Puppet

Puppet is an open source systems management tool providing a centralised configuration for all your UNIX, Linux and Apple systems even on the other side of your firewall. But what makes it different is that it speaks the local language of your target hosts allowing Puppet to define tasks with generic instructions. These are called recipes and are so portable that they can be shared on the Puppet website and used by all. It is also flexible; being open source you can alter the code to suit your circumstances. And it’s extensible. We will show you just how easy it is to add and amend functions. Finally, it is better than most configuration tools because Puppet uses Facter, a systems analysis tool that allows you to query and return information thus enabling you to write generic configuration instructions for different hosts.
This course is aimed at showing you how to set up and configure Puppet and to make the most out of this new infrastructure management system.

ON COMPLETION

• Understand what Puppet can do
• Install and configure Puppet servers and clients
• Create and modify manifests
• Modularise configurations
• Use templates for file creation
• Use the Puppet file server
• Generate reports
• Extend Puppets abstraction layer
• Understand what is required to create providers

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

Unix/Linux systems administrators looking to automate their infrastructure.

COURSE WORK

The course work is based on lecture/lab environment with all chapters containing exercises to help understand what you have just covered. Toward the end of the course a larger lab will help you fully utilise the knowledge acquired so far to set up 2 or 3 clients and a Puppet master.

PRE-REQUISITS

An experienced Unix/Linux systems administrator with a broad understanding of the various system tasks relating to setting up and supporting Unix/Linux systems. Knowledge of Ruby is not essential to see this product in action, since Ruby is only required to extend the current Puppet system.

COURSE CONTENT

Introduction to Puppet

Defining what Puppet is and does, terminology and structure, references to online resources.

Installation

What is required to install Puppet, dependancies and order of installation, checking Puppet works, and steps to run before starting the master.

Starting Puppet

Command line options, files related to start up, file locations, minimum configuration to make Puppet start, starting the server and clients, working with certificates.

Configuring the Server

Puppets configuration files, understanding the different sections, what the values mean, a simple manifest.

Resources

Understand what a resource is, define and create resources using various types, apply to hosts in the network or all, work with system variables using Facter and define a Puppet file server.

Classes

Understand classes and how they work, apply them and understand the rules of inheritance. Work with variables, metaparameters and arrays.

Conditions

Understand and use the various constructs for decision making in Puppet, and use virtual resources.

Functions

Understand the different types of functions within Puppet and their uses. Find out where to keep up to date on new functions.

Tags, Templates, Modules

Use tags, templates and modules to manage your infrastructure, creating templates for varying file data of particular format.

Environments and Stored Configurations

Understand the default environments provided by Puppet, defining your own and using them. Working with stored configurations.

Reporting

Install and configure and use the different types of reporting mechanisms available in Puppet, including graphing.

Best Practices

An overview of some advanced features of Puppet and how to enhance it to cope with larger infrastructures, some guidance on layout and format of files and directories, naming conventions and creating custom types and providers.