---
title: Re-evaluating old tools
date: 2024-05-02
permalink: archive/2024/05/02/re-evaluating-old-tools
tags:
    - software-development
    - devops
    - ansible
cta: ~
snippet: |
    Today, I gave Ansible a spin again after not using it for a while.
---

It's been a while since I used Ansible.

I used it for automating infrastructure and deploying applications.

[I gave a talk about it][talk] on several occasions, including remotely for the Ansible London meetup during COVID.

I haven't had to use it recently but, today, I [brought it back][commit] out of my toolkit.

I was reviewing how I manage my website's configuration and files and Ansible seemed to be a perfect choice.

The files need to be uploaded to the server and, to handle redirects, I also have a custom NGINX virtual host configuration that needs to be uploaded if I change it and the NGINX service reloaded.

Ansible is a great tool for this type of task and, just because it's a tool I haven't used it for a while, that doesn't mean I can't re-evaluate it and see if fits my current requirements.

It's still in my toolkit, just in case I need it.

[commit]: https://github.com/opdavies/oliverdavies.uk/commit/cd6575c6fcc091a0b7c98b6985b3a92b85e279e3
[talk]: {{site.url}}/talks/deploying-php-ansible-ansistrano