Salt states - Quick Start

Set up the file server

• As per the master configuration file /etc/salt/master, the  master will automatically include all config files from /etc/salt/master.d/*.conf
• Create the below file in master

# cat /etc/salt/master.d/file-roots.conf
file_roots:
    base:
    - /srv/salt/file/base

• Restart the Salt master

# service salt-master restart

Stopping salt-master daemon:                               [  OK  ]

Starting salt-master daemon:                               [  OK  ]

• This sets up our Salt master with our file_roots directory.

SLS file

• Create the below SLS (Salt State) file

# cat /srv/salt/file/base/user-wilma.sls
-----------------------------------------------

user_wilma:

    user.present:

    - name: wilma

    - fullname: Wilma Flintstone

    - uid: 2001

    - home: /home/wilma

-----------------------------------------------

verify & debug the salt state file with below command

# salt centos65-minion state.show_sls user-wilma

Execute the state file

# salt centos65-minion state.sls user-wilma

state.single 

• We can call the state functions directly by using the state.single execution module. This can come in handy when you’re testing state functions

            # salt centos65-minion state.single  user.present name=wilma fullname='Wilma Flintstone' uid=2001 home=/home/wilma

state.low

# salt centos65-minion state.low '{state: user, fun: present, name: wilma}'

• In this call, we specify the state (user) and the function (present) as two different parts of the data structure.

The Top File

• The Top file combines the various state files and it normally named top.sls

-----------------------------------------------
# cat /srv/salt/file/base/top.sls

base:

    'centos65-minion':

    - user-wilma
-----------------------------------------------

• We can view the effective top file for any minion using the state.show_top command

          # salt centos65-minion state.show_top

• Add another state file

-----------------------------------------------

         # cat /srv/salt/file/base/default/package.sls

              packages_vim:

              pkg.installed:

                - name: vim
-----------------------------------------------

• Modify top file and include the new SLS file

-----------------------------------------------

# cat /srv/salt/file/base/top.sls

base:

    '*':

      - default.packages

    'centos65-minion':

      - user-wilma
-----------------------------------------------

• Directories are not denoted with slashes, but with dots. So, in the above example,  the state file is in the path default/packages.sls
• The highstate layer is used to combine various states together
• Execute the highstate with below command

             # salt * state.highstate

• Top file example with 'Grains' 

-----------------------------------------------
# cat /srv/salt/file/base/top.sls
base:
    'os:CentOS':
        - match: grain
        - default.vim-enhanced

    'os:Ubuntu':
        - match: grain
        - default.vim

  'centos65-minion':
    - users.dba
    - users.qa

  'ubuntu-14.04-amd64-vbox':
    - users.all
-----------------------------------------------

-----------------------------------------------
# cat /srv/salt/file/base/default/vim.sls
packages_vim:
    pkg.installed:        - name: vim
-----------------------------------------------

-----------------------------------------------
# cat /srv/salt/file/base/default/vim-enhanced.sls
packages_vim:
    pkg.installed:
        - name: vim-enhanced

-----------------------------------------------

 State Ordering

• require:  The require declaration will enforce that the named state executes before the current state.

----------------------------------------------- 

# cat start.sls
roles_webserver_start:
  service.running:
    - name: nginx
    - require:
      - pkg: nginx

-----------------------------------------------

• watch: Run based on other changes.The watch statement will execute additional states if any change is detected.

-----------------------------------------------

# cat sites/init.sls
sites_first:
  file.managed:
    - name: /usr/share/nginix/html/first.html
    - source: salt://sites/src/first.html
    - user: www
    - mode: 0644
  service.running:
    - name: nginx
    - watch:
      - file: /usr/share/nginix/html/first.html

-----------------------------------------------

• ordering with 'order' .  Specify order using either  "order: 1" or "order: last"

-----------------------------------------------

# cat /srv/salt/file/base/run_first.sls
run_first:
  cmd.run:
    - name: 'echo "I am run first."'
    - order: 1

-----------------------------------------------

•  cmd.run is very powerful, and it is tempting to use it often. But cmd.run will always report a change because it will run a command.

-----------------------------------------------

# cat /srv/salt/file/base/top.sls

base:

  'centos65-minion':
    - users.all
    - run_first
    - roles.webserver
    - sites

-----------------------------------------------

# salt centos65-minion state.highstate

•  failhard option:

You can add failhard: True to any state. If that state fails to run for any reason, then the entire state (which includes a highstate) will immediately stop. This can prove very useful if you have a service that is absolutely required for your infrastructure to work. You can also add failhard as a global option in the minion configuration.

Testing states with test=true flag

# salt centos65-minion state.sls sites test=true

or

# salt centos65-minion state.highstate test=true 

init.sls directory shortcut

• If there is a file named init.sls in a directory, then you can simply reference the directory name without init.sls.