In this CentOS 5.5 tutorial we will be installing Foreman on a CentOS 5.5 i386 server including Puppet Master and Puppet client. The assumption is that you have a basic to medium understanding of the software required but if you follow this tutorial you should be able to complete the task successfully.
A bit on the software that we’ll be using:
Foreman
Foreman is aimed to be a Single Address For All Machines Life Cycle Management.
Foreman integrates with Puppet (and acts as web front end to it).
Foreman takes care of bare bone provisioning until the point puppet is running, allowing Puppet to do what it does best.
Foreman shows you Systems Inventory (based on Facter) and provides real time information about hosts status based on Puppet reports.
Foreman creates everything you need when adding a new machine to your network. It’s goal being automatically managing everything you would normally manage manually – that would eventually include DNS, DHCP, TFTP, PuppetCA, CMDB and everything else you might consider useful.
With Foreman You Can Always Rebuild Your Machines From Scratch!
Foreman is designed to work in a large enterprise, where multiple domains, subnets and puppetmasters are required.
The Puppet Dashboard is a web front end that keeps you informed and in control of everything going on in your Puppet ecosystem. It currently functions as a reporting dashboard and an external node repository and will soon do much more, including having better marketing copy.
Fundamentally, Dashboard lets you do two things: configure nodes using parameters, classes and groups for use as an external nodes tool; and monitor the status of nodes through real-time reporting and versioned change tracking.
To learn more about the Puppet Dashboard and it’s different views go read: A tour of the Puppet Dashboard
Preliminary Note:
I am using a CentOS 5.5 i386 base installation in this tutorial.
* puppetmaster.how2centos.com (IP 10.0.0.100): CentOS 5.5 i386 base installation
The assumption is that you have a working knowledge of installing/configuring Puppet. If not then read this article: Installing Puppet Master and Client on CentOS Continue reading »
*snip*
Puppet is system administration — Automated.
Puppet speaks the local language
Administer One Server or 1,000
The Robustness of Open Source
Powerful, Flexible, Extensible
Facter Sets the Stage
Repeatable Configurations
For a more complete description visit Reductive Labs. Continue reading »
