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diff --git a/documentation/faq.rst b/documentation/faq.rst deleted file mode 100644 index 18a8c2b29..000000000 --- a/documentation/faq.rst +++ /dev/null @@ -1,227 +0,0 @@ -What is Puppet? ----------------- -Puppet is an open-source next-generation server automation tool. It is -composed of a *declarative* language for expressing system configuration, a -*client* and *server* for distributing it, and a *library* for realizing the -configuration. - -The primary design goal of Puppet is that it have an expressive enough -language backed by a powerful enough library that you can write your own -server automation applications in just a few lines of code. With Puppet, you -can express the configuration of your entire network in one program capable of -realizing the configuration. The fact that Puppet has open source combined -with how easily it can be extended means that you can add whatever -functionality you think is missing and then contribute it back to the main -project if you desire. - -You can learn more about Puppet by reading its Documentation_. - -What license is Puppet released under? --------------------------------------- -Puppet is open source and is released under the `GNU Public License`_. - -Why does Puppet exist? ----------------------- -Luke Kanies, who founded Reductive Labs, has been doing server automation for -years, and Puppet is the result of his frustration with existing tools. After -significant effort spent trying to enhance cfengine, plus a stint at a -commercial server automation vendor, Luke concluded that the only way to get a -great automation tool was to develop one. - -Puppet is actually the result of years of design and prototyping (called Blink -during its prototype phases), but only in 2005 was a commercial company -(Reductive Labs) built to be fully dedicated to its creation. If Puppet is -not the most powerful and most flexible server automation platform available, -then its goals are not being met. - -Why does Puppet have its own language? --------------------------------------- -This actually is a frequently asked question, and people most often ask why I -did not choose to use something like XML or YAML as the configuration -format; otherwise people ask why I didn't just choose to just use Ruby as the -input language. - -The input format for Puppet is not XML or YAML because these are data formats -developed to be easy for computers to handle. They do not do conditionals -(although, yes, they support data structures that could be considered -conditionals), but mostly, they're just horrible human interfaces. While some -people are comfortable reading and writing them, there's a reason why we use -web browsers instead of just reading the HTML directly. Also, using XML or -YAML would limit the ability to make sure the interface is declarative -- one -process might treat an XML configuration differently from another. - -As to just using Ruby as the input format, that unnecessarily ties Puppet to -Ruby, which is undesirable, and Ruby provides a bit too much functionality. -For more detail, see the thread_ on the puppet-dev list. - -.. _thread: http://mail.madstop.com/pipermail/puppet-dev/2006-April/000393.html - -How does Puppet compare to cfengine? ------------------------------------- -Puppet could be said to be the next-generation cfengine. The overall design -is heavily influenced by cfengine, but the language is more powerful than -cfengine's and the library is more flexible. In addition, Puppet's client and -server use standard protocols like XMLRPC and are easy to enhance with new -functionality, so they are well-positioned to become the platform for the -network applications of the future, while cfengine's client and server rely -entirely on cfengine-specific protocols and are quite difficult to enhance. - -See `How Puppet Compares to Cfengine`_ for more information. - -How does Puppet compare to available commercial products? ---------------------------------------------------------- -The primary commercial vendors are BladeLogic and OpsWare. While they both -have useful product lines, Puppet surpasses them by reframing the entire -server automation problem -- while the commercial vendors are writing GUI -applications for you, Reductive Labs is providing a development platform with -all the features of a great language, like library development, code sharing, -and the ability to version control your configurations. - -Trying to express a complex network configuration entirely through a GUI is an -exercise in frustration that no one should suffer, but expressing the -abstraction necessary to share those GUI configurations goes beyond -frustrating. - -Of course, another great difference between Puppet and the commercial products -is that Puppet is open sourced under the `GNU Public License`_. You can -download_ the product, try it out, peruse the source, and make whatever -modifications you want. You have to have more than 100 servers just to get a -demo from the commercial vendors, but Puppet is available for testing by any -company that needs to reduce its server administration costs. - -Who would find Puppet useful? ------------------------------ -Any organization that would like to reduce the cost of maintaining its -computers could benefit from using Puppet. However, because the return on -investment is linked to multiple factors, like current administrative -overhead, diversity among existing computers, and cost of downtime, it can be -difficult for organizations to determine whether they should invest in any -configuration management tools, much less Puppet. Reductive Labs can always -be contacted directly at info at reductivelabs.com to help answer this question. - -Generally, however, an organization should be using server automation if any -of the following are true: - -* It has high server administration costs -* It pays a high price for downtime, either because of contracts or - opportunity cost -* It has many servers that are essentially either identical or nearly - identical -* Flexibility and agility in server configuration are essential - -Can Puppet manage workstations? -------------------------------- -Yes, Puppet can manage any type of machine. We have found that most -organizations are more concerned with server management than workstation -management, and frankly, the term 'server' is slightly more aesthetically -appealing than 'computer', but Puppet would be ideal for organizations with a -large number of workstations. - -Does Puppet run on Windows? ---------------------------- -The short answer is 'not yet'. It will eventually, but Reductive Labs does -not yet have the development bandwidth to make this work. - -What size organizations should use Puppet? ------------------------------------------- -There is no minimum or maximum organization size that can benefit from Puppet, -but there are sizes that are more likely to benefit. Organizations with fewer -than 10-20 servers are unlikely to consider maintaining those servers to be a -real problem, and thus they can avoid investment in tools even though those -tools could likely provide savings. - -There is no real upper limit to who could benefit from using Puppet. -Obviously as the server count increases the investment must increase somewhat, -but with Puppet that increase is not linear. - -My servers are all unique; can Puppet still help? -------------------------------------------------- -All servers are at least somewhat unique -- with different host names and -different IP addresses -- but very few servers are entirely unique, since -nearly every one runs a relatively standard operating system. Servers are -also often very similar to other servers within a single organization -- all -Solaris servers might have similar security settings, or all web servers might -have roughly equivalent configurations -- even if they're very different from -servers in other organizations. Finally, servers are often needlessly unique, -in that they have been built and managed manually with no attempt at retaining -appropriate consistency. - -Puppet can help both on the side of consistency and uniqueness. Puppet -can be used to express the consistency that should exist, even if -that consistency spans arbritrary sets of servers based on any type of data -like operating system, data center, or physical location. Puppet can also be -used to handle uniqueness, either by allowing special provision of what makes -a given host unique or through specifying exceptions to otherwise standard -classes. - -Who is Reductive Labs? ----------------------- -Reductive Labs is a small, private company focused on reframing the server -automation problem. Our primary focus is Puppet, but Reductive Labs also -provides automation consulting, training, and custom development. For more -information email info at reductivelabs.com. - -The Projects_ page lists our active projects. - -How Do I Install Puppet? ------------------------- - -The `Installation Guide`_ documents the fastest way to start using Puppet. - -What is a Manifest? -------------------- -Because the word *script* implies a procedural one-step-after-another program, -the word does not apply well to Puppet programs. Thus, we use the word -*manifest* to describe declarative Puppet programs. Speaking of applying, -Puppet *applies* a manifest to a server or a network, rather than *executing* -it. - -How Do I Write Manifests? -------------------------- -The best way is to download Puppet and just start writing. There are multiple -sets of examples, including the examples_ used in `unit testing`_ and the -`example manifests`_, and the reference_ will obviously be useful. - -How Do I Run Manifests? ------------------------ -Once you have Puppet installed according the the `Installation Guide`_, -just run the ``puppet`` executable against your example:: - - puppet -v example.pp - -How do I contribute? --------------------- -First join the `Mailing List`_ -- there is currently only a development list, -but as the community grows a user list will be created. You can also join the -IRC channel ``#puppet`` on irc.freenode.net, where Puppet's developers will be -hanging out most days (and nights). - -The most valuable contribution you can make, though, is to use Puppet and -submit your feedback, either directly on IRC or through the mailing list, or -via the `bug database`_. We're always looking for great ideas to incorporate -into Puppet. - -When is the Next Release? -------------------------- -There are regular feature and release updates on the `Mailing List`_, -and you can always find the latest release in the download_ directory. - -I keep getting "certificates were not trusted". What's wrong? --------------------------------------------------------------- -You can figure the problem out by manually verifying the certificate with -openssl:: - - sudo openssl verify -CAfile /etc/puppet/ssl/certs/ca.pem /etc/puppet/ssl/certs/myhostname.domain.com.pem - -.. _example manifests: /svn/manifests/ -.. _Mailing List: http://mail.madstop.com/mailman/listinfo/puppet-dev -.. _Projects: /projects/ -.. _Documentation: /projects/puppet/documentation/ -.. _Installation Guide: /projects/puppet/documentation/installation -.. _How Puppet Compares to Cfengine: /projects/puppet/documentation/notcfengine -.. _GNU Public License: http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html -.. _examples: /cgi-bin/puppet.cgi/browser/trunk/examples/code/ -.. _unit testing: http://www.pragmaticprogrammer.com/starter_kit/ut/ -.. _bug database: /cgi-bin/puppet.cgi/report -.. _reference: /projects/puppet/documentation/typedocs -.. _download: /downloads |