Use case: How do I deploy minions using the API in a Linux environment

The goal of this use case is to programmatically install the Salt minion service on a minion by connecting a Linux VM to your Tanzu Salt environment.

Prerequisites

Before you can deploy a minion using the API in a Linux environment, you must:

Have a Tanzu Salt environment with RaaS deployed.
Have a Salt master and Salt minion installed.
Have a Linux VM deployed.
Ensure port 22 is not firewalled and available for minion use.

Procedure

Verify that the folder etc/salt/cloud.deploy.d contains a collection of these files. These files should match the OS distribution release as well as the Salt release that your system requires.

If you do not see the files, contact support.

Note:
The xxxx in the filename, for example, salt-xxxx-redhat-8-x86_64-amd64.tar.gz, should match the version of the Salt master. To verify the version of the Salt master, run the salt-master -V command on the Salt master.
If your environment is air-gapped, complete these steps:
1. Open the RaaS configuration file in /etc/raas/raas.
2. Add these lines to the configuration file:
```
minion_deployment:
  airgap_install: true
```
3. Restart the RaaS service using the service raas restart command.
  
  Note:
  If you are using a hardened Linux VM, there are some situations where scripts cannot be run from /tmp on the VM.
  1. If you are using Automation Assembler version 8.10.2 or higher: Add the additionalAuthParams property to the Tanzu Salt resource in your cloud template. For more information, see Add the SaltStack resource to the cloud template.
```
additionalAuthParams:
  profile:
    tmp_dir: /var/cache/salt
```
  1. If you are using Automation Assembler version 8.10.1 or lower: Modify the /etc/salt/cloud.providers.d/ssc\_saltify\_provider.conf file with
```
ssc_saltify_provider:
  driver: saltify
  tmp_dir: /var/cache/salt
```
  If this configuration file does not exist, create it and add the setting above.
To identify the FQDN of the Salt master, run the salt saltmaster grains.get fqdn command in the Salt master’s terminal.
Ensure that the FQDN is configured for the Salt master by running the ping [FQDN] command.
To open Python, run python3.

Make this API call using an SSEAPI client with the correct credentials for your environment:

from sseapiclient import APIClient

client = APIClient('https://<master-ip>', '<ssc-username>', '<sscpassword>', ssl_validate_cert=False)


client.api.minions.deploy_minion(

 master_id = '<master-id>',

 host_name_ip = '<prospective minion’s ip>',

 os = ‘<prospective minion’s os>’,

 minion_id = '<desired-minion-name-for-prospective-minion>',

 username = '<ssh-username-for-prospective-minion>',

 password = '<ssh-password-for-prospective-minion>',

)

The deploy.minion function begins running in your Tanzu Salt environment. You can verify that the job is running in the Activity tab of the Tanzu Salt user interface.

Note:
If you are deploying a minion from Automation Assembler, then this API call is performed by Automation Assembler.

The minion was successfully deployed and configured from your Linux environment and API call.

Verify that the minion was deployed successfully by running a test.ping command against the minion using the Run Command window or by running the \\* test.ping and \\* test.versions commands in the Salt master command window.