Major Differences Between Ansible Engine and Ansible Core

Ansible Core and Red Hat Ansible Engine

Learn the key differences between Ansible Core and Red Hat Ansible Engine, now EOL. Understand the transition to Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform and how it impacts your automation strategy.

Table of Contents

🔈Introduction

Ansible has long been a go-to tool for automation, configuration management, and application deployment. However, with its evolving product lineup and the release of newer offerings, it’s important to understand how Ansible Engine and Ansible Core fit into the larger Ansible ecosystem, especially in light of recent changes to Red Hat’s offerings.

⚠️Previously, Ansible Engine served as a commercial version of Ansible, supported by Red Hat. As of recent changes, Red Hat Ansible Engine has been officially discontinued in favor of Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform.

In this blog post, we’ll dive into the major differences between Ansible Engine and Ansible Core, taking into account the most current product offerings from Red Hat and what these changes mean for automation users.

🤔What is Ansible Core?

Ansible Core is the free and open-source version of Ansible, the powerful IT automation tool used for configuration management, provisioning, and task automation. Ansible Core includes the basic features needed for automating IT tasks, such as:

  • Ansible Playbooks written in YAML
  • Ansible Modules for performing specific tasks
  • Command-line interface (CLI) for interacting with the tool
  • Inventory to manage your list of nodes or machines

Ansible Core is open-source and community-supported, which means anyone can contribute and access the source code, making it ideal for smaller teams or personal use cases.

What was Ansible Engine?

Ansible Engine was the commercial offering from Red Hat based on Ansible Core. This version of Ansible included certified modules, enterprise-grade support, and was backed by a commercial subscription. Red Hat used Ansible Engine as a bridge to its broader automation tools in the enterprise space.

However, Ansible Engine has reached its end of life (EOL) and is no longer supported. The successor to Ansible Engine is now the Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform, which offers even more advanced capabilities for enterprise environments, such as integration with Red Hat’s broader product ecosystem, enhanced security features, and enterprise-focused support.

Major Differences Between Ansible Engine and Ansible Core

FeatureAnsible CoreAnsible Engine (EOL)Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform
AvailabilityOpen-source, free to useNo longer available or supportedSubscription-based, enterprise-focused
SupportCommunity-based (forums, GitHub issues)No longer supportedOfficial support, SLAs from Red Hat
Security UpdatesCommunity-driven, periodic updatesNo longer receiving security updatesRegular security patches and updates from Red Hat
Certified ContentNo certified modules or contentCertified content during active lifecycleCertified content with strict compliance standards
Integration with Other ProductsNo direct integration with Red Hat productsLimited integration with Red Hat productsFull integration with Red Hat products (e.g., RHEL, OpenShift)
Enterprise FeaturesNo advanced enterprise featuresSome enterprise features but limited compared to newer platformsAdvanced features like Ansible Tower, automation controllers
LicensingGNU General Public License (GPL)EOL, no new licensesCommercial license with subscription fee

🔑Key Differences

  • End of Life for Ansible Engine
    Ansible Engine is no longer available for purchase, as Red Hat has phased out this product in favor of Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform. Therefore, users of Ansible Engine are encouraged to transition to the new platform for ongoing support and advanced features.
  • Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform
    The Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform replaces Ansible Engine. It offers an expanded set of features, including:
    • Ansible Tower (for centralized management of playbooks and workflows)
    • Automation Controllers (for managing and scaling automation)
    • Certified Content Collections for enterprise-level integrations with Red Hat products
    • Enhanced security, governance, and reporting features
  • Support Lifecycle
    As Ansible Engine is EOL, it no longer receives official updates or support from Red Hat. In contrast, Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform ensures regular updates, security patches, and long-term support with subscription plans.

🔑Key Features of Ansible Core

Ansible Core remains the foundation of all Ansible-based automation, and its features include:

  • YAML-based Playbooks: Simple, human-readable syntax that defines the state of systems.
  • Modules for Various Tasks: From configuration management to software installation and cloud provisioning.
  • Agentless Operation: Ansible requires no agents to be installed on managed nodes—just SSH or WinRM for Windows.
  • Idempotency: Ensures that playbooks can be run multiple times without changing the state of the system if no updates are needed.

🔑Key Features of Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform

The Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform builds on the capabilities of Ansible Engine but adds critical enterprise-focused features such as:

  • Ansible Tower: A web-based GUI and REST API for managing and orchestrating playbooks at scale.
  • Automation Controllers: Centralized control points for managing workflows, users, and scaling automation.
  • Certified Content: Provides guaranteed, enterprise-ready modules for production systems.
  • Integration with Red Hat Products: Seamless integration with Red Hat OpenShift, Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), and other Red Hat technologies.
  • Advanced Security Features: Includes features like SCAP compliance, role-based access control (RBAC), and secure automation.

Practical Use Cases

Ansible Core Use Case: Small-Scale Automation

For small teams or developers looking for a simple, open-source automation tool, Ansible Core is perfect. For example, if you need to automate server configurations or deploy applications across a few machines, Ansible Core offers everything you need without the overhead of enterprise features.

CLI Example (Ansible Core):
				
					ansible-playbook -i inventory.ini my_playbook.yml

Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform Use Case: Large-Scale Enterprise Automation

For enterprises managing large-scale infrastructure or multiple teams, Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform offers the scalability, security, and management capabilities required. With integrated tools like Ansible Tower, role-based access control (RBAC), and certified modules, the platform ensures that automation is consistent, secure, and fully supported.

Ansible Core and Red Hat Ansible Engine

Photo by admingeek from Infotechys

CLI Example (Ansible Automation Platform):
				
					awx-manage cleanup_jobs
				
			
				
					jobs: 192 deleted, 16966 skipped.
ad hoc commands: 0 deleted, 0 skipped.
deleting "2025-03-08 00:42:58.486439+00:00-2-successful" (type manual)
deleting "2025-03-08 04:04:11.079404+00:00-15-successful" (type manual)
deleting "2025-03-08 04:08:02.234612+00:00-16-successful" (type manual)
deleting "2025-03-16 07:04:56.180005+00:00-75-failed" (type manual)
deleting "2025-03-16 07:05:23.806727+00:00-76-failed" (type manual)
deleting "2025-03-16 07:08:18.429588+00:00-77-failed" (type manual)
deleting "2025-03-16 07:09:54.722637+00:00-78-failed" (type manual)
deleting "2025-03-16 07:10:15.386545+00:00-79-failed" (type manual)
deleting "2025-03-16 07:10:29.569789+00:00-80-failed" (type manual)
deleting "2025-03-16 07:15:26.649313+00:00-81-failed" (type manual)
deleting "2025-03-16 07:15:36.224531+00:00-82-failed" (type manual)
deleting "2025-03-16 07:15:42.397928+00:00-83-failed" (type manual)
deleting "2025-03-16 07:15:50.553572+00:00-84-failed" (type manual)
deleting "2025-03-16 07:15:58.370989+00:00-85-failed" (type manual)
deleting "2025-03-16 07:22:09.659376+00:00-86-failed" (type manual)
deleting "2025-03-16 07:25:17.888717+00:00-87-failed" (type manual)
deleting "2025-03-16 07:25:26.795686+00:00-88-failed" (type manual)
project updates: 18 deleted, 91 skipped.
inventory updates: 0 deleted, 0 skipped.
deleting "2025-03-09 04:41:28.748474+00:00-47-successful" (type cleanup_jobs)
deleting "2025-03-11 04:41:35.533902+00:00-48-successful" (type cleanup_activitystream)
deleting "2025-03-14 04:42:59.724353+00:00-49-successful" (type cleanup_sessions)
deleting "2025-03-14 04:42:59.816335+00:00-50-successful" (type cleanup_tokens)
deleting "2025-03-16 04:41:15.946879+00:00-51-successful" (type cleanup_jobs)
deleting "2025-03-18 04:41:14.455084+00:00-158-successful" (type cleanup_activitystream)
deleting "2025-03-21 04:43:07.428448+00:00-195-successful" (type cleanup_sessions)
deleting "2025-03-21 04:43:07.528144+00:00-196-successful" (type cleanup_tokens)
deleting "2025-03-23 04:41:21.859355+00:00-221-successful" (type cleanup_jobs)
management jobs: 9 deleted, 104 skipped.
workflow jobs: 0 deleted, 0 skipped.
notifications: 0 deleted, 0 skipped.

📌Conclusion

To summarize, Ansible Core remains a powerful open-source tool for IT automation, while Red Hat Ansible Engine has been discontinued. For those still using Ansible Engine, it’s time to migrate to the Ansible Core or Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform for continued support, security patches, and enhanced features. Ansible Core continues to serve as the foundation for smaller, community and enterprise driven projects. Overall, users will benefit from the advanced capabilities offered by the Automation Platform.

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