Search icon Close icon
Search icon CANCEL
Subscription
0
Cart icon
Your Cart (0 item)
Close icon
You have no products in your basket yet
Save more on your purchases! discount-offer-chevron-icon
Savings automatically calculated. No voucher code required.
Checkout

Change country

Modal Close icon
Country selected Country selected
country flag United States
Country selected
country flag Great Britain
Country selected
country flag India
Country selected
country flag Germany
Country selected
country flag France
Country selected
country flag Canada
Country selected
country flag Russia
Country selected
country flag Spain
Country selected
country flag Brazil
Country selected
country flag Australia
Country selected
country flag Singapore
Country selected
country flag Hungary
Country selected
country flag Ukraine
Country selected
country flag Luxembourg
Country selected
country flag Estonia
Country selected
country flag Lithuania
Country selected
country flag South Korea
Country selected
country flag Turkey
Country selected
country flag Switzerland
Country selected
country flag Colombia
Country selected
country flag Taiwan
Country selected
country flag Chile
Country selected
country flag Norway
Country selected
country flag Ecuador
Country selected
country flag Indonesia
Country selected
country flag New Zealand
Country selected
country flag Cyprus
Country selected
country flag Denmark
Country selected
country flag Finland
Country selected
country flag Poland
Country selected
country flag Malta
Country selected
country flag Czechia
Country selected
country flag Austria
Country selected
country flag Sweden
Country selected
country flag Italy
Country selected
country flag Egypt
Country selected
country flag Belgium
Country selected
country flag Portugal
Country selected
country flag Slovenia
Country selected
country flag Ireland
Country selected
country flag Romania
Country selected
country flag Greece
Country selected
country flag Argentina
Country selected
country flag Netherlands
Country selected
country flag Bulgaria
Country selected
country flag Latvia
Country selected
country flag South Africa
Country selected
country flag Malaysia
Country selected
country flag Japan
Country selected
country flag Slovakia
Country selected
country flag Philippines
Country selected
country flag Mexico
Country selected
country flag Thailand
Country selected
Arrow left icon
Explore Products
Best Sellers
New Releases
Books
Videos
Audiobooks
Learning Hub
Newsletter Hub
Free Learning
Arrow right icon
timer SALE ENDS IN
0 Days
:
00 Hours
:
00 Minutes
:
00 Seconds
Home > Cloud & Networking > Configuration Management > Extending Puppet
Extending Puppet
Extending Puppet

Extending Puppet: Design, manage, and deploy your Puppet architecture with the help of real-world scenarios.

Arrow left icon
Profile Icon Alessandro Franceschi
Arrow right icon
AU$14.99 AU$33.99
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Half star icon 4.9 (16 Ratings)
eBook Jun 2014 328 pages 1st Edition
eBook
AU$14.99 AU$33.99
Paperback
AU$41.99
Subscription
Free Trial
Renews at AU$24.99p/m
Arrow left icon
Profile Icon Alessandro Franceschi
Arrow right icon
AU$14.99 AU$33.99
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Half star icon 4.9 (16 Ratings)
eBook Jun 2014 328 pages 1st Edition
eBook
AU$14.99 AU$33.99
Paperback
AU$41.99
Subscription
Free Trial
Renews at AU$24.99p/m
eBook
AU$14.99 AU$33.99
Paperback
AU$41.99
Subscription
Free Trial
Renews at AU$24.99p/m

What do you get with eBook?

Product feature icon Instant access to your Digital eBook purchase
Product feature icon Download this book in EPUB and PDF formats
Product feature icon Access this title in our online reader with advanced features
Product feature icon DRM FREE - Read whenever, wherever and however you want
OR

Contact Details

Modal Close icon
Payment Processing...
tick Completed

Billing Address

Table of content icon View table of contents Preview book icon Preview Book

Extending Puppet

Chapter 2. Hiera

The history of Puppet is an interesting example of how best practices have evolved with time, following new usage patterns and contributions from the community.

Once people started to write manifests and express the desired state of their systems with Puppet's DSL, they found themselves placing custom variables and parameters that expressed various resources of their infrastructures (IP addresses, hostnames, paths, URLs, names, properties, lists of objects, and so on) inside the code used to create the needed resource types.

At times, variables were used to classify and categorize nodes (systems' roles, operational environments, and so on); at other times, facts (such as $::operatingsystem) were used to provide resources with the right names and paths according to the underlying OS.

Variables could be defined in different places; they could be set via an ENC, inside node declarations, or inside classes.

There wasn't (and actually, still there isn&apos...

Installing and configuring Hiera

From Puppet 3.x, Hiera has been officially integrated, and it is installed as a dependency when we install Puppet.

On Puppet 2.x, we need to install Hiera separately on the node where the Puppet Master resides: we need both the hiera and hiera-puppet packages, either via the OS native packaging system or via gem.

Hiera is not required on the clients unless they operate in a Masterless setup.

Its configuration file is hiera.yaml, and its path depends on how it is invoked, which can be either of the following ways:

  • When invoked from Puppet, the path will be /etc/puppet/hiera.yaml (/etc/puppetlabs/puppet/hiera.yaml for Puppet Enterprise)
  • When invoked from the CLI or when used within Ruby code, the path is /etc/hiera.yaml

It makes sense to create a symlink, and be sure to always use and edit the same file using the following command:

ln -s /etc/hiera.yaml /etc/puppet/hiera.yaml

The file is a YAML hash, where the top-level keys are Ruby symbols with a colon (:) prefix...

Working with the command line on a YAML backend

When we use a backend based on files such as JSON or YAML, which are the most commonly used, we have to recreate on the filesystem the hierarchy defined in our hiera.yaml file; the files that contain Hiera data must be placed in these directories.

Let's see Hiera in action. Provide a sample hierarchy configuration as follows:

:hierarchy:
  - "nodes/%{::fqdn}"
  - "env/%{::env}"
  - common

:yaml:
  :datadir: /etc/puppet/hieradata

We have to create a directory structure as follows:

mkdir -p /etc/puppet/hieradata/nodes
mkdir -p /etc/puppet/hieradata/env

Then, work on the YAML files as shown:

vi /etc/puppet/hieradata/nodes/web01.example42.com.yaml
vi /etc/puppet/hieradata/env/production.yaml
vi /etc/puppet/hieradata/env/test.yaml
vi /etc/puppet/hieradata/common.yaml

The previous files are plain YAML files where we can specify the values for any Hiera-managed variable. These values can be strings, arrays, or hashes.

We can place...

Using Hiera in Puppet

Using the Hiera functions, the data stored in Hiera can be retrieved by the Puppet Master while compiling the catalog. In our manifests, we can have something like the following:

$dns_servers = hiera("dns_servers")

Note that the name of the Puppet variable need not be the same as that of the Hiera one, so the previous code can also be as follows:

$my_dns_servers = hiera("dns_servers")

This assigns to the variable $my_dns_servers the top value (the first one found while crossing the hierarchy of data sources) retrieved by Hiera for the key dns_servers.

We can also merge arrays and hashes here; so in order to retrieve an array of all the values in the hierarchy's data sources of a given key and not just the first one, we can use hiera_array() as follows:

$my_dns_servers = hiera_array("dns_servers")

If we expect a hash value for a given key, we can use the hiera() function to retrieve the top value found, or we can use hiera_hash() to merge...

Additional Hiera backends

The possibility of creating and adding different backends where data is to be stored is one of the strong points of Hiera as it allows storing Puppet data in any possible source.

This allows integrations with existing tools and gives more options to provide data in a safe and controlled way, for example, a custom web frontend or a CMDB.

Let's review some of the most interesting backends that exist.

The hiera-file backend

The hiera-file backend (https://github.com/adrienthebo/hiera-file) conceived by Adrien Thebo to manage a type of data that previously couldn't be stored in a sane way in Hiera, that is, plain files.

To install it, just clone the previous git repository in modulepath or use its gem as follows:

gem install hiera-file

We configure it by specifying the file backend, the hierarchy setting we want, and the datadir path where our files are placed:

---
:backends:
  - file
:hierarchy:
  - "fqdn/%{fqdn}"
  - "role/%{role}"
  - &quot...

Using Hiera as an ENC

Hiera provides an interesting function called hiera_include, which allows users to include all the classes defined for a given key.

This, in practice, exploits the Hiera flexibility to provide classes to nodes as an External Node Classifier does.

It's enough to place the following line in our site.pp file at /etc/puppet/manifests/:

hiera_include('classes')

Define in our data sources a classes key with an array of the classes to be included.

In a YAML-based backend, it would look like the following:

---
classes:
  - apache
  - mysql
  - php

This is exactly the same as having some declarations in our site.pp as follows:

include apache
include mysql
include php

The classes key (can have any name, but classes is a standard de facto) contains an array that is merged along the hierarchy. So we can define in a common.yaml file the classes that we want to include in all our nodes, and include specific classes for specific servers, adding them to the different layers...

Installing and configuring Hiera

From Puppet 3.x, Hiera has been officially integrated, and it is installed as a dependency when we install Puppet.

On Puppet 2.x, we need to install Hiera separately on the node where the Puppet Master resides: we need both the hiera and hiera-puppet packages, either via the OS native packaging system or via gem.

Hiera is not required on the clients unless they operate in a Masterless setup.

Its configuration file is hiera.yaml, and its path depends on how it is invoked, which can be either of the following ways:

  • When invoked from Puppet, the path will be /etc/puppet/hiera.yaml (/etc/puppetlabs/puppet/hiera.yaml for Puppet Enterprise)

  • When invoked from the CLI or when used within Ruby code, the path is /etc/hiera.yaml

It makes sense to create a symlink, and be sure to always use and edit the same file using the following command:

ln -s /etc/hiera.yaml /etc/puppet/hiera.yaml

The file is a YAML hash, where the top-level keys are Ruby symbols with a colon (:) prefix...

Left arrow icon

Page 1 of 7

Right arrow icon

Description

This book is a clear, detailed and practical guide to learn about designing and deploying you puppet architecture, with informative examples to highlight and explain concepts in a focused manner. This book is designed for users who already have good experience with Puppet, and will surprise experienced users with innovative topics that explore how to design, implement, adapt, and deploy a Puppet architecture. The key to extending Puppet is the development of types and providers, for which you must be familiar with Ruby.

What you will learn

  • Use Puppet to manage network, cloud, and virtualization devices
  • Become a Hiera and PuppetDB power user
  • Study the different approaches to Puppet architecture design
  • Master the art of writing and maintaining reusable modules
  • Explore strategies and patterns on how to introduce Puppet automation
  • Manage and test a Puppet code workflow
  • Design scalable Puppet infrastructures

Product Details

Country selected
Publication date, Length, Edition, Language, ISBN-13
Publication date : Jun 24, 2014
Length: 328 pages
Edition : 1st
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781783981458
Category :
Cloud & Networking
Concepts :
Configuration Management
Tools :
Puppet

What do you get with eBook?

Product feature icon Instant access to your Digital eBook purchase
Product feature icon Download this book in EPUB and PDF formats
Product feature icon Access this title in our online reader with advanced features
Product feature icon DRM FREE - Read whenever, wherever and however you want
OR

Contact Details

Modal Close icon
Payment Processing...
tick Completed

Billing Address

Product Details

Publication date : Jun 24, 2014
Length: 328 pages
Edition : 1st
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781783981458
Category :
Cloud & Networking
Concepts :
Configuration Management
Tools :
Puppet

Packt Subscriptions

See our plans and pricing
Modal Close icon
AU$24.99 billed monthly
Feature tick icon Unlimited access to Packt's library of 7,000+ practical books and videos
Feature tick icon Constantly refreshed with 50+ new titles a month
Feature tick icon Exclusive Early access to books as they're written
Feature tick icon Solve problems while you work with advanced search and reference features
Feature tick icon Offline reading on the mobile app
Feature tick icon Simple pricing, no contract
START FREE TRIAL
BUY NOW
AU$249.99 billed annually
Feature tick icon Unlimited access to Packt's library of 7,000+ practical books and videos
Feature tick icon Constantly refreshed with 50+ new titles a month
Feature tick icon Exclusive Early access to books as they're written
Feature tick icon Solve problems while you work with advanced search and reference features
Feature tick icon Offline reading on the mobile app
Feature tick icon Choose a DRM-free eBook or Video every month to keep
Feature tick icon PLUS own as many other DRM-free eBooks or Videos as you like for just AU$5 each
Feature tick icon Exclusive print discounts
START FREE TRIAL
BUY NOW
AU$349.99 billed in 18 months
Feature tick icon Unlimited access to Packt's library of 7,000+ practical books and videos
Feature tick icon Constantly refreshed with 50+ new titles a month
Feature tick icon Exclusive Early access to books as they're written
Feature tick icon Solve problems while you work with advanced search and reference features
Feature tick icon Offline reading on the mobile app
Feature tick icon Choose a DRM-free eBook or Video every month to keep
Feature tick icon PLUS own as many other DRM-free eBooks or Videos as you like for just AU$5 each
Feature tick icon Exclusive print discounts
START FREE TRIAL
BUY NOW

Frequently bought together

Extending Puppet
Extending Puppet
Read more
Jun 2014 328 pages
Full star icon 4.9 (16)
eBook
eBook
  • eBook eBook AU$14.99
  • Paperback Paperback AU$41.99
AU$14.99 AU$33.99
AU$41.99
Mastering Puppet
Mastering Puppet
Read more
Jul 2014 280 pages
Full star icon 3.9 (13)
eBook
eBook
  • eBook eBook AU$14.99
  • Paperback Paperback AU$66.99
AU$14.99 AU$52.99
AU$66.99
Puppet Reporting and Monitoring
Puppet Reporting and Monitoring
Read more
Jun 2014 186 pages
Full star icon 4.4 (5)
eBook
eBook
  • eBook eBook AU$14.99
  • Paperback Paperback AU$45.99
AU$14.99 AU$36.99
AU$45.99
Stars icon
Total AU$ 154.97
Extending Puppet
AU$41.99
Mastering Puppet
AU$66.99
Puppet Reporting and Monitoring
AU$45.99
Total AU$ 154.97 Stars icon
Banner background image

Table of Contents

13 Chapters
1. Puppet Essentials Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
1. Puppet Essentials
The Puppet ecosystem
Puppet components
Installation and configuration
Puppet in action
Summary
2. Hiera Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
2. Hiera
Installing and configuring Hiera
Working with the command line on a YAML backend
Using Hiera in Puppet
Additional Hiera backends
Using Hiera as an ENC
Summary
3. PuppetDB Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
3. PuppetDB
Installation and configuration
Dashboards
The PuppetDB API
Querying PuppetDB for fun and profit
The puppetdbquery module
How Puppet code may change in the future
Summary
4. Designing Puppet Architectures Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
4. Designing Puppet Architectures
The components of Puppet architecture
The Foreman
Roles and profiles
The data and the code
Sample architectures
Summary
5. Using and Writing Reusable Modules Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
5. Using and Writing Reusable Modules
The evolution of modules' layouts
The parameters dilemma
Reusability patterns
Summary
6. Higher Abstraction Modules Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
6. Higher Abstraction Modules
Understanding the need for higher abstractions
The OpenStack example
An approach to reusable stack modules
Summary
7. Deploying and Migrating Puppet Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
7. Deploying and Migrating Puppet
Examining the potential scenarios and approaches
Patterns for extending Puppet coverage
Things change
Summary
8. Code Workflow Management Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
8. Code Workflow Management
Writing the Puppet code
Git workflows
Code review
Testing the Puppet code
Deploying the Puppet code
Propagating Puppet changes
Puppet Continuous Integration tools
Summary
9. Scaling Puppet Infrastructures Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
9. Scaling Puppet Infrastructures
Scaling Puppet
Scaling stored configs
Measuring performance
Summary
10. Writing Puppet Plugins Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
10. Writing Puppet Plugins
Anatomy of a Puppet run, under the hood
Custom report handlers
Custom faces
Summary
11. Beyond the System Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
11. Beyond the System
Puppet on a network equipment
Puppet for cloud and virtualization
Puppet on storage devices
Summary
12. Future Puppet Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
12. Future Puppet
Introducing the future parser
Other new features
Improved error system
Data in modules
Facter 2
Trapperkeeper
Summary
Index Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Index

Recommendations for you

Left arrow icon
Solutions Architect's Handbook
Solutions Architect's Handbook
Read more
Mar 2024 578 pages
Full star icon 4.7 (54)
eBook
eBook
  • eBook eBook AU$14.99
  • Paperback Paperback AU$82.99
AU$14.99 AU$66.99
AU$82.99
Mastering Terraform
Mastering Terraform
Read more
Jul 2024 494 pages
Full star icon 5 (18)
eBook
eBook
  • eBook eBook AU$14.99
  • Paperback Paperback AU$68.99
AU$14.99 AU$55.99
AU$68.99
The Ultimate Linux Shell Scripting Guide
The Ultimate Linux Shell Scripting Guide
Read more
Oct 2024 696 pages
Full star icon 5 (1)
eBook
eBook
  • eBook eBook AU$14.99
  • Paperback Paperback AU$75.99
AU$14.99 AU$60.99
AU$75.99
Mastering PowerShell Scripting
Mastering PowerShell Scripting
Read more
May 2024 826 pages
Full star icon 5 (27)
eBook
eBook
  • eBook eBook AU$14.99
  • Paperback Paperback AU$61.99
AU$14.99 AU$49.99
AU$61.99
Kubernetes – An Enterprise Guide
Kubernetes – An Enterprise Guide
Read more
Aug 2024 682 pages
Full star icon 5 (11)
eBook
eBook
  • eBook eBook AU$14.99
  • Paperback Paperback AU$75.99
AU$14.99 AU$60.99
AU$75.99
The Self-Taught Cloud Computing Engineer
The Self-Taught Cloud Computing Engineer
Read more
Sep 2023 472 pages
Full star icon 5 (180)
eBook
eBook
  • eBook eBook AU$14.99
  • Paperback Paperback AU$68.99
AU$14.99 AU$55.99
AU$68.99
CI/CD Design Patterns
CI/CD Design Patterns
Read more
Dec 2024 356 pages
eBook
eBook
  • eBook eBook AU$14.99
  • Paperback Paperback AU$61.99
AU$14.99 AU$49.99
AU$61.99
Platform Engineering for Architects
Platform Engineering for Architects
Read more
Oct 2024 374 pages
eBook
eBook
  • eBook eBook AU$14.99
  • Paperback Paperback AU$68.99
AU$14.99 AU$55.99
AU$68.99
Microsoft Azure Fundamentals Certification and Beyond
Microsoft Azure Fundamentals Certification and Beyond
Read more
Jan 2024 284 pages
Full star icon 4.9 (28)
eBook
eBook
  • eBook eBook AU$14.99
  • Paperback Paperback AU$61.99
AU$14.99 AU$49.99
AU$61.99
The Ultimate Docker Container Book
The Ultimate Docker Container Book
Read more
Aug 2023 626 pages
Full star icon 4.5 (12)
eBook
eBook
  • eBook eBook AU$14.99
  • Paperback Paperback AU$68.99
AU$14.99 AU$55.99
AU$68.99
Right arrow icon

Customer reviews

Top Reviews
  • Top Reviews
  • Most Recent
Rating distribution
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Half star icon 4.9
(16 Ratings)
5 star 87.5%
4 star 12.5%
3 star 0%
2 star 0%
1 star 0%
Filter icon Filter
Top Reviews
  • Top Reviews
  • Most Recent

Filter reviews by

Michael D. Simpson Mar 13, 2015
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
Well written and very useful. Gives a great set of best practices for how to use Puppet the right way. Not for the absolute beginner, but great for someone like me who knew the basics but wasn't clear on how to best to use Hira, parametrize modules, test modules, do node classification, use Puppet DB, etc. It helps connect the dots in the Puppet ecosystem. I felt a lot more confident after reading this book.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Peter Van Bouwel Oct 04, 2014
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
This is a great book. When you are reading the book it becomes clear that the author has good knowledge of Puppet and that he has been in the puppet world for a long time (and evolved with it).I really enjoy how he gives solutions to problems. Rather than giving solely his own view he gives multiple approaches and explains what he thinks are the advantages/disadvantages of a certain approach.One of the best technical books I have read.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Monica Aug 20, 2014
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
This book is probably the ultimate guide to a complete vision of your sysadmin/devop/puppetmaster daily work in complex infrastructures. It offers some extremely interesting ideas about all the challenges that sooner or later I had to face in my daily work on Puppet in the last years. It's nicely balanced between advanced tools descriptions and architectural choices explanation, and it's so clearly written that I couldn't stop reading until the end, almost like a novel, basically because Alessandro often also tells how he came to certain conclusions and it's just like he's sitting next to you and he's giving you some advices from his wide experience. Definitely a must-have!
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Edwin Biemond Jul 21, 2014
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
I really like this book because finally there is a puppet book not about writing puppet modules but over designing your own puppet architecture, all the hiera possible backend you can have, writing reusable modules, High Availability, the development process toegether with code quality & testing and Future Puppet.When you read this book you will notice that Alessandro has seen it all, done it all. He explains every option you can have with some explaining examples. Especially the Designing Puppet architectures chapter is a must have, this can save you so much time and future problems when you start with your own Puppet environment.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Michael Aug 15, 2014
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
I've purchased and read about 4 or 5 puppet books previously, and i've found them to all be pretty good.This book however is on another level. It's FANTASTIC!It summarises a book like 'pro-puppet' in the 1st chapter alone, before then taking a deep dive into technologies like hiera, puppetdb and coding styles and some the future changes to Puppet.It's a must for any seasoned Puppet user who wants to learn a bit more. I've used puppet for many years now, but still learnt so many new things from this book.Just buy it now.Michael
Amazon Verified review Amazon

People who bought this also bought

Left arrow icon
Mastering Ubuntu Server
Mastering Ubuntu Server
Read more
Sep 2022 584 pages
Full star icon 4.7 (40)
eBook
eBook
  • eBook eBook AU$14.99
  • Paperback Paperback AU$75.99
AU$14.99 AU$60.99
AU$75.99
The Ultimate Docker Container Book
The Ultimate Docker Container Book
Read more
Aug 2023 626 pages
Full star icon 4.5 (12)
eBook
eBook
  • eBook eBook AU$14.99
  • Paperback Paperback AU$68.99
AU$14.99 AU$55.99
AU$68.99
Mastering Kubernetes
Mastering Kubernetes
Read more
Jun 2023 746 pages
Full star icon 4.5 (47)
eBook
eBook
  • eBook eBook AU$14.99
  • Paperback Paperback AU$75.99
AU$14.99 AU$60.99
AU$75.99
Ansible for Real-Life Automation
Ansible for Real-Life Automation
Read more
Sep 2022 480 pages
Full star icon 3.9 (7)
eBook
eBook
  • eBook eBook AU$14.99
  • Paperback Paperback AU$57.99
AU$14.99 AU$46.99
AU$57.99
AWS for Solutions Architects
AWS for Solutions Architects
Read more
Apr 2023 692 pages
Full star icon 4.3 (64)
eBook
eBook
  • eBook eBook AU$14.99
  • Paperback Paperback AU$75.99
AU$14.99 AU$60.99
AU$75.99
Right arrow icon

About the author

Profile icon Alessandro Franceschi
Alessandro Franceschi
Alessandro Franceschi is a long time Puppet user, trainer, and consultant.
Read more
See other products by Alessandro Franceschi
Get free access to Packt library with over 7500+ books and video courses for 7 days!
Start Free Trial

FAQs

How do I buy and download an eBook? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Where there is an eBook version of a title available, you can buy it from the book details for that title. Add either the standalone eBook or the eBook and print book bundle to your shopping cart. Your eBook will show in your cart as a product on its own. After completing checkout and payment in the normal way, you will receive your receipt on the screen containing a link to a personalised PDF download file. This link will remain active for 30 days. You can download backup copies of the file by logging in to your account at any time.

If you already have Adobe reader installed, then clicking on the link will download and open the PDF file directly. If you don't, then save the PDF file on your machine and download the Reader to view it.

Please Note: Packt eBooks are non-returnable and non-refundable.

Packt eBook and Licensing When you buy an eBook from Packt Publishing, completing your purchase means you accept the terms of our licence agreement. Please read the full text of the agreement. In it we have tried to balance the need for the ebook to be usable for you the reader with our needs to protect the rights of us as Publishers and of our authors. In summary, the agreement says:

  • You may make copies of your eBook for your own use onto any machine
  • You may not pass copies of the eBook on to anyone else
How can I make a purchase on your website? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

If you want to purchase a video course, eBook or Bundle (Print+eBook) please follow below steps:

  1. Register on our website using your email address and the password.
  2. Search for the title by name or ISBN using the search option.
  3. Select the title you want to purchase.
  4. Choose the format you wish to purchase the title in; if you order the Print Book, you get a free eBook copy of the same title. 
  5. Proceed with the checkout process (payment to be made using Credit Card, Debit Cart, or PayPal)
Where can I access support around an eBook? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
  • If you experience a problem with using or installing Adobe Reader, the contact Adobe directly.
  • To view the errata for the book, see www.packtpub.com/support and view the pages for the title you have.
  • To view your account details or to download a new copy of the book go to www.packtpub.com/account
  • To contact us directly if a problem is not resolved, use www.packtpub.com/contact-us
What eBook formats do Packt support? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Our eBooks are currently available in a variety of formats such as PDF and ePubs. In the future, this may well change with trends and development in technology, but please note that our PDFs are not Adobe eBook Reader format, which has greater restrictions on security.

You will need to use Adobe Reader v9 or later in order to read Packt's PDF eBooks.

What are the benefits of eBooks? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
  • You can get the information you need immediately
  • You can easily take them with you on a laptop
  • You can download them an unlimited number of times
  • You can print them out
  • They are copy-paste enabled
  • They are searchable
  • There is no password protection
  • They are lower price than print
  • They save resources and space
What is an eBook? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Packt eBooks are a complete electronic version of the print edition, available in PDF and ePub formats. Every piece of content down to the page numbering is the same. Because we save the costs of printing and shipping the book to you, we are able to offer eBooks at a lower cost than print editions.

When you have purchased an eBook, simply login to your account and click on the link in Your Download Area. We recommend you saving the file to your hard drive before opening it.

For optimal viewing of our eBooks, we recommend you download and install the free Adobe Reader version 9.