Let a node manage Apache by applying a class
Classification is a way to configure nodes by
creating node groups, adding nodes to the groups, and adding classes
that specify what types of resources and code can be used by nodes
in the group. Allow your agent node to manage Apache by adding the
apache
class to it.
These instructions assume you've installed PE, at least one *nix agent node, and the
puppetlabs-apache
module.
Every module contains one or more classes -- a
named chunk of Puppet code. Classes are the primary means by which
Puppet Enterprise configures
nodes. The puppetlabs-apache
module you installed
in the last section contains a class called
apache
. In this section, you apply the
apache
class to your agent
node
Step 1: Create a node group
Node groups enable you to assign classes to more than one node at a time.
You could assign classes to individual nodes one at a time, but chances are, each of your classes needs to be applied to more than one node. By creating a node group, you can apply a class to many nodes at one time.
For this section, we will create the node group apache_example.
Step 2: Add nodes to the node group
Add nodes to a node group to manage them more efficiently.
To add nodes to a node group, create rules that define which nodes to include in the group.
- Click the apache_example group you created on the Classification page.
- In the Rules tab, in the Certname area, in the Node name field, enter the name of your PE agent node.
- Click Pin node.
- Commit changes.
- Repeat these steps for any other nodes you want to add to the node group.
Step 3: Add the apache
class to the node group
After you create a node group, add classes to give the matching nodes purpose.
Step 4: Edit class parameters in the console
You can use the console to modify the values of a class's parameters without editing the module code directly.
You have learned how to create and classify node groups and edit class parameters while instructing Puppet Enterprise to manage the default Apache vhost on your agent node. Next, learn how to manage users with PE, and how to set permissions for each user or group of users.