Ryan Coleman presented on separating code from data in Puppet configurations. He discussed how Hiera can be used to lookup variable data in YAML, JSON, or other formats based on attributes of the node. Built into Puppet 3 is automatic data binding which defaults to using Hiera. Best practices include following the Puppet style guide, using parameterized classes, and not directly calling the hiera() function. The Puppet Forge is a community site for sharing Puppet modules, and private Forge instances may be possible using the PulpProject in the future.

1. @ryanycoleman - Product Owner - Puppet Forge
Data Bindings in Puppet 3 + Puppet Forge
Tuesday, May 21, 13

2. About Me
#PuppetCamp
Tuesday, May 21, 13
Ryan was a RedHat sysadmin for Penn State before joining Puppet Labs
as a professional services engineer. Now is product owner for the Forge.

3. About Me
#PuppetCamp
Tuesday, May 21, 13
Ryan was a RedHat sysadmin for Penn State before joining Puppet Labs
as a professional services engineer. Now is product owner for the Forge.

4. About Me
#PuppetCamp
Tuesday, May 21, 13
Ryan was a RedHat sysadmin for Penn State before joining Puppet Labs
as a professional services engineer. Now is product owner for the Forge.

5. Best Good Practices
#PuppetCamp
Tuesday, May 21, 13

6. PL Style Guide
#PuppetCamp
Tuesday, May 21, 13

7. #PuppetCamp
Tuesday, May 21, 13

8. #PuppetCamp
Tuesday, May 21, 13

9. #PuppetCamp
Tuesday, May 21, 13

10. #PuppetCamp
Tuesday, May 21, 13

11. Code VS Data
#PuppetCamp
Tuesday, May 21, 13
As you get further along with your Puppet Deployments, separating your code (puppet
resources) from the data (what package, what version) becomes increasingly important.

12. Tuesday, May 21, 13
Imagine that you’re doing a research project in the library.

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You’ve got some books that help accomplish your goal.

14. Separate
Code
From
Data
Tuesday, May 21, 13
But you don’t write in those books. You keep your notes -- your data -- separate.

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So where do you express your data and how does Puppet find it?

17. Automatic Data Lookup
Built into Puppet 3
Tuesday, May 21, 13

18. Tuesday, May 21, 13
The answer, use Hiera!
Seriously, these docs rock. Read them. http://docs.puppetlabs.com/hiera/1/index.html

19. It’s MAGIC
But also, it’s not...
#PuppetCamp
Tuesday, May 21, 13
But first, let’s take a closer look at a Puppet run.

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21. Tuesday, May 21, 13

22. Hello! I’m James_Bond
running the RedHat
license to kill downtime.
Tuesday, May 21, 13

23. Good to know!
Hmm, what does
James_Bond need to
enforce?.
Tuesday, May 21, 13

24. James_Bond?
External Node
Classifier
Class is
Forge
Modules
OK, what do I
need for Forge?
Modules
Modules Modules
Tuesday, May 21, 13

25. forge::package?
Data
Bindings
Hiera
YAMLJSON
MySQL Redis
Backends
$clientcert
$operatingsystem
common
Hiearchy
Tuesday, May 21, 13
The Puppet Master needs forge::package. To get this data...
- It consults its data bindings terminus (abstraction for looking up data)
- Default lookup to Hiera (key/value store for data)
- Hiera consults its back-end data stores (defaults to yaml)
- Hiera returns result of lookup to master (key/value or could not find)

26. It’s screen!
forge::package?
Data
Bindings
Hiera
YAMLJSON
MySQL Redis
Backends
$clientcert
$operatingsystem
common
Hiearchy
Tuesday, May 21, 13
The Puppet Master needs forge::package. To get this data...
- It consults its data bindings terminus (abstraction for looking up data)
- Default lookup to Hiera (key/value store for data)
- Hiera consults its back-end data stores (defaults to yaml)
- Hiera returns result of lookup to master (key/value or could not find)

27. ? $forge::package
$clientcert
$operatingsystem
common
Hiearchy
$james_bond
$RedHat
common
Tuesday, May 21, 13
Hiera will examine the lookup order of its data backends and its lookup hierarchy. If you
specified a variable lookup in your hierarchy, Hiera will use available facts when choosing the
backend file to lookup.

28. Configuring Hiera - Backends & Hierarchy
Tuesday, May 21, 13
Hiera lets you express data in some structured format (which is pluggable).
You then establish a hierarchy of lookup, however you like, usually based on facts.

29. Ok, so how do I use it
with my Puppet
classes?
#PuppetCamp
Tuesday, May 21, 13
Thankfully, Puppet 3 has made implementing Hiera really simple.

30. In the early days...
Tuesday, May 21, 13
Please don’t use the hiera() function. Consider it legacy.

31. In the early days...
Tuesday, May 21, 13
This is better, as the user can override this default parameter value.
With this, you’re locked into hiera.

32. Here’s the magic!
Tuesday, May 21, 13
But really, just get yourself onto Puppet 3 and take advantage of automatic Hiera!

33. Data Lookup Order
• Use explicit class declaration
values
• Query Data Binding
• Use the default value from
class.
• Fail compilation with an error if
no value can be found.
Tuesday, May 21, 13
This slide could be more visual vs text-based

34. Data Bindings
we abstract all the things
#PuppetCamp
Tuesday, May 21, 13
Additionally, protect yourself from a potential loss of Hiera.

35. Built into Puppet 3
Tuesday, May 21, 13
data_bindings were implemented to be an abstraction for data lookup, defaulting to hiera for
now

36. Tuesday, May 21, 13
There’s already an alternative out there, for consulting foreman as your data backend

37. Tuesday, May 21, 13
But really, just get yourself onto Puppet 3 and take advantage of automatic Hiera!

38. Tuesday, May 21, 13
Hiera backends are pluggable too. Here are two examples.

39. Tuesday, May 21, 13

40. Best Practices
• Confirm to the Style Guide
• Use Parameterized Classes
• Don’t use hiera() directly
#PuppetCamp
Tuesday, May 21, 13
Re-cap.

41. #PuppetCamp
Tuesday, May 21, 13
The Puppet Forge is a community driven web service for contributing and finding Puppet
modules.

42. #PuppetCamp
Tuesday, May 21, 13
The following are examples of what you will find on the Forge.

43. #PuppetCamp
Tuesday, May 21, 13

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52. #PuppetCamp
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53. #PuppetCamp
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54. #PuppetCamp
Tuesday, May 21, 13

55. The
Team
Tuesday, May 21, 13

56. A Full & Public API
What’s Next?
Tuesday, May 21, 13
Also coming soon, an actual API for doing all sorts of things with the Forge.

57. GitHub-based Module Publish
ryan@puppetlabs.com
Tuesday, May 21, 13
Edit your Modulefile, push your commit and we’ll do the publishing! Coming soon to a
repository near you.

58. What’s Next?
Tuesday, May 21, 13
Just an experimental mock-up of search results. Actual feature will absolutely look and
behave differently.

59. 0
1000
2000
3000
4000
End Q3 End Q4 ~End Q1 ~End Q2 ~End Q3 ~End Q4
Forge Module Count
#PuppetCamp
Tuesday, May 21, 13

60. On-Premise Forge?
Tuesday, May 21, 13
Private Forge has been a common request. The requests I get are two-fold.
A) How can I install public Forge content on a master that can’t reach the outside.
B) How can I contribute company-specific content to a Forge-like thing inside my firewall

61. On-Premise Forge?
Tuesday, May 21, 13
Private Forge has been a common request. The requests I get are two-fold.
A) How can I install public Forge content on a master that can’t reach the outside.
B) How can I contribute company-specific content to a Forge-like thing inside my firewall

62. On-Premise Forge?
Tuesday, May 21, 13
Private Forge has been a common request. The requests I get are two-fold.
A) How can I install public Forge content on a master that can’t reach the outside.
B) How can I contribute company-specific content to a Forge-like thing inside my firewall

63. On-Premise Forge?
Tuesday, May 21, 13
Private Forge has been a common request. The requests I get are two-fold.
A) How can I install public Forge content on a master that can’t reach the outside.
B) How can I contribute company-specific content to a Forge-like thing inside my firewall

64. On-Premise Forge?
Tuesday, May 21, 13
Private Forge has been a common request. The requests I get are two-fold.
A) How can I install public Forge content on a master that can’t reach the outside.
B) How can I contribute company-specific content to a Forge-like thing inside my firewall

65. On-Premise Forge?
Tuesday, May 21, 13
Private Forge has been a common request. The requests I get are two-fold.
A) How can I install public Forge content on a master that can’t reach the outside.
B) How can I contribute company-specific content to a Forge-like thing inside my firewall

66. PulpProject.org
Tuesday, May 21, 13
RedHat’s Pulp Project is repository management software that recently added support for
Puppet Modules.

67. • Manage Modules on-premise
• Mirror Public Forge
• BUT, please work with me on this
• Email me or comment on #5033
• ryan@puppetlabs.com
Tuesday, May 21, 13
If you’re interested in this, email ryan@puppetlabs.com or add your thoughts to https://
projects.puppetlabs.com/issues/5033.
We’re going to do something in this space, but want to hear more from you on what you
need.

68. Want to help?
#PuppetCamp
Tuesday, May 21, 13
If you want to add your influence to our products, join the Puppet Labs Test Pilots program!
https://puppetlabs.com/community/puppet-test-pilots-program/

69. • Sharpen your skills
• Get Certified
• Online learning on the way
• puppetlabs.com/education
#PuppetCamp
Tuesday, May 21, 13
Our education courses are carefully crafted and delivered by our fabulous education team
and professional services team.
Advanced course coming to LA 3/19
Browse upcoming events at http://puppetlabs.eventbrite.com/

70. Tuesday, May 21, 13

71. Thank You!
Feel free to email or tweet anytime RE: Forge!
ryan@puppetlabs.com - @ryanycoleman
puppetlabs.com/jobs
forge.puppetlabs.com
#PuppetCamp
Tuesday, May 21, 13
Seriously, join our team. It’ll be awesome.