version controlling our configurations

[Doron Fediuck]

On Wednesday 16 November 2011 07:00:10 Karsten 'quaid' Wade wrote:
> Just like I would be nervous without backup, I'm nervous that our
> configuration files are not (yet) under version control.
> 
> I'd prefer that we use e.g. Puppet or Chef (I'd like to try Puppet
> because of the knowledge around me, but am flexible if you are a Chef
> du jour), but until we get to that, I had a quick-fix idea.
> 
> Because /etc contains a few passwords, I don't want to put this on any
> open systems, and we don't have that many systems (yet) to have a
> dedicated backup/config cluster (or whatever is the solution there.)
> 
> What if we use a local git repo on linode01.ovirt.org, then do a
> checkout on each of the other hosts so root can locally update the
> repository and push to the master on linode01? Trusted admins can have
> a clone of the repository locally (on their encrypted partitions, natch.)
> 
> Good? Bad? Have a better solution for now?
> 
> - Karsten
> 
Sounds like a step in the right direction.
I'd consider a combination of puppet integrated with Foreman, checking
out our configuration from a local git repo. This should give you the
benefit of both worlds, and Foreman should make it easier to construct
and maintain. With Foreman you can create a test environment (let's say
for a new wiki / Gerrit version), and kick each and every tire until we
decide it's production ready. Then simply update it as the new production
conf, and Foreman+Puppet will complete the deployment magic.

-- 

/d

"The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind" --Bob Dylan, Blowin' in the Wind (1963)