Using Ansible Vault with Environment Variables Nov 15, 2025

We've reached the final post in our Ansible Vault series.  We've come a long way and have just scratched the surface on how Ansible Vault can be used to help secure automation.

You've learned to stop hardcoding passwords by encrypting entire files.  You've mastered surgical security by encrypting s...

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What is an Ansible Vault File? How to Create and Use Your First Encrypted Variables Oct 25, 2025

Last week, we discussed the ticking time bomb of hardcoded passwords and why secure secrets management is a non-negotiable skill for DBAs.  We identified Ansible Vault as the right tool for the job, but theory only gets you so far.

Today, we get our hands dirty.

We're going to take our first step ...

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What is Idempotency? Building Safe Automation from the Start Sep 20, 2025

Last week, you took a massive step.

You built your first Ansible playbook, ran it, and saw for yourself that a different way of managing SQL Server is not only possible but within your reach. You had your first win as an Automation Architect.

But with that first success comes a new, perfectly va

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