An Ansible Collection is a distribution format that bundles modules, plugins, roles, Playbooks and documentation into one versioned package. Collections are named namespace.collection, such as amazon.aws or community.general, and are installed from Ansible Galaxy or Red Hat Automation Hub.
Collections let content be released independently of ansible-core. That speeds up fixes, but it also means a Playbook depends on several versions at once: ansible-core plus every Collection it uses.
Certified Collections on Red Hat Automation Hub are tested and supported for AAP. XLAB Steampunk builds Red Hat Certified Ansible Collections, and Steampunk Spotter checks module and Collection compatibility in every Playbook.
