3 new Ansible automation hub updates

Beyond the buzz at AnsibleFest 2022 around event-driven automation, availability of Ansible in  AWS and Azure marketplaces, and Project Wisdom, some important changes were happening within Ansible automation hub, so let's take a closer look at the latest developments. 

Content signing for enhanced security

Content signing is a new feature currently available in technology preview in Ansible Automation Platform 2.2 and will be generally available with the release of 2.3. Content signing provides the framework to establish a secure chain-of-custody so you can consume, publish, and share Ansible content with more confidence that it is less vulnerable to tampering and malicious code. With content signing, you now have more control over compliance and your organization's internal security requirements. 

In addition, we have completed signing all of Red Hat Ansible Certified Collections available in Ansible automation hub, and we will work with our partners to sign any new content as it's released.  

Private automation hub is your internal content repository for automation execution environments as well as Ansible content you create or download from Ansible automation hub. In a future release, we hope to enable signing both content and execution environments that you create and share in your private automation hub. 

To learn more, check out these resources:

• AnsibleFest 2022 session: Securing your automation supply chain with content signing
• Blog: Digitally signing Ansible Content Collections using private automation hub
• Self-paced lab: Signing Ansible content collections with private automation hub
• Documentation: Collections and content signing in private automation hub

Validated content to accelerate your automation

We also just announced the release of Ansible validated content, which offers a new way to fast-track your automation, whether you're a busy expert or a novice just getting started on your automation journey. 

Ansible validated content provides an expert-led approach for performing operational tasks within your platforms across infrastructure, networking, cloud, security, and edge use cases. It's a result of customer requests for more operations-focused content that can be customized, shared, and reused knowing that it's been tested and has been created by or in coordination with Red Hat. 

While Red Hat Ansible Certified Content Collections focus on how to integrate automation into Red Hat and industry solutions, Ansible validated content offers best practices and guidance for how to perform operations or tasks in Red Hat or third-party platforms.

With the launch of Ansible Automation Platform 2.3, Ansible validated content will be made available as optionally pre-installed in private automation hub. In a future release, you may also find it in Ansible automation hub along with Red Hat Ansible Certified Content. 

To learn more: 

• Watch the AnsibleFest 2022 session: Introducing Ansible Network Validated Content
• Visit our component page: Ansible Content Collections

New Red Hat Ansible Certified Content Collections

ServiceNow ITSM

The Red Hat Ansible Certified Content Collection for ServiceNow ITSM helps you create new automation workflows faster based on ServiceNow ITSM while establishing a single source of truth in the ServiceNow configuration management database (CMDB). 

The latest certified release of this Collection has been updated with new API modules to automate tasks like POST, PATCH, DELETE, and GET requests as well as some performance improvements. We've also launched the API for Red Hat Ansible Certified Content Collection for ServiceNow ITSM to enhance and support the integration for users of ServiceNow Rome version releases and later.  

SAP Day 2 operations for Red Hat Enterprise Linux

End-of-support of SAP ERP Central Component (ECC) in 2027 is pushing many enterprises to prioritize complex SAP modernization initiatives and deploy SAP on Red Hat Enterprise Linux. Key to this journey is the use of System Roles (powered by Ansible) to help automate the provisioning and deployment of SAP HANA and SAP S/4 HANA. 

While Day 0/1 provisioning and deployment support a smoother migration, Day 2 operations are where automation delivers the long-term efficiency, speed, and productivity that organizations seek from their investment. The latest Red Hat Ansible Certified Content Collection for SAP focuses on automation for Day 2 operations including updating the SAP kernel, managing the SAP HANA system and services, managing the rolling kernel switch (RKS), and more. 

Discover more: 

• Watch the AnsibleFest session: Integrating automation into your ServiceNow ITSM
• Download the ebook: SAP S/4HANA modernization begins with automation

Coming soon

Many updates to Ansible automation hub occur asynchronously from the release of Ansible Automation Platform versions, so we're able to deliver new features and capabilities frequently in response to ongoing customer feedback. In the future, we hope to deliver:

• A single tool to support digital signing across automation execution environments, Collections, and projects to enable an end-to-end software supply chain in your organization. 
• Ansible validated content to support the deployment and management of Ansible Automation Platform on Azure and AWS clouds.
• New Red Hat Ansible Certified Content Collections for Avantra, Infinidat, Scale Computing, Virsec, and more.
• Revamped user experience for content discovery and consumption within Ansible automation hub.