserved
CAUTION!
Nails everywhere
BEWARE: Humans
Tunnel vision
Credit: CNN

22. Website:
Distributeddba.com
E-Mail:
info@distributeddba.com
LinkedIn:
linkedin.com/company/distributeddba
Copyright 2021 - Distributed Database Administrators, LLC - All rights reserved
Cut out fear and automate databases responsibly!