1. Adding Salt to your Debian systems
Julien Cristau

2. What is salt? Remote execution framework
Set of tools built around that framework, including config management

3. Why salt? Written in python Using yaml for state description
Great documentation
Big and growing community
Fast-moving

4. Young and fast-moving Written in python Rolls its own crypto
Why not salt?
Young and fast-moving
Written in python
Rolls its own crypto

5. Master, minions Grain Pillar State Top file Highstate
Terminology
Master, minions
Grain
Pillar
State
Top file
Highstate

6. Adding a minion Install salt-minion http://debian.saltstack.com/
Tell it where the master is
echo master: salt.logilab.fr > /etc/salt/minion.d/master.conf
Check and accept the key on the master
salt-key -a mynewminion

7. Remote execution $ salt '*' test.ping
$ salt 'db*' cmd.run pg_lsclusters
$ salt -G 'oscodename:jessie' grains.item \ kernelrelease

8. Config management
Using yaml (by default) to describe desired system state
Templating with jinja
Grains/pillars/... available for targetting and in template context

9. Top file (2) /srv/salt/top.sls base: '*': - common 'role:webserver':
- match: grain
- apache

10. SLS files /srv/salt/common.sls basepkgs: pkg.install: - pkgs: - vim
- debsums

11. SLS files (continued) /srv/salt/apache/init.sls apache2:
- pkg.installed
- service.running:
- require:
- pkg: apache2
- watch:
{% for vhost in pillar['vhosts'] %}
- file: /etc/apache2/sites-available/{{ vhost }}
{% endfor %}

12. Other nice things
Integration with cloud and virtualization APIs with salt-cloud and salt-virt
Provisioning, pre-approval of minion keys
Automatic highstate on boot or on a schedule