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87 lines
3.9 KiB
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=============
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What is Salt?
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=============
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.. rubric:: We’re not just talking about NaCl.
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Distributed remote execution
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============================
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Salt is a distributed remote execution system used to execute commands and
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query data. 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 via its ability to handle larger loads of
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information, and not just dozens, but hundreds or even thousands of individual
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servers, handle them quickly and through a simple and manageable interface.
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Simplicity
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==========
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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 disparate datacenters. 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 function of Salt is to enable remote commands to be called in parallel
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rather than in serial, to use a secure and encrypted protocol, the smallest and
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fastest network payloads possible, and with a simple programmer interface. Salt
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also introduces more granular controls to the realm of remote execution,
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allowing for commands to be executed in parallel and for systems to be targeted
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based on more than just hostname, but by system properties.
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Building on proven technology
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=============================
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Salt takes advantage of a number of technologies and techniques. The networking
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layer is built with the excellent `ZeroMQ`_ networking library, so Salt itself
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contains a viable, and transparent, AMQ broker inside the daemon. Salt uses
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public keys for authentication with the master daemon, then uses faster AES
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encryption for payload communication, this means that authentication and
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encryption are also built into Salt. Salt takes advantage of communication via
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Python pickles, enabling fast and light network traffic.
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.. _`ZeroMQ`: http://www.zeromq.org/
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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 and 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, secure
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================================
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The result is a system that can execute commands across groups of
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varying size, from very few to very many servers at considerably high
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speed. A system that is very fast, easy to set up and amazingly
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malleable, able to suit the needs of any number of servers working
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within the same system. Salt’s unique architecture brings together the
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best of the remote execution world, amplifies its capabilities and
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expands its range, resulting in this system that is as versatile as it
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is practical, able to suit any network. Last but not least, security
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is an intrinsic part of salt and something not just influencing how
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source code is written and how tests are done, but also something that
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defines the overall architecture and has heavy influence on the core
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design of salt.
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Open
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====
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Salt is developed under the `Apache 2.0 licence`_, and can be used for open and
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proprietary projects. Please submit your expansions back to the Salt project so
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that we can all benefit together as Salt grows. So, please feel free to
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sprinkle some of this around your systems and let the deliciousness come forth.
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.. _`Apache 2.0 licence`: http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0.html
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