If you integrated SaltStack Config with vRealize Automation, you can install the minions on virtual machines in your deployments and use the SaltStack Config capabilities to perform additional management operations on the machines.

You can deploy minions as a part of your cloud templates or add one to machines as a day 2 action. You can also specify the state files as part of the template or as a day 2 action. The instructions for deploying in a cloud template are provided here. For more about the day 2 action, see Apply Salt Configuration in What actions can I run on vRealize Automation Cloud Assembly deployments.

Minions are nodes that run the salt-minion service. The service listens to commands from a Salt master and performs the requested tasks.

At present, you can use the cloud template to install the minion on Linux machines.

What to do first

  • Verify that you installed SaltStack Config and configured the integration. See Create a SaltStack Config integration in vRealize Automation.
  • To familiarize yourself with how SaltStack Config works, including the key concepts of minions, see Minions.
  • In SaltStack Config, verify that the FQDN name resolution from minion to master is working. To verify the FQDN on the Salt master in SaltStack Config, select Minions > All Minons, and filter the Minion ID column for the value saltmaster. Click saltmaster to see the details. Verify that the FQDN value is correct.
  • Verify that the images in vSphere that you intend to deploy with a Salt minion have SSH capabilities enabled. SSH is used to remotely access the machine and deploy the minion.
  • Verify that you can assign IP addresses to the machines you deploy. SaltStack Config requires the machines to have IP addresses. Use the IP addresses for the public IP CIDR range for the SDDC (software-defined datacenter) where your Salt master is located.
  • Verify that the cloud template that you are adding the minion to is deployable before you add the saltConfiguration properties.