salt/doc/index.rst
2012-10-16 14:44:31 -05:00

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Get started with Salt
=====================
.. sidebar:: Presentations
A list of `presentations and interviews on Salt`_ (including the FLOSS
Weekly interview).
.. _`presentations and interviews on Salt`: http://saltstack.org/learn/
Salt is an open source tool to manage your infrastructure. Easy enough to get
running in minutes and fast enough to manage tens of thousands of servers (and
still get a response back in *seconds*).
Execute arbitrary shell commands or choose from dozens of pre-built modules of
common (or complex) commands. Target individual servers or groups of servers
based on name, defined roles, or a variety of system information such as
hardware, software, operating system, current version, current environment, and
many more.
Bring your servers up to a known configured state by writing simple lists of
items and defining attributes on those lists—no need to learn yet another
language.
Read the :doc:`Salt overview <topics/index>` for a more thorough description.
Tutorial 1: Remote execution
----------------------------
.. sidebar:: |vid| Screencasts
Watch the `remote execution screencast`__.
.. __: http://blip.tv/saltstack/salt-installation-configuration-and-remote-execution-5713423
The quickest way to see Salt in action is to run a command on a :term:`minion`
host from the :term:`master` host. This is widely known as :term:`remote
execution` — executing commands on remote hosts.
1. :doc:`Installation </topics/installation/index>`
2. :doc:`Configure the minion <topics/configuration>`
3. :doc:`Run remote commands <topics/tutorials/modules>`
Tutorial 2: Configuration management
------------------------------------
Now that you have the basics out of the way, learn to use Salt to configure
your servers. This is widely known as :term:`configuration management`
installing packages, configuring users and services, and much more.
1. :doc:`Getting Started with States<topics/tutorials/starting_states>`
2. :doc:`Basic config management <topics/tutorials/states_pt1>`
3. :doc:`Less basic config management <topics/tutorials/states_pt2>`
4. :doc:`Advanced techniques <topics/tutorials/states_pt3>`
Salt in depth
=============
Setting up and using Salt is a simple task but its capabilities run much, much
deeper. Gaining a better understanding of how Salt works will allow you to
truly make it work for you.
.. sidebar:: More tutorials!
* :doc:`Bootstraping Salt on EC2 <topics/tutorials/bootstrap_ec2>`
* :doc:`Installing Salt on FreeBSD <topics/installation/freebsd>`
* :doc:`Preseeding Minions with Accepted Keys <topics/tutorials/preseed_key>`
.. contents:: The components of Salt
:local:
:depth: 2
:doc:`Targeting </topics/targeting/index>`
------------------------------------------
Targeting is specifying which minions should execute commands or manage server
configuration.
:doc:`Globbing and regex </topics/targeting/globbing>`
Match minions using globing and regular expressions.
:doc:`Grains </topics/targeting/grains>`
Match minions using bits of static information about the minion such as
OS, software versions, virtualization, CPU, memory, and much more.
:doc:`Node groups </topics/targeting/nodegroups>`
Statically define groups of minions.
:doc:`Compound matchers </topics/targeting/compound>`
Combine the above matchers as a single target.
:doc:`Batching execution </topics/targeting/batch>`
Loop through all matching minions so that only a subset are executing a
command at one time.
Remote execution
----------------
Remote execution is the core functionality of Salt. Running pre-defined or
arbitrary commands on remote hosts.
**Modules**
Salt modules are the core of remote execution. They provide
functionality such as installing a package, restarting a service,
running a remote command, transferring a file — and the list goes on.
:doc:`Full list of modules </ref/modules/all/index>`
The giant list of core modules that ship with Salt
(And there are even more in the `salt-contrib`_ repository!)
:doc:`Writing modules <ref/modules/index>`
A guide on how to write Salt modules.
**Returners**
Salt returners allow saving minion responses in various datastores or
to various locations in addition to display at the CLI.
:doc:`Full list of returners </ref/returners/all/index>`
Store minion responses in Redis, Mongo, Cassandra or more.
:doc:`Writing returners <ref/returners/index>`
If we're missing your favorite storage backend, webservice, or you
need a custom endpoint returners are *tiny* and simple to write.
Configuration management
------------------------
Building on the remote execution core is a robust and flexible config
management framework. Execution happens on the minions allowing
effortless, simultaneous configuration of thousands of hosts.
**States**
Express the state of a host using small, easy to read, easy to
understand configuration files. No programming required (unless you
want to).
:doc:`Full list of states <ref/states/all/index>`
Install packages, create users, transfer files, start services, and
much more.
:doc:`Using states <ref/states/index>`
You've seen the big list of available states, now learn how to call
them.
:doc:`Highstate data structure <ref/states/highstate>`
A dry vocabulary and technical representation of the configuration
format that states represent.
**Renderers**
Write state configuration files in the language, templating engine, or
file type of your choice. The world doesn't need yet another DSL.
:doc:`Full list of renderers <ref/renderers/all/index>`
YAML? JSON? Jinja? Mako? Wempy? Python? We got you covered. (And if
we don't, new renderers are *tiny* and easy to write.)
:doc:`Renderers <ref/renderers/index>`
Salt states are only concerned with the ultimate highstate data
structure. How you create that data structure isn't our business.
Tweak a config option and use whatever you're most comfortable
with.
Miscellaneous topics
--------------------
Salt is many splendid things.
:doc:`File Server <ref/file_server/index>`
Salt can easily and quickly transfer files (in fact, that's how Salt
States work). Even under load, files are chunked and served.
:doc:`Syndic <ref/syndic>`
A seamless master of masters. Scale Salt to thousands of hosts or
across many different networks.
:doc:`Peer communication <ref/peer>`
Allow minions to communicate amongst themselves. For example, configure
one minion by querying live data from all the others. With great power
comes great responsibility.
:doc:`Running Salt without root <topics/nonroot>`
The Salt daemons can be run as an unprivileged user.
:doc:`Firewall settings and Salt <topics/tutorials/firewall>`
A tutorial covering how to properly firewall a Salt Master server.
:doc:`Network topology <ref/topology>`
At it's core, Salt is a highly scalable communication layer built on
top of ZeroMQ that enables remote execution and configuration
management. The possibilities are endless and Salt's future looks
bright.
:doc:`Python API interface <ref/python-api>`
Use Salt programmatically from your own scripts and programs easily and
simply via ``import salt``.
Reference
---------
:doc:`Command-line interface <ref/cli/index>`
Read the Salt manpages.
:doc:`Full list of master settings <ref/configuration/master>`
Read through the heavily-commented master configuration file.
:doc:`Full list of minion settings <ref/configuration/minion>`
Read through the heavily-commented minion configuration file.
:doc:`Full table of contents </contents>`
Dense but complete.
More information about the project
----------------------------------
:doc:`Release notes </topics/releases/index>`
Where we've been.
:doc:`Community </topics/community>`
How you can get involved.
.. _`salt-contrib`: https://github.com/saltstack/salt-contrib
.. _`salt-states`: https://github.com/saltstack/salt-states