The Current State of Inventory Selection

Oct 13, 2025 by talynt.org 93 views

Introduction

As an Ansible Automation Platform (AWX) user, you're likely familiar with the importance of inventory management in automating tasks across multiple machines. While AWX provides a convenient way to select a single inventory when running templates, this limitation can hinder efficiency, especially when dealing with complex environments. In this article, we'll explore the benefits of selecting multiple inventories when running templates and propose a solution to address this limitation.

The Current State of Inventory Selection

In AWX, when running templates, you can currently select a single inventory from the available options. This is a straightforward process, but it has its limitations. If you need to apply the same template to multiple inventories, you're forced to either add smart inventory or run the template individually for each inventory. This can be time-consuming and prone to errors.

The Need for Multi-Inventory Selection

Selecting multiple inventories when running templates would significantly enhance efficiency and streamline your automation workflows. With this feature, you could apply the same template to multiple inventories with a single click, reducing the time and effort required to manage complex environments.

Benefits of Multi-Inventory Selection

The benefits of selecting multiple inventories when running templates are numerous:

Increased Efficiency: By allowing you to apply templates to multiple inventories simultaneously, you can save time and reduce the administrative burden associated with managing complex environments.
Improved Accuracy: With the ability to select multiple inventories, you can ensure that your templates are applied consistently across all targeted environments, reducing the risk of errors and inconsistencies.
Enhanced Flexibility: Multi-inventory selection provides greater flexibility in your automation workflows, enabling you to adapt to changing environments and requirements.

Proposed Solution

To address the limitation of selecting only a single inventory when running templates, we propose the following solution:

Modify the UI: Update the UI to allow users to select multiple inventories when running templates. This could be achieved by introducing a checkbox or a multi-select option for inventory selection.
Implement API Changes: Update the API to support multi-inventory selection. This would enable users to pass multiple inventory IDs or names when running templates, allowing the system to apply the template to all selected inventories.
Update Documentation: Update the documentation to reflect the new feature and provide guidance on how to use multi-inventory selection when running templates.

Implementation Roadmap

To ensure a smooth implementation, we propose the following roadmap:

Phase 1: UI Updates: Update the UI to support multi-inventory selection. This would involve modifying the template run page to include a checkbox or multi-select option for inventory selection.
Phase 2: API Changes: Update the API to support multi-inventory selection. This would involve modifying the API endpoints to accept multiple inventory IDs or names when running templates.
Phase 3: Documentation Updates: Update the documentation to reflect the new feature and provide guidance on how to use multi-inventory selection when running templates.

Conclusion

Selecting multiple inventories when running templates is a crucial feature that would significantly enhance efficiency and streamline automation workflows. By proposing a solution that involves modifying the UI, implementing API changes, and updating documentation, we can ensure a smooth transition to this new feature. With the ability to select multiple inventories, users can save time, reduce errors, and improve flexibility in their automation workflows.

Future Development

As AWX continues to evolve, we propose the following future development ideas:

Integrate with Other Features: Integrate multi-inventory selection with other features, such as smart inventory and job templates, to provide a more comprehensive automation experience.
Enhance API Support: Enhance API support for multi-inventory selection to enable users to automate template runs using scripts and other automation tools.
Improve Documentation: Improve documentation to provide more detailed guidance on how to use multi-inventory selection when running templates.

Introduction

In our previous article, we explored the benefits of selecting multiple inventories when running templates in Ansible Automation Platform (AWX). We proposed a solution that involves modifying the UI, implementing API changes, and updating documentation to support multi-inventory selection. In this Q&A article, we'll address some of the most frequently asked questions about this feature and provide additional insights to help you understand the implications of multi-inventory selection.

Q: What are the benefits of selecting multiple inventories when running templates?

A: Selecting multiple inventories when running templates provides several benefits, including:

Increased Efficiency: By allowing you to apply templates to multiple inventories simultaneously, you can save time and reduce the administrative burden associated with managing complex environments.
Improved Accuracy: With the ability to select multiple inventories, you can ensure that your templates are applied consistently across all targeted environments, reducing the risk of errors and inconsistencies.
Enhanced Flexibility: Multi-inventory selection provides greater flexibility in your automation workflows, enabling you to adapt to changing environments and requirements.

Q: How will multi-inventory selection be implemented in AWX?

A: We propose the following implementation roadmap:

Phase 1: UI Updates: Update the UI to support multi-inventory selection. This would involve modifying the template run page to include a checkbox or multi-select option for inventory selection.
Phase 2: API Changes: Update the API to support multi-inventory selection. This would involve modifying the API endpoints to accept multiple inventory IDs or names when running templates.
Phase 3: Documentation Updates: Update the documentation to reflect the new feature and provide guidance on how to use multi-inventory selection when running templates.

Q: Will multi-inventory selection be available in the AWX UI and API?

A: Yes, multi-inventory selection will be available in both the AWX UI and API. This will enable users to select multiple inventories when running templates using either the web interface or automation scripts.

Q: How will multi-inventory selection impact existing automation workflows?

A: Multi-inventory selection will not impact existing automation workflows. However, users will need to update their automation scripts to take advantage of this new feature.

Q: Can I use multi-inventory selection with other AWX features, such as smart inventory and job templates?

A: Yes, multi-inventory selection can be used in conjunction with other AWX features, such as smart inventory and job templates. This will provide a more comprehensive automation experience.

Q: How will multi-inventory selection be documented in the AWX documentation?

A: We will update the AWX documentation to reflect the new feature and provide guidance on how to use multi-inventory selection when running templates.

Q: What are the next steps for implementing multi-inventory selection in AWX?

A: We will begin implementing the UI updates, API changes, and documentation updates as outlined in the proposed implementation roadmap.

Q: Can I provide feedback on the implementation of multi-inventory selection?

A: Yes, we welcome feedback from the community on the implementation of multi-inventory selection. Please submit your feedback through the AWX issue tracker or by contacting the AWX development team directly.

Conclusion

Selecting multiple inventories when running templates is a crucial feature that will enhance efficiency, accuracy, and flexibility in automation workflows. By addressing some of the most frequently asked questions about this feature, we hope to provide additional insights and clarity on the implementation of multi-inventory selection in AWX. If you have any further questions or would like to provide feedback, please don't hesitate to reach out.