Testing Apache configuration with Ansible templates

Ansible-apache-validate-README.md

original article: http://www.blue-bag.com/blog/testing-configuration-files-they-go-live-ansible

apache-vhost-template.yml

---

# create vhost for site
- name: Apache | Create vhost for site
  template: 
     src: vhost.conf.j2 
     dest: "{{ apache_vhost_available }}/{{ vhost_name }}.conf"
     mode: 0644
     owner: root
     group: root
    # validate: 'apachectl -t -f %s' - this fails
  sudo: true
  register: vhost_updated
  tags: 
   - apache

# set a fact so we can pass the file path to the test template
- name: Set fact for config to test
  set_fact:
    apache_conf_to_test:  "{{ apache_vhost_available }}/{{ vhost_name }}.conf"

# create a test configuration file that links in all of the required config
- name: Apache | test Updated hosts
  template: 
     src: config-test.conf.j2 
     dest: "/tmp/config-test.conf"
     mode: 0644
     owner: root
     group: root
     validate: 'apachectl -t -f %s'
  register: apache_result
  when: vhost_updated.changed
  ignore_errors: yes
  sudo: true
  tags: 
   - apache

# if the config test succeeds we can put the new vhost live
- name: Apache | enable host
  file: 
    src: "{{ apache_vhost_available }}/{{ vhost_name }}.conf"
    dest: "{{ apache_vhost_enabled }}/{{ vhost_name }}.conf" 
    state: link
  when:  apache_result|success
  sudo: true
  notify:
    - restart apache

- name: Clear out test file
  file: 
    path: "/tmp/config-test.conf"
    state: absent
  sudo: true
  when:  apache_result|success

- name: Apache | enable host success
  fail: msg="Apache configuration is invalid. Please check before re-running the playbook."
  when: apache_result|failed
  tags: [apache]

config-test.conf.j2

#{{ ansible_managed }} 
# A temp config file to test Apache configuration
ErrorLog /var/log/apache2/error_log
Include {{ apache_conf_enabled }}
Include {{ apache_mods_enabled }}/*.conf
Include {{ apache_mods_enabled }}/*.load
Include {{ apache_conf_to_test }}

vars.yml

# Some vars set in ./default/main.yml or your host vars:
# these may vary depending on your Apache version and OS
apache_vhost_available: /etc/apache2/sites-available
vhost_name: your site vhost name (e.g. my.example.site)
# apache_conf_available: /etc/apache2/conf_enabled or /etc/apache2/conf.d or /etc/httpd/conf.d etc
apache_conf_available: /etc/apache2/conf_enabled
#apache_mods_enabled: /etc/apache2/mods_enabled or /etc/httpd/mods_enabled
apache_mods_enabled: /etc/apache2/mods_enabled
#apache_conf_to_test: set by the task