Chef - Blueprints

In Chef, blueprints are the tools to find out and record exactly what is present on the server. Blueprints record all the things required such as directors, packages, configuration files, and so on. Blueprints have the capability to split server information in various formats. One of them is Chef recipe. This helps to configure unique server using Chef.

Woring Method

We need to have Python and Git installed on the node where we need to run the blueprint.

Step 1 − Install the blueprint.

vipin@server:~$ pip install blueprint

Step 2 − Create a blueprint.

user@server:~$ sudo blueprint create internal-cookbook 
# [blueprint] using cached blueprintignore(5) rules 
# [blueprint] searching for Python packages 
# [blueprint] searching for PEAR/PECL packages 
# [blueprint] searching for Yum packages 
# [blueprint] searching for Ruby gems 
# [blueprint] searching for npm packages 
# [blueprint] searching for software built from source 
# [blueprint] searching for configuration files 
# [blueprint] /etc/ssl/certs/AC_Ra\xc3\xadz_Certic\xc3\ 
xa1mara_S.A..pem not UTF-8 - skipping it 
# [blueprint] /etc/ssl/certs/NetLock_Arany_=Class_Gold=_F\xc5\ 
x91tan\xc3\xbas\xc3\xadtv\xc3\xa1ny.pem not UTF-8 - skipping it 
# [blueprint] /etc/ssl/certs/EBG_Elektronik_Sertifika_Hizmet_Sa\ 
xc4\x9flay\xc4\xb1c\xc4\xb1s\xc4\xb1.pem not UTF-8 - skipping it 
# [blueprint] /etc/ssl/certs/Certinomis_-_Autorit\xc3\xa9_Racine. 
pem not UTF-8 - skipping it 
# [blueprint] /etc/ssl/certs/T\xc3\x9cB\xc4\xb0TAK_UEKAE_K\xc3\ 
xb6k_Sertifika_Hizmet_Sa\xc4\x9flay\xc4\xb1c\xc4\xb1s\xc4\xb1_-_S\ 
xc3\xbcr\xc3\xbcm_3.pem not UTF-8 - skipping it 
# [blueprint] searching for APT packages 
# [blueprint] searching for service dependencies

Step 3 − Create a cookbook from the blueprint.

user@server:~$ blueprint show -C internal-cookbook my-server/recipes/default.rb

Step 4 − Validate the content of the generated file.

user@server:~$ cat internal-cookbook /recipes/default.rb 
# 
# Automatically generated by blueprint(7). Edit at your own risk. 
# 
cookbook_file('/tmp/96468fd1cc36927a027045b223c61065de6bc575.tar') 
do 
   backup false 
   group 'root' 
   mode '0644' 
   owner 'root' 
   source 'tmp/96468fd1cc36927a027045b223c61065de6bc575.tar' 
end 
execute('/tmp/96468fd1cc36927a027045b223c61065de6bc575.tar') do 
   command 'tar xf "/tmp/96468fd1cc36927a027045b223c61065de6bc575.tar"' 
   cwd '/usr/local' 
end 
directory('/etc/apt/apt.conf.d') do 
...TRUNCATED OUTPUT... 
service('ssh') do 
   action [:enable, :start] 
   subscribes :restart, resources('cookbook_file[/etc/default/ 
      keyboard]', 'cookbook_file[/etc/default/console-setup]', 
      'cookbook_file[/etc/default/ntfs-3g]', 'package[openssh-server]', 
      'execute[96468fd1cc36927a027045b223c61065de6bc575.tar]') 
end

Workflow Script

Blueprint is a Python package that finds out all the relevant configuration data of the server and stores it in a Git repo. Each blueprint has its own name.

One can ask the blueprint to show the content of its Git repo in various formants.

user@server:~$ ls -l internal-cookbook / 
total 8 
drwxrwxr-x 3 vagrant vagrant 4096 Jun 28 06:01 files 
-rw-rw-r-- 1 vagrant vagrant 0 Jun 28 06:01 metadata.rb 
drwxrwxr-x 2 vagrant vagrant 4096 Jun 28 06:01 recipes

Blueprints Show Commands

user@server:~$ blueprint show-packages my-server 
...TRUNCATED OUTPUT... 
apt wireless-regdb 2011.04.28-1ubuntu3 
apt zlib1g-dev 1:1.2.3.4.dfsg-3ubuntu4 
python2.7 distribute 0.6.45 
python2.7 pip 1.3.1 
pip blueprint 3.4.2 
pip virtualenv 1.9.1

The preceding command shows all kinds of installed packages. Other show commands are as follows −

  • show-files
  • show-services
  • show-sources
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