1.
Salt for Network Engineers
Andrew Dampf
Network Engineer
Linode

2.
About Linode
• Cloud hosting provider
• 9 data centers
• Hundreds of network devices

3.
Agenda
• Salt overview (from a networking perspective)
• The Linode netops salt journey
• Making salt accessible to all via chatops

4.
NAPALM
• Network Automation and Programmability
Abstraction Layer with Multivendor support
• Abstracts away network vendors via a single
API

5.
Same Configuration
Juniper
Arista

6.
NAPALM

7.
Fully Integrated

8.
Salt Overview
salt-master
salt-minion
= server
text = process
salt-minionsalt-minion

9.
Salt Overview
salt-master
salt-proxy
server
router
alt-proxy setup instructions: https://ripe74.ripe.net/presentations/18-RIPE-74-Network-automation-at-scale-up-and-running-in-60-minute
NAPALM

10.
Salt Overview
salt-master
salt-proxy
salt-minion
router
server
server

11.
Remote Execution
Full list of execution modules: https://docs.saltstack.com/en/latest/ref/modules/all/index.html

12.
Configuration Management
Full list of state modules: https://docs.saltstack.com/en/latest/ref/states/all/index.html

13.
Configuration Management

14.
Data Cache

15.
Orchestration

16.
Key Benefits
• Remote execution
• Configuration management
• Data cache (salt mine)
• Orchestration via the event bus and reactors

17.
Our Salt Journey
• Leverage your teammates!

18.
Our Salt Journey
• Start small

19.
Our Salt Journey
• Deploy by region
DC-US-west DC-US-east
= salt-proxy linode
= network gear

20.
Sample systemd unit file: https://github.com/napalm-automation/napalm-salt/blob/master/salt-proxy%40.service
Our Salt Journey
• Managing your salt proxy processes to different network devices

21.
Our Salt Journey
• External pillar modules

22.
Our Salt Journey
• Making use of the event bus
• napalm-logs

23.
router

24.
Our Salt Journey
Router

25.
Our salt journey
Router
Image credit: drpeering.net

26.
Our Salt Journey
• http://peeringdb.com

27.
Our Salt Journey
Router

28.
Our Salt Journey
• Getting your team to use salt

29.
Our Salt Journey
Router

30.
How it Works
• Errbot - python chatbot - http://errbot.io
• Pepper - library for accessing the salt-api -
https://github.com/saltstack/pepper
• salthelpers - shortcuts for salt commands

31.
Why not just use the Slack engine?

32.
Salt adopted by our entire team

33.
Get Involved!
• https://saltstackcommunity.herokuapp.com/ Channel: #networks
• http://slack.networktocode.com/ Channel: #saltstack

34.
Thank you!
• Questions?
• @NetworkAndrew