Configuration managers on CloudBolt Documentation

Ansible

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

CMP keeps an inventory file on the management server, adds each new server to the Ansible groups it was ordered with, and runs the playbooks mapped to those groups. Playbooks and ad hoc commands can also be run against a server or a group later.

Prerequisites

Build the management server first, following Ansible’s documentation. The integration then expects the following.

SSH on port 22 from the CMP appliance to the management server, and from the management server to the servers it manages.
A username on the management server, with either a password or an SSH key stored in CMP.
sshd installed on the Linux servers being built, started on boot.
Credentials in CMP for the servers being built. See Authentication requirements.
A writable directory on the management server. CMP runs Ansible by copying and executing a script there, so the connected account must be able to write to and run scripts from the named directory in Admin > Miscellaneous Settings > Resource management tab > *nix Temporary Directory for Remote Scripts, or /tmp when empty.
The SSH host key of each managed server in the management server’s known_hosts. Ansible will not connect until it is present, unless host key checking is disabled on the management server.
A user for Ansible to connect as. If your playbooks do not name one, set remote_user in the management server’s Ansible configuration file.

Password-less SSH and sudo

Playbooks run without a terminal, so the user Ansible connects as needs a public key on every managed server, with the matching private key on the management server. Configure the key in one of two ways: include it in the image or template the servers are built from, or run the built-in SSH Public Key action, a shared remote script that adds a public key to a Linux server. That action is disabled by default, so enable and attach it where you want it to run, such as a blueprint’s build item.

Ansible Automation Platform

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Import projects, inventories, groups, job templates, and workflows from the platform, then pair an inventory or group with a job template to form a configuration. CMP applies a configuration by adding the server to the appropriate inventory or group and launching the job against it, either while the server is being provisioned or on demand.

Turn the connector on or off

A feature flag controls whether this connector can be added and is enabled by default. To hide it, run the following on the appliance:

Chef

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Users select cookbooks and roles on the order form as applications, and CMP installs the Chef agent on the new server and applies those cookbooks and roles through Chef. The Chef tile appears in the Add dialog only where a Chef configuration manager already exists, so this page covers deployments that already run Chef.

What the integration does

Installs cookbooks and roles on servers as CMP applications.
Installs the Chef agent on each new server.
Discovers and synchronizes Chef nodes.

Prerequisites

CMP runs knife on the appliance to bootstrap agents, so Chef Workstation must be installed there with knife on the path. Follow the Chef Workstation install guide.

Puppet Enterprise

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

CMP installs the Puppet agent on each new server, has its certificate signed, and adds the server to the node groups it was ordered with. The Puppet Enterprise tile appears in the Add dialog only where a Puppet Enterprise configuration manager already exists, so this page covers deployments that already run Puppet Enterprise.

What the integration does

Installs the Puppet agent on a new server and signs its certificate.
Sets the server’s node groups during provisioning.
Imports node groups from Puppet Enterprise so they can be offered as applications.
Synchronizes servers and retrieves node facts.
Removes a node from Puppet Enterprise and cleans its certificate when a server is decommissioned.

The Version setting in the configuration manager determines which built-in actions CMP uses and also changes what the manager offers. With 3.X, CMP shows the certificate name, adds a Reports tab, and allows applications to be installed and uninstalled on servers through Puppet Enterprise. With 2015+, none of those are offered, and you configure the API and SSH endpoints described below.

Puppet Open Source

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

CMP becomes the master’s external node classifier: the master asks CMP which classes belong to a node and forwards each agent’s run report to CMP, which then shows a server’s facts and its latest report. The Puppet Open Source tile appears in the Add dialog only where a Puppet Open Source configuration manager already exists, so this page covers deployments that already run Puppet.

What the integration does

Installs and removes Puppet classes on servers as CMP applications.
Signs the agent certificate and removes the node when a server is decommissioned.
Imports classes, synchronizes servers, and records Puppet run reports.

CMP does not install the Puppet agent for open-source Puppet, so the agent must be in your images or installed by a remote script. With the 4.4+ version setting, node facts are not retrieved.