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191 lines
6.5 KiB
ReStructuredText
====================
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Introduction to Salt
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====================
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.. rubric:: We’re not just talking about NaCl.
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The 30 second summary
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=====================
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Salt is:
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* a configuration management system, capable of maintaining remote nodes
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in defined states (for example, ensuring that specific packages are installed and
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specific services are running)
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* a distributed remote execution system used to execute commands and
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query data on remote nodes, either individually or by arbitrary
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selection criteria
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It was developed in order to bring the best solutions found in the
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world of remote execution together and make them better, faster, and more
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malleable. Salt accomplishes this through its ability to handle large loads of
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information, and not just dozens but hundreds and even thousands of individual
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servers quickly through a simple and manageable interface.
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Simplicity
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==========
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Providing versatility between massive scale deployments and smaller systems may seem
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daunting, but Salt is very simple to set up and maintain, regardless of the
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size of the project. The architecture of Salt is designed to work with any
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number of servers, from a handful of local network systems to international
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deployments across different data centers. The topology is a simple
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server/client model with the needed functionality built into a single set of
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daemons. While the default configuration will work with little to no
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modification, Salt can be fine tuned to meet specific needs.
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Parallel execution
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==================
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The core functions of Salt:
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* enable commands to remote systems to be called in parallel rather than serially
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* use a secure and encrypted protocol
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* use the smallest and fastest network payloads possible
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* provide a simple programming interface
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Salt also introduces more granular controls to the realm of remote
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execution, allowing systems to be targeted not just by hostname, but
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also by system properties.
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Builds on proven technology
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===========================
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Salt takes advantage of a number of technologies and techniques. The
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networking layer is built with the excellent `ZeroMQ`_ networking
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library, so the Salt daemon includes a viable and transparent AMQ
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broker. Salt uses public keys for authentication with the master
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daemon, then uses faster `AES`_ encryption for payload communication;
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authentication and encryption are integral to Salt. Salt takes
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advantage of communication via `msgpack`_, enabling fast and light
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network traffic.
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.. _`ZeroMQ`: http://zeromq.org/
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.. _`msgpack`: http://msgpack.org/
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.. _`AES`: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Encryption_Standard
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Python client interface
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=======================
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In order to allow for simple expansion, Salt execution routines can be written
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as plain Python modules. The data collected from Salt executions can be sent
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back to the master server, or to any arbitrary program. Salt can be called from
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a simple Python API, or from the command line, so that Salt can be used to
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execute one-off commands as well as operate as an integral part of a larger
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application.
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Fast, flexible, scalable
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========================
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The result is a system that can execute commands at high speed on
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target server groups ranging from one to very many servers. Salt is
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very fast, easy to set up, amazingly malleable and provides a single
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remote execution architecture that can manage the diverse
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requirements of any number of servers. The Salt infrastructure
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brings together the best of the remote execution world, amplifies its
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capabilities and expands its range, resulting in a system that is as
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versatile as it is practical, suitable for any network.
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Open
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====
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Salt is developed under the `Apache 2.0 license`_, and can be used for
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open and proprietary projects. Please submit your expansions back to
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the Salt project so that we can all benefit together as Salt grows.
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Please feel free to sprinkle Salt around your systems and let the
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deliciousness come forth.
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.. _salt-community:
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Salt Community
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==============
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Join the Salt!
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There are many ways to participate in and communicate with the Salt community.
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Salt has an active IRC channel and a mailing list.
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Mailing List
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============
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Join the `salt-users mailing list`_. It is the best place to ask questions
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about Salt and see whats going on with Salt development! The Salt mailing list
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is hosted by Google Groups. It is open to new members.
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.. _`salt-users mailing list`: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/salt-users
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IRC
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===
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The ``#salt`` IRC channel is hosted on the popular `Freenode`_ network. You
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can use the `Freenode webchat client`_ right from your browser.
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`Logs of the IRC channel activity`_ are being collected courtesy of Moritz Lenz.
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.. _Freenode: http://freenode.net/irc_servers.shtml
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.. _`Freenode webchat client`: http://webchat.freenode.net/?channels=salt&uio=Mj10cnVlJjk9dHJ1ZSYxMD10cnVl83
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.. _`Logs of the IRC channel activity`: http://irclog.perlgeek.de/salt/
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If you wish to discuss the development of Salt itself join us in
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``#salt-devel``.
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Follow on Github
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================
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The Salt code is developed via Github. Follow Salt for constant updates on what
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is happening in Salt development:
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|saltrepo|
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Blogs
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=====
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SaltStack Inc. keeps a `blog`_ with recent news and advancements:
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http://www.saltstack.com/blog/
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.. _`blog`: http://www.saltstack.com/blog/
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Example Salt States
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===================
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The official ``salt-states`` repository is:
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https://github.com/saltstack/salt-states
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A few examples of salt states from the community:
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* https://github.com/blast-hardcheese/blast-salt-states
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* https://github.com/kevingranade/kevingranade-salt-state
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* https://github.com/uggedal/states
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* https://github.com/mattmcclean/salt-openstack/tree/master/salt
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* https://github.com/rentalita/ubuntu-setup/
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* https://github.com/brutasse/states
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* https://github.com/bclermont/states
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* https://github.com/pcrews/salt-data
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Follow on ohloh
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===============
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https://www.ohloh.net/p/salt
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Other community links
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=====================
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- `Salt Stack Inc. <http://www.saltstack.com>`_
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- `Subreddit <http://www.reddit.com/r/saltstack>`_
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- `Google+ <https://plus.google.com/114449193225626631691/posts>`_
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- `YouTube <http://www.youtube.com/user/SaltStack>`_
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- `Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/SaltStack>`_
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- `Twitter <https://twitter.com/SaltStackInc>`_
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- `Wikipedia page <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt_(software)>`_
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Hack the Source
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===============
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If you want to get involved with the development of source code or the
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documentation efforts, please review the :ref:`contributing documentation
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<contributing>`!
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.. _`Apache 2.0 license`: http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0.html
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