Step #04 : Install SaltStack master and minion

Description

In the first three steps we set ourselves up with a working environment "out in the cloud", thanks to iwStack's implmentation of Apache CloudStack.  Although, as underlined in Step #03 : Create template from VM and 2nd VM from template any two Ubuntu (and probably any Linux) machines would do just as well.

I have experimented with Chef, and a bit with Ansible.  I have used RunDeck a lot.  I've found that SaltStack is closest to what I want -- declarative provisioning with open source modularity in Python.

In this video, I take you through the steps to get a SaltStack master and minion installed and interacting.

SaltStack Bootstrap is Unix shell script that gives you a complete installation with a single command.  With switch "-P" it installs a minion; with the switches "-M -N", it installs a master.  We will do both, and then get them talking.

Here's the video:

Tasks performed

1. Connect to the minion by SSH, change its "host name", tell it the name and IP address of the Salt master and then reboot it.
2. Go to GitHub to pick up the latest SaltStack Bootstrap. Note that the usage instructions changed shortly after I made the video.  You should find, on that page, the bootstrap install that best suits your needs. I use this now.
3. As root, paste the indicated text into a SSH terminal and let it run.
4. Reboot to ensure the minion starts up as a working SaltStack minion.
5. Check the log files to ensure it is trying to contact the master.
6. Start up the master, and repeat the above.
7. When the master is working, ensure that the minion has presented keys and accept them.

An overview of all the steps is available here:

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