Puppet users - Apr 2011 - does puppet allow to a client specify a value in a configuration file?

hi everybody,

In the server side we define a template for a configuration file. Our
client pulls configuration file from the server without knowing any
template is used or not, it just takes the catalog and puts the
changes to the file. However, if a client wants to add an extra value
to its configuration file that does not exist in the template, does
puppet allow that?

In other words, puppet forces a configuration file to a bunch of nodes
but a node in this bunch wants to add an extra value by itself, it
wont take that value from the server.

thanks so much

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Hi,

Well depending on what you''re trying to do exactly there are some ways
to get around it.

But this comes back to the essence of puppet, it is not just a deployment tool
but it is used to describe and assert the configuration state you want on your
node. A file that is volatile to wanted change on the node maybe better handled
at the package level so you deploy a known state then the node makes changes
after that.

In this case you can still describe the file in the manifest but not the
contents of the file (just that it''s present and has these perm values
and so on).

Other options really depend on the files in question, like they might allow
local include files that can have the volatile changes.

Cheers,
Den

On 20/04/2011, at 7:34, rowan holmes <rwn.hlms@gmail.com> wrote:
> hi everybody,
> 
> In the server side we define a template for a configuration file. Our
> client pulls configuration file from the server without knowing any
> template is used or not, it just takes the catalog and puts the
> changes to the file. However, if a client wants to add an extra value
> to its configuration file that does not exist in the template, does
> puppet allow that?
> 
> In other words, puppet forces a configuration file to a bunch of nodes
> but a node in this bunch wants to add an extra value by itself, it
> wont take that value from the server.
> 
> thanks so much
> 
> -- 
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> 
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On 04/19/2011 11:34 PM, rowan holmes wrote:
> hi everybody,
> 
> In the server side we define a template for a configuration file. Our
> client pulls configuration file from the server without knowing any
> template is used or not, it just takes the catalog and puts the
> changes to the file. However, if a client wants to add an extra value
> to its configuration file that does not exist in the template, does
> puppet allow that?
> 
> In other words, puppet forces a configuration file to a bunch of nodes
> but a node in this bunch wants to add an extra value by itself, it
> wont take that value from the server.
The canonical way would be to extend the template such that the extra
value will be added at the manifest''s discretion.
The best way to integrate this really depends on the structure of you
manifest. If this is 2.6, you may be able to add a parameter to the
class declaring your file that controls wether the option is present.

If you want an extra-versatile solution (or in fact need the client to
control the contents), you can use a custom fact for use in your template.

HTH,
Felix

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Hi Denmat and Felix

Thanks both of you very much for your help

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I second what Felix said about custom facts. We use these all the time
in templates.

Another option is to use Dashboard parameters (if you are using Puppet
Dashboard) in your templates. You can reference these in your
manifests/templates in the same way you reference facts. Just create a
parameter in Dashboard, setting a default value for it perhaps, and
then override it to other values on a per-node or per-group basis.
This can be nice when you have a config file you just need a couple
versions of, for certain groups of nodes, rather than those that are
unique per node.

Kent

On Apr 20, 11:01 pm, rowan holmes <rwn.h...@gmail.com>
wrote:
> Hi Denmat and Felix
>
> Thanks both of you very much for your help
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