Pupppet Fundamentals, how to work with puppet forge modules and how to create and build your own module

1. Puppet Fundamentals
Hameedullah Khan

2. Topics Covered
• Introduction to Puppet
• What is Puppet?
• Configuration Management Tools
• DevOps Tools Chains
• Puppet Fundamentals
• Node Calssification
• The Catalog
• Resource Types
• Resource Abstraction Layer
• Classes and Defined Types
• Modules
• Templates and Static Files
• Puppet Modules
• Use modules from Puppet forge
• Build your own module

3. What is Puppet?
• Open Source Configuration Management Tool
• On going management of servers
• Declarative Language Allows to define what needs to
be managed on an Operating System
• Works on all major platforms (Linux, Unix, MacOS,
Windows)
• Puppet Enterprise with better reporting and
management features + official support.

4. Configuration Management
Tools
• Puppet, Ansible, Chef, SaltStack, ChefEngine
• Automation
• Reproducibility
• Scale
• Aligned Environments
• Infrastructure as a Code
• History of changes on Infrastructure

5. DevOps Tools Chains
• DevOps is about culture, processes, people and tools.
• Where does Puppet fits in the typical DevOps tools chain?
• SCM
• Repository and Software Management
• Software Builds
• Configuration Management (Puppet)
• Testing, Monitoring (Puppet reporting)
• Cloud (AWS, Rackspace, Openstack, Google Cloud)
• Containerization and Virtualization (Puppet can build docker images)
• Databases
• Application Servers

6. Node Classification
• To identify nodes and then compile catalog for
them.
• Typical node classification includes, classes,
parameters, environment.
• Puppet Code, hiera_include, External Node
Classifier.

7. The Catalog
• List of resources along with their relationships
(dependencies, subscriptions)
• Json Format
• Client sends facts, Master compiles the catalog,
client applies the catalog.
• Client uses RAL to execute operating system level
commands.

8. Puppet Resource
• Resource is a single unit of configuration.
• Every resource has a resource type associated.
• Resource declaration includes: type, title, attribute/argument.
file {‘/tmp/devopsdubai.txt’:
ensure => file
}
• Namevars
• References:
• puppet describe file
• puppet describe --list

9. Resource Abstraction Layer
• Resources are abstracted
• Types and Providers
• Type specifies the attributes of resources
• Providers implements resources on the underlying
operating system.
• puppet resource user
• puppet resource user root

10. Classes and Defined Types
• Classes are combination of resources
• Class parameters
• Include or Declare?
• Defined resource Types
• Similar to Classes
• Can be declared multiple times with different titles.
• Can be declared only.

11. Modules
• Puppet Code is written in files called manifests.
• Modules are distributable puppet classes/manifests.
• Modules stored on modulepath are only visible to
puppet command.
• Pre Defined Directory structure required for
autoloading of classes.

12. Templates and Static
Files
• ERB templates
• Loops, conditionals and variables are available.
• Static files can’t be changed by Puppet Code.
• Deployed on system as it is without any
interpolation.

13. Puppet Forge
• Repository for puppet modules
• Managed by PuppetLabs
• Supported/Approved Modules
• puppet module search
• puppet module install
• puppet module upgrade

14. Build your own Module
• puppet module generate
• metadata.json
• init.pp
• templates
• files
• puppet module build

15. Thank you!
twitter.com/hameedullah
hameed@sudo.co.ae