Puppet users - Aug 2011 - Creating manifests automatically from an existing configuration?

Hello,

I''m new to puppet and I would like to use it to clone the
configuration of an existing base machine. Are there any tools that
would allow puppet to scan the existing machine''s state and generate
manifests I can then use to manage this other machine?

I know I can make them by hand or use prepared manifests, I''m just
hoping there may be a little time saver I''m not aware of.

Thanks,
Mike

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On Thu, Aug 11, 2011 at 16:05, Spiral Syzygy <spiralenator@gmail.com>
wrote:
> I''m new to puppet and I would like to use it to clone the
> configuration of an existing base machine. Are there any tools that
> would allow puppet to scan the existing machine''s state and
generate
> manifests I can then use to manage this other machine?
`puppet resource` can generate the raw material.  It doesn''t produce
dependencies, and you would need to make sensible decisions about
structuring file resources, but it can sure be a help.

Daniel
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This could also be a place for the use of exported resources. End result is
similar to puppet resource but can change dynamically, which is nice.

--  
Join us for PuppetConf (http://www.bit.ly/puppetconfsig), September 22nd and
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Eric Shamow
Professional Services
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(c)631.871.6441

On Thursday, August 11, 2011 at 9:27 AM, Daniel Pittman wrote:
> On Thu, Aug 11, 2011 at 16:05, Spiral Syzygy <spiralenator@gmail.com
(mailto:spiralenator@gmail.com)> wrote:
>  
> > I''m new to puppet and I would like to use it to clone the
> > configuration of an existing base machine. Are there any tools that
> > would allow puppet to scan the existing machine''s state and
generate
> > manifests I can then use to manage this other machine?
>  
> `puppet resource` can generate the raw material. It doesn''t
produce
> dependencies, and you would need to make sensible decisions about
> structuring file resources, but it can sure be a help.
>  
> Daniel
> --  
> ⎋ Puppet Labs Developer – http://puppetlabs.com
> ♲ Made with 100 percent post-consumer electrons
>  
> --  
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On Aug 11, 11:52 am, Eric Shamow <e...@puppetlabs.com>
wrote:
>  This could also be a place for the use of exported resources. End result
is similar to puppet resource but can change dynamically, which is nice.  
If the OP already had Puppet manifests for the machine he wanted to
clone, then he would not need to go through this exercise in the first
place.  He could more or less just assign all the same classes to the
new node that are assigned to the existing one.  That would be a lot
easier than exporting all of one node''s resources and collecting them
on the other, or using ''puppet resource'' to analyze the
original
machine.

I interpreted the OP''s use of "configuration" differently: I
think he
means what we more typically might describe as "state" (indeed, he
later uses that term himself).  He''s looking for tools with which to
create Puppet manifests describing the existing machine, which he will
then apply to the new one.  Exported resources are clearly no help
there, because there are no existing resource declaration to export.


John

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Thank you John, I think you hit the nail on the head. I just started
this gig and the sysadmin before me started the process of setting up
our machines to be managed by puppet. We have a project to add a
redundant server and he started this project with puppet in mind, but
the manifests are not all done. He left in a bit of a hurry and I''m
left to clean up and fill in the gaps where I can. As server1 is sound
in it''s current state, I was hoping I could use puppet to inspect that
machines state and generate manifests that would make it simple to
clone the machines state to another machine.

It''s ok, I believe I have the manifests good enough for a dry run.
Anything missed now will be caught later when we start running full
regression tests on the fail-over server. I''m starting to gather up
the ammo needed to convince the boss to let me start moving most of
our services into the cloud. From here on out, any new machines will
be managed with puppet. It''s quite a nice tool now that I''m
starting
to get the hang of it.

Cheers!
Mike





On Thu, Aug 11, 2011 at 2:45 PM, jcbollinger <John.Bollinger@stjude.org>
wrote:
>
>
> On Aug 11, 11:52 am, Eric Shamow <e...@puppetlabs.com> wrote:
>>  This could also be a place for the use of exported resources. End
result is similar to puppet resource but can change dynamically, which is nice.
>
> If the OP already had Puppet manifests for the machine he wanted to
> clone, then he would not need to go through this exercise in the first
> place.  He could more or less just assign all the same classes to the
> new node that are assigned to the existing one.  That would be a lot
> easier than exporting all of one node''s resources and collecting
them
> on the other, or using ''puppet resource'' to analyze the
original
> machine.
>
> I interpreted the OP''s use of "configuration"
differently: I think he
> means what we more typically might describe as "state" (indeed,
he
> later uses that term himself).  He''s looking for tools with which
to
> create Puppet manifests describing the existing machine, which he will
> then apply to the new one.  Exported resources are clearly no help
> there, because there are no existing resource declaration to export.
>
>
> John
>
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>
>
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John,

I suspect you''re right. User requirements FTW.

-Eric

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23rd in Portland, OR.

Eric Shamow
Professional Services
http://puppetlabs.com/
(c)631.871.6441

On Thursday, August 11, 2011 at 2:45 PM, jcbollinger wrote:
> 
> 
> On Aug 11, 11:52 am, Eric Shamow <e...@puppetlabs.com
(http://puppetlabs.com)> wrote:
> > This could also be a place for the use of exported resources. End
result is similar to puppet resource but can change dynamically, which is nice.
> 
> If the OP already had Puppet manifests for the machine he wanted to
> clone, then he would not need to go through this exercise in the first
> place. He could more or less just assign all the same classes to the
> new node that are assigned to the existing one. That would be a lot
> easier than exporting all of one node''s resources and collecting
them
> on the other, or using ''puppet resource'' to analyze the
original
> machine.
> 
> I interpreted the OP''s use of "configuration"
differently: I think he
> means what we more typically might describe as "state" (indeed,
he
> later uses that term himself). He''s looking for tools with which
to
> create Puppet manifests describing the existing machine, which he will
> then apply to the new one. Exported resources are clearly no help
> there, because there are no existing resource declaration to export.
> 
> 
> John
> 
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Thanks for your input folks. I have successfully run the manifests we
have with out trouble. I''m looking forward to simplifying my job with
this great tool, along with a few other side projects. Puppet is the
first CMS I''ve laid hands on and so far, I''m stoked. :)

On Thu, Aug 11, 2011 at 3:23 PM, Eric Shamow <eric@puppetlabs.com>
wrote:
> John,
>
> I suspect you''re right. User requirements FTW.
>
> -Eric
>
> --
> Join us for PuppetConf (http://www.bit.ly/puppetconfsig), September 22nd
and 23rd in Portland, OR.
>
> Eric Shamow
> Professional Services
> http://puppetlabs.com/
> (c)631.871.6441
>
> On Thursday, August 11, 2011 at 2:45 PM, jcbollinger wrote:
>
>>
>>
>> On Aug 11, 11:52 am, Eric Shamow <e...@puppetlabs.com
(http://puppetlabs.com)> wrote:
>> > This could also be a place for the use of exported resources. End
result is similar to puppet resource but can change dynamically, which is nice.
>>
>> If the OP already had Puppet manifests for the machine he wanted to
>> clone, then he would not need to go through this exercise in the first
>> place. He could more or less just assign all the same classes to the
>> new node that are assigned to the existing one. That would be a lot
>> easier than exporting all of one node''s resources and
collecting them
>> on the other, or using ''puppet resource'' to analyze
the original
>> machine.
>>
>> I interpreted the OP''s use of "configuration"
differently: I think he
>> means what we more typically might describe as "state"
(indeed, he
>> later uses that term himself). He''s looking for tools with
which to
>> create Puppet manifests describing the existing machine, which he will
>> then apply to the new one. Exported resources are clearly no help
>> there, because there are no existing resource declaration to export.
>>
>>
>> John
>>
>> --
>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
Groups "Puppet Users" group.
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(mailto:puppet-users+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com).
>> For more options, visit this group at
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>
>
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>
>
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