Requirements

Before you install any IBM® z/OS® collection, you must configure a control node and managed node with a minimum set of requirements. The following sections detail the specific software requirements for the control and managed nodes.

Control node

A control node is any machine with Ansible® installed. From the control node, you can run commands and playbooks from a laptop, desktop, or server. However, Windows® is not a supported controller for Ansible collections managing a z/OS node.

All IBM z/OS collections are either Ansible Automation Platform Certified Content (AAP) or undergoing certification. Thus, the supported versions of Ansible align with the AAP Life Cycle which currently is Ansible versions 2.9 - 2.15. For support, the controller must use the supported version of Ansible and when applicable the collections dependencies. Review the Ansible Automation Platform Certified Content to determine which versions of Ansible a collection is supporting.

IBM z/OS collections minimally require these versions of software, for additional supported versions review Ansible Automation Platform Certified Content.

  • Ansible version: 2.9

  • Python: 2.7 or later

  • OpenSSH

    • Modules which can have Ansible tasks delegated to a localhost need not have OpenSSH enabled. Such modules often rely on a REST API for automation. Refer to the collections listed in the Managed node section to review which collections leverage a REST endpoint.

Each offering in the Red Hat® Ansible Certified Content for IBM Z offering can vary in terms of the requirements for the control node. Select one of the following offerings to learn more about the specific dependencies and required/supported software versions.

Managed node

A managed node is often referred to as a target node, or host, and it is managed by Ansible. Ansible need not be installed on a managed node. Each offering in the IBM z/OS collections varies in terms of the requirements for the managed node. Select one of the following offerings to learn more about the specific dependencies and required/supported software versions.