Getting started with Puppet - Basic setup

In this blog I will try to explain about basic setup of puppet. Assuming that you are already aware about need/benefits of puppet.

Prerequisites:

1. Need two servers for this activity.Will make one of the server as puppet master and the other as puppet agent.
2. The other main prerequisites for installing puppet on redhat/centos is that we need to have the following.

• Ruby Language
• Ruby Libraries
• Shadow Ruby Libraries 

      [root@kulshresht1~]# yum install ruby-shadow ruby ruby-libs

In this example the name of two server is 'kulshresht1.home.lan' & 'kulshresht2.home.lan'

For understanding well:
kulshresht1.home.lan --> puppetmaster.example.org --> 10.50.20.19
kulshresht2.home.lan --> puppetagent.example.org   --> 10.50.20.30

Map the server name as 'puppetmaster.example.org' and 'puppetagent.example.org' respectively  in '/etc/hosts' file. It's better if you can get this registered in your local DNS for lookup.

Install puppet server on master server

[root@kulshresht1~]# yum install puppet puppet-server facter

puppet master server must contain the following packages:

1. Pupppet :: contains the puppet agent
2. Puppet-server :: contains the puppet master server
3. facter :: contain the tool which will act as fetching information about the node

Install puppet on agent server

[root@kulshresht2~]# yum install puppet facter

For testing basic setup and get puppet working , make "Agent side configuration changes" only, as stated below, and run the below command on puppet agent server. This is basic setup of puppet.

#puppet agent --no-daemonize --onetime --verbose

Now go on puppet master screen and sign the certificate using below commands

puppet cert list
puppet cert sign "puppetagent.example.org"

Few useful commands:

puppet cert clean puppetmaster.example.org

puppet cert clean puppetagent.example.org

START PUPPET AGENT:
puppet agent --no-daemonize --onetime --verbose

TEST AGENT:
puppet agent --test

CREATE/GENERATE CERTIFICATE:
puppet certificate generate puppetagent.example.org --ca-location  remote

HOW TO SIGN CERTIFICATE:
puppet cert list
puppet cert sign "puppetagent.example.org"

----------------------------------Agent side configuration changes-------------------------------------

Add below settings in "puppet.conf" on agent side.
server= kulshresht1.home.lan / puppetmaster.example.org
puppet.conf

[main]     # The Puppet log directory.     # The default value is '$vardir/log'.     logdir = /var/log/puppet     # Where Puppet PID files are kept.     # The default value is '$vardir/run'.     rundir = /var/run/puppet     # Where SSL certificates are kept.     # The default value is '$confdir/ssl'.     ssldir = $vardir/ssl     server=puppetmaster.example.org

Please go through http://kulshresht-gautam.blogspot.in/2013/12/puppet-bit-advanced-setup-and.html for advance puppet setup.

References:
http://www.slashroot.in/puppet-tutorial-installing-puppet-master-and-puppet-agent
http://blog.adityapatawari.com/2012/02/puppet-and-common-errors.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hiu_ui2nZa0