Puppet users - Nov 2014 - Q: Maintaining installation profiles and privisioning using puppet

Hi,

I just stated looking closer on the puppet so please forgive me if my 
questions or dilemmas would be a little not accurate in context of puppet.

I'm trying to solve couple of problems with install infrastructure for more 
than one OS. Let's say that initially would be rpm based Linux and Solaris.
Generally installation infrastructure across many hosts shares some set of 
stages like a choosing set of software which needs to be installed, 
authentication setup, choosing devices(s) used on install etc.
In case Linux to perform such set of operation you must have kickstart 
profile which will do all what is needed. In case Solaris you must have 
personalized AI profile and manifest.
Updating install profiles it is modifying set of KS profiles and for 
example files with PXE bootloader configuration files in pxelinux.cfg/ 
directory served by TFTP server. In case AI installer profiles and 
manifests must be updated and imported to AI database.
Additionally on higher level it would be good to keep track some additional 
settings like guarantee that none of two hosts will be sharing the same 
addresses, updating DNS records, updating firewall settings or switches 
ACLs.

In this case I'm not talking about automate simple installation but whole 
multistage provisioning process which should be not started if some 
dependence will be not fulfilled and/or even committing some new change in 
setup should be refused if some inconsistencies will be not fulfilled.

I know that I can solve such set of problems using quattor and pan 
language. Problem is that IMO quattor community has IMO real problems with 
lack of understanding present days large scale installations in 
heterogeneous envs which makes choosing this software in long term a bit 
risky.
Puppet seems has much healthier community and such risk is IMO way lower.

Questions only is am I will be able to solve all my above problems with 
install infrastructure using puppet using set of templates, with per host 
parameters, dependency rules and checking automatically on updating host(s) 
install settings automatically to start whole cascade of updates in 
provisioning process set of additional actions to update DNS, other files 
on some hosts easier than using quattor?
If such answer would be positive can I ask someone to point on  some needed 
here documentation(s) to dig by myself for necessary details? :) 

I'll be really appreciated any comments or advice If anyone is using puppet 
or other software solving something similar :)

Regards

Tomasz

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