---
title: AAP Starter Kit
date: 2026-10-16
tier: sandbox
summary: Install Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform on OpenShift with Config as Code, including optional automation hub, Lightspeed, and Automation Orchestrator variants.
rh_products:
- Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform
- Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform
- Red Hat OpenShift Data Foundation
- Red Hat OpenShift GitOps
industries:
- General
focus_areas:
- Automation
- GitOps
- DevSecOps
aliases: /aap-starter-kit/
pattern_logo: ansible-edge.png
links:
  github: https://github.com/validatedpatterns/aap-starter-kit/
  install: getting-started
  bugs: https://github.com/validatedpatterns/aap-starter-kit/issues
  feedback: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScI76b6tD1WyPu2-d_9CCVDr3Fu5jYERthqLKJDUGwqBg7Vcg/viewform
---

:toc:
:imagesdir: /images
:_content-type: ASSEMBLY
include::modules/comm-attributes.adoc[]

== AAP Starter Kit

This pattern installs and configures {rh-ansible} on {ocp} by using a Config as Code (CaC) and GitOps approach.
It uses the same concepts (and charts) as the link:/patterns/ansible-edge-gitops/[Ansible Edge GitOps] pattern,
focusing on Ansible Automation Platform (AAP) itself rather than edge virtualization workloads.

The pattern deploys a single-cluster hub layout with {rh-gitops-short} (single Argo CD), HashiCorp Vault, the External Secrets Operator, an AAP instance, and AAP configuration loaded from a CaC repository.
Install variants add automation hub (with {ocp-data-short} for RWX storage), Ansible Lightspeed, CloudNativePG, and Automation Orchestrator.

You might fork the repository to customize chart overrides under `overrides/` or to select a non-default install variant.
The link:/patterns/aap-starter-kit/getting-started/[Getting started] page describes variant selection, required secrets, and verification steps.

[id="install-variants"]
=== Install variants

The pattern ships four install variants under `variants/` in the repository.
Set `main.variant` in
link:https://github.com/validatedpatterns/aap-starter-kit/blob/main/values-global.yaml[`values-global.yaml`]
before install.
The default is `minimal-aap`.

[cols="1,1,3",options="header"]
|===
| Variant | `main.variant` | Purpose

| `minimal-aap`
| `minimal-aap` (default)
| {ansible} 2.7 with controller and minimal CaC.
Automation hub and Lightspeed are disabled.

| `aap-with-hub`
| `aap-with-hub`
| `minimal-aap` plus {ocp-data-short} and automation hub (RWX storage required).

| `aap-with-ao`
| `aap-with-ao`
| `minimal-aap` plus CloudNativePG (`vp-cloudnative-pg-cluster`) and Automation Orchestrator.

| `complete-aap-ao`
| `complete-aap-ao`
| Automation hub, Lightspeed, and Automation Orchestrator (includes {ocp-data-short} and CloudNativePG).
|===

Variant values live under `variants/<name>/values-<name>.yaml`.
The pattern enables `global.singleArgoCD: true` and `global.vpNewFolderDir: true`.
Keep variant and cluster group names short so GitOps server DNS labels stay within 63 characters (the complete variant is named `complete-aap-ao` for that reason).

[NOTE]
====
Automation hub variants need RWX storage from the Validated Patterns {ocp-data-short} chart.
Automation Orchestrator variants install the CloudNativePG operator from `certified-operators`.
Red Hat does not support CloudNativePG for Automation Orchestrator databases.
Use an externally supported PostgreSQL 15 instance when a supported database is required for your environment.
====

See link:/patterns/aap-starter-kit/installation-details/#variant-installation-differences[Installation details] for what each variant deploys.
For component schematics by variant, see link:/patterns/aap-starter-kit/architecture/[Architecture].

=== Background

Teams that adopt Ansible on OpenShift often need a repeatable starting point that installs the operator and instance, wires secrets through Vault and External Secrets, and loads controller configuration from Git.
This pattern provides that baseline and offers install variants so you can add automation hub, Lightspeed, or Automation Orchestrator without rebuilding the pattern from scratch.

==== Solution elements

* Deploy {ansible} on {ocp} with GitOps
* Load AAP configuration from a CaC repository
* Optionally enable automation hub, Lightspeed, and Automation Orchestrator

==== Red Hat technologies

* {rh-ocp}
* {rh-ansible}
* {rh-gitops}
* {rh-ocp-data-first} (hub and complete variants)

==== Other technologies this pattern uses

* HashiCorp Vault (Community Edition)
* External Secrets Operator
* CloudNativePG (Automation Orchestrator variants; not supported by Red Hat for AO databases)

=== Architecture overview

All variants run on a single OpenShift cluster (hub cluster group).
The default `minimal-aap` variant deploys Vault, External Secrets, the AAP operator and instance (controller; hub and Lightspeed disabled), and the `aap-config` CaC application.

.aap-architecture-diagram
image::/images/aap-starter-kit/aap-architecture-minimal-aap.png[aap-starter-kit-architecture,title="AAP Starter Kit architecture (minimal-aap)"]

draw.io source: link:/images/aap-starter-kit/aap-architecture-minimal-aap.drawio[`aap-architecture-minimal-aap.drawio`]

Other variants add {ocp-data-short}, automation hub, Lightspeed, CloudNativePG, and Automation Orchestrator.
See link:/patterns/aap-starter-kit/architecture/[Architecture] for per-variant schematics and draw.io sources.

=== Next steps

* link:/patterns/aap-starter-kit/architecture/[Architecture] — Component schematics and draw.io sources by variant
* link:/patterns/aap-starter-kit/getting-started/[Getting started] — Prerequisites, variant selection, and deployment
* link:/patterns/aap-starter-kit/installation-details/[Installation details] — Install sequence and expected installations
* link:/patterns/aap-starter-kit/cluster-sizing/[Cluster sizing] — Resource requirements