book

Puppet 8 for DevOps Engineers

by David Sandilands

June 2023

Intermediate to advanced

416 pages

11h 5m

English

Packt Publishing

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ForewordContributorsAbout the authorAbout the reviewers
Who this book is forWhat this book coversTo get the most out of this bookDownload the example code filesConventions usedGet in touchShare Your ThoughtsDownload a free PDF copy of this book
Puppet’s history and relationship to DevOpsPuppet as a declarative and idempotent languageKey terms in the Puppet languagePuppet as a platformCommon misconceptionsSummary
Technical requirementsMajor changes since Puppet 5Puppet 5Puppet 6Puppet 7Puppet 8Legacy Puppet patternsIDEs and tools to assist in Puppet developmentHow to deploy your Puppet lab and development toolsMac desktopWindows desktopLinux desktop – RPM-basedLinux desktop – APT-basedConfiguring toolsReferences and further researchSummary
Technical requirementsClasses and defined typesIncluding a classDefined typesNamespacesResources, types, and providersLabThe package typeThe file typeService typesLabCore resource typesThe exec typeThe Augeas typeThe notify typeMetaparameters and advanced resourcesaudittagThe resources metatypeArrays of titlesOverriding parametersAttribute splatsLabAnti-patternsAbstract resource typesDefaultsscheduleSummary
Technical requirementsVariablesNamingReserved variable namesInterpolationData typesStringsNumbersundefBooleansRegexpLabArrays and hashesAssigning arraysAccessing an array indexAccessing a subset of an arrayNested arrayArray operatorsArray data typeAssigning hashesAccessing hash valuesNested hashesHash operatorsHash data typeMixing hashes and arraysLabAbstract data types, including SensitivePrefixesPatternsArrays and hashesParent data typesLabScopeSummary
Technical requirementsFacts and FacterCustom facts and external factsExternal factsCustom factsLabFunctionsStatement functionsPrefix and chained functionsA selection of built-in functionsstdlib module functionsLabDeferred functionsSummary
Technical requirementsRelationships and orderingContainmentScopeBest practices and pitfallsLab – overview of relationships, ordering, and scopeSummary

Technical requirementTemplating formats in Puppet – EPP and ERBEPP templatesERB templatesEPP and ERB comparisonIteration and loopsIterative loopsData transformationNested dataConditional statementsIf and unless statementsCase statementSelectorsCapture variablesLab – creating and testing templates containing loops and conditionsSummary
Technical requirementsWhat is a module and what is in it?Lab – reviewing the apache moduleRoles and profiles methodWriting and testing a module using the PDKTesting with RSpec using the PDKThe describe and context keywordsExamples, expectations, and matchersParameters and preconditionsRelationshipsData from Hiera and factsManaging dependencies with fixturesCoverage reportsFurther research and tools for RSpecServerspecUnderstanding Puppet ForgeLab – creating a module and testing itSummary
Technical requirementsWhat is Hiera?Using the built-in backendsAccessing dataUsing custom backendsHiera layersLab – add data to a moduleDeciding when to use static code or dynamic dataKeeping data secureLab – use eyaml to store a secretPitfalls, gotchas, and issuesLab – troubleshoot HieraSummary
Technical requirementsPuppet platform installation and versioningPuppet ServerThe embedded web serverThe Puppet API serviceThe Admin APICAJRuby interpretersConfiguration and logs for Puppet ServerThe Puppet agent-to-server lifecycleLab – monitoring certificate signing loggingPuppetDB and PostgreSQLLab – querying PuppetDBScaling with compilersLab – viewing compiler and load balancer configurationSummary
Technical requirementsPuppet environmentsEnvironment directories and pathsEnvironment configuration filesEnvironment validation and deploymentUnderstanding node classificationNode definitionsClassifying nodes with HieraENC scriptsPE classifierRecommended approachPuppet runsManaging and deploying Puppet codeCreating a workflowLab – classifying and deploying codeSummary
Technical requirementsExploring and configuring BoltConnecting to clients with transports and targetsRunning ad hoc commands with BoltOutput and debuggingUnderstanding the structure of projectsConfiguring a projectConfiguring transportsSystem level and legacyIntroducing tasks and plansCreating tasksCreating Puppet plansConstructing targetsUsing plan functionsLogging and resultsHandling errorsManaging data sourcesDocumenting plan metadataPlan testingIntroducing YAML plansPluginsReference pluginsSecret pluginsPuppet libraryLab – creating and using a Bolt projectSummary
Technical requirementsLogging and statusExploring log locationsForwarding server logsReport processorsAccessing status APIsMetrics, tuning, and scalingExploring metrics dashboardsIdentifying and avoiding common issuesLab – configuring metric dashboardsExternal data provider patternUnderstanding external data provider componentsExternal data provider implementationsLab – hands-on with Splunk and Puppet Data ServiceSummary
Technical requirementsWhat is Puppet Enterprise?Exploring the Puppet Enterprise console and servicesPuppet ServerIntroducing Puppet web console componentsUsing Bolt with Puppet EnterpriseOrchestrator servicesRunning jobsConfiguring performance settingsAutomating deployment and reference architecturesUnderstanding supported architecturesDeployment and configurationPuppet Enterprise-related projects and toolingMonitoring and troubleshooting Puppet Enterprise infrastructureManaging deployments and ensuring complianceLab – Puppet Enterprise extensions and configurationSummary
Scope and focusManaging heritage estates with no-op modeA platform engineering approachAdoption in regulated environmentsMoving to the cloudSummary
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Overview

In "Puppet 8 for DevOps Engineers," you'll explore Puppet's stateful language and management platform to automate and scale infrastructure effectively. This comprehensive book covers key aspects of Puppet, from structuring code to integrating tools like ServiceNow and Bolt, all while maintaining best practices for optimal compliance and hybrid environments.

What this Book will help me do

Gain proficiency with Puppet to automate and scale infrastructure configuration.
Understand Puppet code structures to enable collaborative and flexible workflows.
Explore integrations with other tools like ServiceNow, Splunk, and Forge modules.
Learn about Puppet Bolt for orchestration of more complex workflows.
Adopt Puppet for enterprise settings, including regulated and hybrid cloud environments.

Author(s)

David Sandilands is a seasoned DevOps engineer with years of hands-on experience using Puppet to automate enterprise-scale infrastructures. With a strong background in system administration and DevOps practices, he brings technical prowess and practical knowledge to his works. David's clear and structured style ensures that you gain actionable skills while appreciating the underlying concepts.

Who is it for?

If you're a DevOps engineer keen to learn automation using Puppet, this book is for you. Beginners will gain a foundation in Puppet language and platform, while experienced users will deepen their knowledge and skills. Familiarity with Unix systems, infrastructure management, and concepts like git and scripting is recommended to get the most out of this content.