grinder

Grinder is a dynamic environment deployment tool for SaltStack inspired by the excellent r10k. Using it allows for dynamic, flexible deployments of multiple environments with formulas, states, and pillars.

Requirements

• Python 3+
• GitPython

Setup

• It is recommended to use VirtualEnv to manage your Python environment.
  • mkdir ~/.virtualenv
  • cd ~/.virtualenv
  • virtualenv grinder
  • source ~/.virtualenv/grinder/bin/activate
• pip install gitpython
• pip install pyyaml

Configuration

Grinder

You'll need to update the environment configuration to point at your states repository and your pillar repository. This is currently located under the project directory in <repobase>/grinder/conf/grinder/grinder.conf. Modify the environment section to point at your remote repositories.

Repository

There are several steps to be taken to prepare your repositories for dynamic deployment.

• The top.sls file must be configured as if it is the only one being deployed. It can be completely unique between branches.
• The pillar and state repositories at this time must have the same branches as they will be deployed together. This may be altered in the future. Just remember that when you make a new feature branch in your states repository you're going to have to make a corresponding branch for pillar as well.
• Remove all external formulas from your states repository branches. In each branch place them into a seasoning.yml file located in the base of the states respository. There is an example YAML file specifying the format located in this repository.

Salt

• Configure the Salt master configuration file to set top_file_merging_strategy: same.

Usage

• Run grinder.
• Modify the Salt Master's master configuration to point the file_roots and pillar_roots sections at the newly created branches in the directory structure (default: /srv/salt/environments/branchname).
• Restart Salt Master.
• To use an alternate dynamic environment on a Minion, use the option saltenv=<branch>.