1. Using Puppet
to Manage Your
Network
Luke Kanies
Founder, Reductive Labs
Nashville, Tennessee
USA

2. Puppet is a server
automation tool
...because SSH and a for
loop just don’t cut it any
more

3. Some things Puppet is
doing
• Allowing people to manage machines
without ever connecting directly
• Creating multiple identical machines very
quickly
• Deploying new applications and applications
instances across people’s networks

4. Puppet’s not like the
other kids

5. Everything’s replaceable
and reusable
Server
Certificate Report
Compiler Fileserver
Authority Handler
Networking (XMLRPC over HTTPS)
Client
Resource Abstraction Resource
Transactions
Layer Server

6. Everything’s replaceable
and reusable
Server
Certificate Report
Compiler Fileserver
Authority Handler
Networking (XMLRPC over HTTPS)
Client
Resource Abstraction Resource
Transactions
Layer Server

7. Everything’s replaceable
and reusable
Server
Certificate Report
Compiler Fileserver
Authority Handler
Networking (XMLRPC over HTTPS)
Client
Resource Abstraction Resource
Transactions
Layer Server

8. Everything’s replaceable
and reusable
Server
Certificate Report
Compiler Fileserver
Authority Handler
Networking (XMLRPC over HTTPS)
Client
Resource Abstraction Resource
Transactions
Layer Server

9. Resource Abstraction Layer
Resource Types
Package User Service
apt dpkg useradd init.d SMF
yum ports netinfo
Providers

10. Puppet is mostly about
specifying and
applying
configurations

11. Specification
Client
Facter
Facts
The Puppet
Server
Compiler
Configuration
Configuration
Process
Resources
Transaction
Operating
System
Application

12. Applying
Configurations

13. Configurations
Just a list of resources (users,
groups, packages, etc.) with their
desired state

14. Configurations are
idempotent

15. Configurations are
idempotent

16. Transactions do the
actual work
• Retrieve current state
• Compare to desired state
• Make any necessary changes
• log and report those changes

17. A Simple Transaction

18. A Simple Transaction

19. Specifying
Configurations

20. Resources are simple
...and there’s a very good reference

21. Classes: Collections of
resources

22. Resource Relationships

23. Resource Relationships

24. Portability and Naming

25. Portability and Naming

26. Portability and Naming

27. The Whole Service

28. Defined Types

29. Defined Types

30. Defined Types

31. Defined Types

32. Using Defined Types

33. Using Modules

34. Bringing It Together

35. Not Just Centralized

36. Thinking About the
Future
• Moving parts of Puppet into stand-alone
tools (e.g., nodes)
• Building a site to facilitate sharing of
modules
• Formalizing best practice

37. Reductive Labs
• Open Source Software Startup
• Other projects planned, e.g., Runnels and
Kinial
• My full-time job, one other employee
• Consulting, training, custom development,
and support

38. Questions?