Issue #9455 has been updated by Kelsey Hightower.
The updated branch includes a working prototype. I'm working up a minimal set of documentation around this so people can start playing with it. I'll also post something to the puppet-dev list sometime tomorrow. ---------------------------------------- Feature #9455: Resolve the extlookup/hiera integration https://projects.puppetlabs.com/issues/9455#change-61263 Author: micah - Status: Accepted Priority: Normal Assignee: Kelsey Hightower Category: newfeature Target version: Telly Affected Puppet version: Keywords: extlookup, hiera Branch: https://github.com/kelseyhightower/puppet/tree/ticket/master/8235_plugin_system_for_tools_like_hiera Parameterized classes go a long way to addressing some of the issues involved in variable scoping, but the one thing still missing is how to remove the variable configuration bits from the manifests but still be able to configure things on a node, location, domain, etc. Some time ago, R.I. Pienaar addressed this problem with extlookup, which was integreated into the puppet core. Extlookup is usable but still has some issues: its backends are limited, it is hard to deal with other data than strings and so on. Also it never really addressed the actual problem of hierarchical data lookups properly. So that is why hiera was introduced to solve these problems, providing hierarchical data lookups amongst different pluggable backends, with puppet integration for puppet manifest lookup of variables. There are many advantages to using hiera over extlookup, one could even call it the next generation extlookup. The only problem is to get hiera to work, R.I [had to break][1] [how extlookup looks up things][2]. However, there is one disadvantage, hiera and the state of extlookup are not currently firmly established in puppet. Luke did take the hiera ideas and worked them into [a proof of concept implementation into puppet][3], by implementing a 'hidden-lookup' of hiera into puppet, which depends on [some parser things to be taken care of][4] that are now pending a release, and [Nigel did comment][5] on one of the hiera blog posts in June, "You’ll only have to hold your breath till the next feature release in six months :)" It seems to me that hiera should go into puppet, and that there is work in that direction. However, its not clear if that is so, and if so how it will be done. These questions are important to people developing modules, as we would like to use hiera moving forward, but are reluctant to start implementing it if puppetlabs has different plans. Reducing churn in modules is the name of the game, and having clarity on the hiera/extlookup situation would help because if work is done to integrate hiera into modules that later is wasted because a different approach is taken by puppetlabs... you can see why people might be reluctant to start adopting this new feature. I haven't seen hiera discussed much on the list, or much of a clear statement from PuppetLabs how this is going to be done, so I'm hoping this issue can flesh that out and we can get hiera integrated into puppet! [1]: http://www.devco.net/archives/2011/05/28/pluggable_extlookup_for_puppet.php [2]: http://www.devco.net/archives/2011/06/05/hiera_a_pluggable_hierarchical_data_store.php [3]: http://projects.puppetlabs.com/issues/8235 [4]: http://projects.puppetlabs.com/issues/8232 [5]: http://www.devco.net/archives/2011/06/11/puppet_backend_for_hiera_part_2.php/comment-page-1#comment-59887 -- You have received this notification because you have either subscribed to it, or are involved in it. To change your notification preferences, please click here: http://projects.puppetlabs.com/my/account -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Puppet Bugs" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/puppet-bugs?hl=en.
