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Home > Cloud & Networking > Infrastructure Management > Salt Cookbook
Salt Cookbook
Salt Cookbook

Salt Cookbook: Over 80 hands-on recipes to efficiently configure and manage your infrastructure with Salt

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Paperback Jul 2015 350 pages 1st Edition
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Arrow left icon
Profile Icon Anirban Saha
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Paperback Jul 2015 350 pages 1st Edition
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Salt Cookbook

Chapter 2. Writing Advanced Salt Configurations

In this chapter, you will cover:

  • Writing and retrieving pillar data
  • Using pillar data in states
  • Using grains in states
  • Using conditionals in states and pillars
  • Using Python functions in conditionals
  • Using iterations in states
  • Setting and using variables in states
  • Testing a state run before applying to minions
  • Configuring nodegroups
  • Targeting minions

Introduction

Now that we have gotten our hands dirty with the basics of Salt, in this chapter we are going to dive deep into the advanced configuration of Salt.

One of the notable features of Salt is flexibility, and being based on the dynamic Python language, Salt allows us to incorporate and take advantage of a large number of Python utilities into its configurations. Like most other programming languages and configuration management utilities, it's quite obvious that without the ability to manipulate our data, such as making decisions based on system properties, performing the same task quickly and efficiently for multiple entities of the same type, a tool is not of much use to users.

In this chapter, you will explore all the advanced features of Salt and how you can utilize them to automate systems efficiently and optimally.

Writing and retrieving pillar data

We already have a basic understanding of what pillars are and how to use them in Salt. In this section, we are going to learn more about writing pillars and how to retrieve them both from the master and the minion.

How to do it...

  1. Create a new environment qa using the recipe Configuring the Salt environment and pillar paths in Chapter 1, Salt Architecture and Components. The state environment path should be /opt/salt-cookbook/qa, and the pillar path should be /opt/salt-cookbook/pillar/qa. Also, create the top files for the new environment in the base directory for state and the pillar, and populate them with the following entry:
    qa:
  '*':
    - user
  2. Create a pillar directory user in the base pillar directory, and in it create the file init.sls. Edit /opt/salt-cookbook/pillar/qa/user/init.sls and enter the following:
    users:
  qa_user: qa-app
  qa_user_password: '$1$lhxadPoh$d5tZktsF/eI08tqiwmwBo0'
  3. Configure the minion using the recipe Configuring...

Using pillar data in states

How to do it...

  1. Create a new state user by creating a directory called user in the base directory of the qa environment and create an init.sls file in the user directory.
  2. Edit /opt/salt-cookbook/qa/user/init.sls and populate it with the following entries:
    qa_deploy_user:
  user.present:
    - name: {{ pillar['users']['qa_user'] }}
    - password: {{ pillar['users']['qa_user_password'] }}
  3. Run the following command to apply the state to the minion:
    [root@salt-master ~]# salt 'salt-minion' state.sls user \ saltenv=qa --state-output=terse
salt-minion:
  Name: qa-app - Function: user.present - Result: Changed

Summary
------------
Succeeded: 1
Failed:    0
------------
Total:     1
  4. Edit the /opt/salt-cookbook/pillar/qa/user/init.sls file and remove the following line:
    qa_user: qa-app
  5. Reopen the /opt/salt-cookbook/qa/user/init.sls file and edit it to have the following entries:
    qa_deploy_user:
  user.present:
    - name: {...

Using grains in states

Grains are one of the most important features of Salt, based on which we can perform the configuration and orchestration tasks efficiently. Salt offers the flexibility to use the default grains and also to add custom grains as and when required. In this recipe, you will learn how to use grains in state configurations.

How to do it...

Configure a new minion with the hostname or minion ID as stgdc1app01 in the staging environment. In this naming convention, stg is the environment, dc1 is the location, app is the server type, and 01 is a numeric identifier for the host.

  1. Run the following command to get a full list of available grains on the minion:
    [root@salt-master ~]# salt 'stgdc1app01' grains.items
  2. Next, run the following command to get information about two specific grains that we will work with:
    [root@salt-master ~]# salt 'stgdc1app01' grains.item \ ip_interfaces fqdn
stgdc1app01:
  fqdn: stgdc1app01
  ip_interfaces: {'lo': ['127.0...

Using conditionals in states and pillars

One of the best advantages of any programming language or configuration tool is its ability to make decisions based on various properties, and apply configurations, or perform tasks, based on these decisions. In this recipe, you will learn how to leverage the decision-making ability of Salt and use it to your advantage.

How to do it...

We will use the same minion as the previous recipe for this task:

  1. Add a custom grain to the minion with the server_type key and value as app:
    server_type: app
  2. In the staging environment, create two pillars named groups and users. Also, create two states named group and user. Add them to top.sls for both states and pillars to be available to all nodes.
  3. Edit /opt/salt-cookbook/pillar/staging/user/init.sls to have the following content:
    users:
  {% if grains['server_type'] == 'app' %}
  stg_user: stg-app
  {% elif grains['server_type'] == 'db' %}
  stg_user: stg-db
  {% endif %}
  stg_user_passwd...

Using Python functions in conditionals

Being based on Python, one of the biggest advantages of Salt is to be able to use a lot of Salt-specific features such as functions. In this recipe, you will learn how to use Python functions in Salt to manipulate data and make efficient use of them to configure our infrastructure.

How to do it...

  1. Configure two minions, one named stgdc1app01 and another named stgdc2app01.
  2. Run the following commands to get the grains with which we will be working in this recipe:
    [root@salt-master ~]# salt 'stgdc1app01' grains.item \ ip_interfaces hwaddr_interfaces
stgdc1app01:
  hwaddr_interfaces: {'lo': '00:00:00:00:00:00', 'eth0': '00:0c:29:ef:d5:56', 'eth1': '00:0c:29:ef:d5:4c'}
  ip_interfaces: {'lo': ['127.0.0.1'], 'eth0': ['192.168.0.2'], 'eth1': ['192.168.29.128']}

[root@salt-master ~]# salt 'stgdc2app01' grains.item \ ip_interfaces...

Introduction

Now that we have gotten our hands dirty with the basics of Salt, in this chapter we are going to dive deep into the advanced configuration of Salt.

One of the notable features of Salt is flexibility, and being based on the dynamic Python language, Salt allows us to incorporate and take advantage of a large number of Python utilities into its configurations. Like most other programming languages and configuration management utilities, it's quite obvious that without the ability to manipulate our data, such as making decisions based on system properties, performing the same task quickly and efficiently for multiple entities of the same type, a tool is not of much use to users.

In this chapter, you will explore all the advanced features of Salt and how you can utilize them to automate systems efficiently and optimally.

Writing and retrieving pillar data

We already have a basic understanding of what pillars are and how to use them in Salt. In this section, we are going to learn more about writing pillars and how to retrieve them both from the master and the minion.

How to do it...

  1. Create a new environment qa using the recipe Configuring the Salt environment and pillar paths in Chapter 1, Salt Architecture and Components. The state environment path should be /opt/salt-cookbook/qa, and the pillar path should be /opt/salt-cookbook/pillar/qa. Also, create the top files for the new environment in the base directory for state and the pillar, and populate them with the following entry:

    qa:
  '*':
    - user

  2. Create a pillar directory user in the base pillar directory, and in it create the file init.sls. Edit /opt/salt-cookbook/pillar/qa/user/init.sls and enter the following:

    users:
  qa_user: qa-app
  qa_user_password: '$1$lhxadPoh$d5tZktsF/eI08tqiwmwBo0'

  3. Configure the minion using the recipe Configuring environments...

Using pillar data in states

How to do it...

  1. Create a new state user by creating a directory called user in the base directory of the qa environment and create an init.sls file in the user directory.

  2. Edit /opt/salt-cookbook/qa/user/init.sls and populate it with the following entries:

    qa_deploy_user:
  user.present:
    - name: {{ pillar['users']['qa_user'] }}
    - password: {{ pillar['users']['qa_user_password'] }}

  3. Run the following command to apply the state to the minion:

    [root@salt-master ~]# salt 'salt-minion' state.sls user \ saltenv=qa --state-output=terse
salt-minion:
  Name: qa-app - Function: user.present - Result: Changed

Summary
------------
Succeeded: 1
Failed:    0
------------
Total:     1

  4. Edit the /opt/salt-cookbook/pillar/qa/user/init.sls file and remove the following line:

    qa_user: qa-app

  5. Reopen the /opt/salt-cookbook/qa/user/init.sls file and edit it to have the following entries:

    qa_deploy_user:
  user.present:
    - name: {{ salt['pillar.get']('users:qa_user', 'qa- deploy-user...

Using grains in states

Grains are one of the most important features of Salt, based on which we can perform the configuration and orchestration tasks efficiently. Salt offers the flexibility to use the default grains and also to add custom grains as and when required. In this recipe, you will learn how to use grains in state configurations.

How to do it...

Configure a new minion with the hostname or minion ID as stgdc1app01 in the staging environment. In this naming convention, stg is the environment, dc1 is the location, app is the server type, and 01 is a numeric identifier for the host.

  1. Run the following command to get a full list of available grains on the minion:

    [root@salt-master ~]# salt 'stgdc1app01' grains.items

  2. Next, run the following command to get information about two specific grains that we will work with:

    [root@salt-master ~]# salt 'stgdc1app01' grains.item \ ip_interfaces fqdn
stgdc1app01:
  fqdn: stgdc1app01
  ip_interfaces: {'lo': ['127.0.0.1'], 'eth1': ['192.168.0.3'], 'eth0...

Using conditionals in states and pillars

One of the best advantages of any programming language or configuration tool is its ability to make decisions based on various properties, and apply configurations, or perform tasks, based on these decisions. In this recipe, you will learn how to leverage the decision-making ability of Salt and use it to your advantage.

How to do it...

We will use the same minion as the previous recipe for this task:

  1. Add a custom grain to the minion with the server_type key and value as app:

    server_type: app

  2. In the staging environment, create two pillars named groups and users. Also, create two states named group and user. Add them to top.sls for both states and pillars to be available to all nodes.

  3. Edit /opt/salt-cookbook/pillar/staging/user/init.sls to have the following content:

    users:
  {% if grains['server_type'] == 'app' %}
  stg_user: stg-app
  {% elif grains['server_type'] == 'db' %}
  stg_user: stg-db
  {% endif %}
  stg_user_passwd: '$1$lhxadPoh$d5tZktsF/eI08tqiwmwBo0...
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Description

If you are a professional associated with system and infrastructure management, looking at automated infrastructure and deployments, then this book is for you. No prior experience of Salt is required.

Who is this book for?

If you are a professional associated with system and infrastructure management, looking at automated infrastructure and deployments, then this book is for you. No prior experience of Salt is required.

What you will learn

  • Understand the basic Salt architecture and components and learn how to configure them
  • Understand and configure advanced Salt components and manipulate configurations
  • Configure Salt modules, the orchestration procedure and set up multimaster configurations
  • Configure operating system components such as files, users, volumes, authentication, and so on
  • Leverage the cloud capabilities of Salt
  • Understand and configure the Salt event and reactor system
Estimated delivery fee Deliver to Malta

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Product Details

Country selected
Publication date, Length, Edition, Language, ISBN-13
Publication date : Jul 27, 2015
Length: 350 pages
Edition : 1st
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781784399740
Category :
Cloud & Networking
Concepts :
Infrastructure Management
Tools :
SaltStack

What do you get with Print?

Product feature icon Instant access to your digital copy whilst your Print order is Shipped
Product feature icon Paperback book shipped to your preferred address
Product feature icon Redeem a companion digital copy on all Print orders
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

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Product Details

Publication date : Jul 27, 2015
Length: 350 pages
Edition : 1st
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781784399740
Category :
Cloud & Networking
Concepts :
Infrastructure Management
Tools :
SaltStack

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Table of Contents

12 Chapters
1. Salt Architecture and Components Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
1. Salt Architecture and Components
Introduction
Installing and configuring the Salt master
Configuring the Salt environment and pillar paths
Understanding and configuring Salt pillars
Understanding and writing Salt states
Understanding and writing the top file
Installing and configuring the Salt minion
Configuring environments and grains on the minion
Applying Salt states to minions
2. Writing Advanced Salt Configurations Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
2. Writing Advanced Salt Configurations
Introduction
Writing and retrieving pillar data
Using pillar data in states
Using grains in states
Using conditionals in states and pillars
Using Python functions in conditionals
Using iterations in states
Setting and using variables in states
Testing a state run before applying to minions
Configuring nodegroups
Targeting minions
3. Modules, Orchestration, and Scaling Salt Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
3. Modules, Orchestration, and Scaling Salt
Introduction
Using execution modules
Using state modules
Configuring templates
Using requisites
Using Salt runners
Orchestration with Salt orchestrate
Salt multi-master setup (active-active mode)
Salt multi-master setup (active-passive mode)
4. General Administration Tasks Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
4. General Administration Tasks
Introduction
Running commands
Setting host entries and grains
Setting time zone, locale, and kernel configurations
Handling archive files
Adding groups and users
Performing SSH authentication tasks
Scheduling jobs with cron
Managing volumes
Working with disks and mounts
Managing network configurations
5. Advanced Administration Tasks Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
5. Advanced Administration Tasks
Introduction
Managing package repositories
Managing packages using the default package manager
Managing packages using rvm, gem, and pip
Managing files
Managing services
Managing code repositories with Git
Managing code repositories with svn
Configuring alternatives
6. Managing Application Servers Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
6. Managing Application Servers
Introduction
Apache web server packages and services
Managing web server modules
Adding web server configuration
Web server security with htpasswd
Setting up Java for Apache Tomcat
Apache Tomcat packages, files, and services
Deploying the WAR file in Apache Tomcat
7. Managing Databases Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
7. Managing Databases
Introduction
Using MySQL packages, files, and services
Using MySQL databases
Creating MySQL database users
Running MySQL queries
Providing MySQL user grants
Using PostgreSQL packages, files, and services
Setting up PostgreSQL groups and users
Configuring PostgreSQL databases
8. Configuring Salt Cloud Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
8. Configuring Salt Cloud
Introduction
Configuring the Salt cloud environment
Configuring cloud providers
Configuring cloud profiles
Extending profiles and providers
Configuring cloud maps
Using post-install scripts
Launching, querying, and destroying instances
Performing general cloud functions
9. Managing Amazon Web Services Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
9. Managing Amazon Web Services
Introduction
Implementing security groups
Using elastic load balancers
Configuring DNS with Route53
Configuring Simple Queue Service
Deploying ElastiCache clusters
Configuring CloudWatch alarms
10. Salt Event and Reactor System Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
10. Salt Event and Reactor System
Introduction
Learning the basics of the event system
Listening to events
Firing events
Identifying and working with Salt event types
Integrating and configuring the reactor system
Using reactors for Salt tasks
11. Troubleshooting Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
11. Troubleshooting
Introduction
Troubleshooting the Salt master
Troubleshooting the Salt minion
Dealing with too many open files
Connectivity, DNS, and ports
Dealing with YAML configuration problems
Index Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Index

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Customer reviews

Rating distribution
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Half star icon Empty star icon 3.5
(2 Ratings)
5 star 0%
4 star 50%
3 star 50%
2 star 0%
1 star 0%
Luis Rojas Sep 14, 2015
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Empty star icon 4
When i was trying to ramp on salt, this book proved to be a very good resource.Having common tasks already solved helped me a lot to wrap my head around how salt operates.Not all the recipes apply to your needs, some seem a bit simple but you can learn something from all of them.Cookbooks are not traditional books that will take you by the hand or explain concepts, but once you have read up on the theory a cookbook, like this one, is very nice to help you ground the concepts.If you are ramping up SALT Stack at your company or if you want to see practical examples on how to accomplish a variety of tasks, this book is for you.Regards,Luis R. Rojas
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Pinda Ndaki Sep 14, 2015
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Empty star icon Empty star icon 3
I have a couple of books about salt from packt and this one was a bit disappointing. This one was the second salt book I bought. I got the learning salt title first and I was hoping the cookbook would build on the learning salt book and get beyond basic stuff like installing packages, managing files and services and into bigger things like demonstrating how to use salt for orchestrating deployments across multiple nodes, or managing multi-tier applications but the book never really got beyond introductory material focused on a single node. One of the key features of Salt is that it brings robust remote execution capabilities to the table. That's a killer feature of Salt and it's not really explored in any depth. That's a missed opportunity. The "advanced administration tasks" chapter focused on recipes for installing packages and managing files and services. The book explores installing ruby and python modules and fiddling with repos but that's not particularly advanced stuff or a unique benefit of using Salt. The chapters included don't really hang together well or make a cohesive whole. It's a hodge podge of topics. What I was hoping for was a greater focus on the things that make Salt different and unique and how to use those things that are interesting and unique about Salt to get work done. The treatment of Grains and Pillar --- Key elements of salt -- are explored with shallow and contrived examples and I don't really get a good explanation of why I should care about either of those features even though they are extraordinarily powerful and easy to use. At best, I get an introductory and perfunctory survey of both. I guess what I'm missing are recipes that can help me get from being a Salt Newbie to a skilled Salt operator with an understanding of the preferred conventions of the Salt Community and useful examples of meaningful solutions to day-to-day problems that illustrate why I should want to get my work done using Salt rather than using Puppet, Chef, Ansible etc. The Packt Cookbooks are usually good for getting a few tips and things you can implement in your environment that are beyond the basics and solve actual problems. This book doesn't really give me that.What this book does give you is good introductory material for beginners that want to learn salt by implementing a collection of basic operational tasks (like how to install packages, manage files and services). If you've been working with Puppet or Chef for example, this book can give you a way for translating concepts but beyond that, you'll need to look elsewhere.
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About the author

Profile icon Anirban Saha
Anirban Saha
Anirban Saha is an infrastructure professional with more than six and half years of experience in infrastructure management at various industries and organizations ranging from early startups to corporate environments. He was worked extensively with configuration management and automation tools including Puppet, Chef, Ansible, Saltstack, Terraform to name a few. He has extensive experience in architecting, deployment and management of large infrastructures. He speaks at various conferences on latest technologies and is also the author of Salt Cookbook published by Packt.
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