Puppet users - Jan 2013 - Parameterizing modulepath beyond $environment

I''m looking for a way to parameterize the module path at runtime based
on multiple variables, including the environment.  We''ve got a puppet
master that serves nodes from several different projects, each of which have
their own dev/test/prod environments.  I''d like for each project to
have their own entry in the module path.  This way a project could have control
over multiple modules and create new ones as they see fit, without impacting
others who use the same puppetmaster.  I''m envisioning something like

	/etc/puppet/modules/common:/etc/puppet/modules/$project/$environment

where $project is a fact attached to the node that''s checking into the
master.  This

Is this possible?  Can arbitrary variables be used in the modulepath in
puppet.conf?

Thanks,
Brian

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On Thursday, January 24, 2013 6:59:59 PM UTC-6, blalor
wrote:
>
> I''m looking for a way to parameterize the module path at runtime
based on
> multiple variables, including the environment.  We''ve got a puppet
master
> that serves nodes from several different projects, each of which have their
> own dev/test/prod environments.  I''d like for each project to have
their
> own entry in the module path.  This way a project could have control over 
> multiple modules and create new ones as they see fit, without impacting 
> others who use the same puppetmaster.  I''m envisioning something
like
>
>        
/etc/puppet/modules/common:/etc/puppet/modules/$project/$environment
>
>
> where $project is a fact attached to the node that''s checking into
the
> master.  This 
>
> Is this possible?  Can arbitrary variables be used in the modulepath in 
> puppet.conf? 
>
>
I don''t think it''s possible, and if it were possible then I
would account
it very unwise.  Part of the problem is that the Puppet agent syncs plugins 
before computing facts (required to support custom facts), and plugins 
typically reside in modules.  Therefore, either the master must choose a 
module path without relying on node facts, or you risk the master using a 
different module path for pluginsync than for catalog compilation, so that 
clients may sync the wrong plugins.

As I see it, your best options are these:

   1. Provide a separate master for each project.
   2. Allow projects to control modules only within a project-specific 
   namespace (<project>::mymodule1, etc.), within each environment.

Which of those makes more sense depends a lot on your objectives with each 
project.

If they are intended ultimately to be deployed in the same site(s) and 
therefore to coexist, then it makes sense for them to share a master and 
dev / test / prod environments.  If they don''t, then you bear a
substantial
risk of target environment skew.  If they share, however, then not only do 
you avoid skew, but you stand to identify integration issues a lot earlier 
than otherwise you might.

If, on the other hand, it is not of particular concern whether the projects 
can coexist, then separate masters make a lot of sense.


John

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