Automation of Database Administration Tasks Using Ansible

Abstract

The automation of database administration (DBA) functions has become increasingly significant as organizations look to streamline their operations, minimize human errors, and maximize efficiency in database administration. Ansible, the open-source automation platform, has attracted considerable attention due to its capability to automate a broad spectrum of database administration functions, including installation, configuration, performance tuning, and disaster recovery. Nevertheless, despite the increasing body of literature, there are still gaps in comprehending the overall potential of Ansible for predictive database administration, integration with cloud-native databases, and artificial intelligence-based automation. Early research primarily concentrated on routine DBA functions such as backups, user management, and replication, whereas recent research has pointed to the potential of Ansible in cloud environments and its capability to communicate with machine learning models for predictive database administration. This paper endeavors to fill these research gaps through an analysis of the application of Ansible in contemporary database administration, with emphasis on its scalability, predictive features, and its utility in multi-cloud environments. Existing literature indicates that Ansible's integration with diverse technologies—such as cloud platforms, version control systems, and artificial intelligence—enables the automation of increasingly sophisticated DBA functions, thereby providing not only operational efficiency but also a decrease in errors and system downtime. The findings indicate that although Ansible has proven to be effective in automating conventional DBA functions, more research on its predictive features and integration with cloud-native solutions is necessary in order to fully leverage its potential in the rapidly evolving field of database administration. This research  underscores the necessity of ongoing innovation in automation tools such as Ansible to keep pace with the evolving needs of contemporary database environments.