CFEngine Server Quickstart

CFEngine is a tool to do configuration management across your servers. This allows you to be consistent with your installs. It also allows servers to heal themselves, even if they are down for maintenance. It is the bomb.

Creating CFEngine Boilerplate

CFEngine requires two essential config files, update.conf and cfagent.conf.

update.conf

update.conf should almost ever change. It offers a failsafe to make sure that updates get pushed, even if you make a mistake.

# Example Update.conf
# Taken from the example debian update.conf
control:
   actionsequence  = ( copy tidy )  # Keep this simple and constant
   domain          = ( xkyle.com ) 
   policyhost      = ( cfengine.xkyle.com )
   master_cfinput  = ( /var/lib/cfengine2/masterfiles/inputs ) 
   workdir         = ( /var/cfengine )
  SplayTime = ( 1 )

copy:
     $(master_cfinput)            dest=$(workdir)/inputs
                                  r=inf
                                  mode=700
                                  server=$(policyhost)
                                  trustkey=true
                                  verify=true

tidy:
     # Cfexecd stores output in this directory.
     # Make sure we don't build up files and choke on our own words!
     $(workdir)/outputs pattern=* age=7

cfagent.conf

cfagent.conf gets read after update.conf. Try to keep it simple and use import to keep configuration files manageable.

control:
  domain = ( xkyle.com )
  access = ( root )
  cfrunCommand = ( "/usr/sbin/cfagent" )
  actionsequence = (
     packages
     copy
     files
     editfiles
     links
     tidy
     shellcommands
  )
  maxage = ( 7 )

  AllowRedefinitionOf = ( master_inputs )
  AllowRedefinitionOf = ( master_files )

  any::
  master_inputs   = ( /var/lib/cfengine2/inputs )
  master_files    = ( /var/lib/cfengine2/files )

  openwrt::
  master_inputs   = ( /etc/cfengine/inputs )
  master_files    = ( /etc/cfengine/files )

  redhat::
  master_inputs   = ( /var/cfengine/inputs )
  master_files    = ( /var/cfengine/files )

import: 
	classes.conf
	import.conf

Other Examples To Get Going

Using Imports

Start with a import.conf to import subsequent import files:

import:
        any::
		any/import.cf
  	desktops::
        	desktops/import.cf
	servers::
	        servers/import.cf
	cloud_xkyle_com::
	        cloud.xkyle.com/import.cf

An example import file:

import:
        any/motd.cf
        any/root-ssh-keys.cf
        any/package-manager.cf
        any/cfengine.cf
        any/etc.cf

In General

action:
	some_class::
		something
        other_class::
                do something else
                define=additional_action_needed

nextaction:
	some_class::
		something
        other_class::
                do something else
        additiona_action_needed::
                restart service with new config file