SaltStack, commonly referred to as Salt, is an open-source configuration management and orchestration tool designed to automate the management of IT infrastructure.
It excels in real-time remote execution, allowing DevOps engineers to efficiently provision servers, configure systems, and deploy applications across dynamic environments.
Learning Salt is essential for DevOps professionals as it enhances operational efficiency through its ability to handle thousands of nodes simultaneously,
ensuring consistent and rapid updates across complex infrastructures.
While you can explore SaltStack on your own, learning with a tutor provides a structured approach, hands-on practice, and expert guidance,
helping you navigate real-world use cases and master the tool more effectively in a shorter time.
Below is the course content that I teach for SaltStack complete course:
Chapter 1: Introduction to Configuration Management and Orchestration Tools
- Lesson 1: What is Configuration Management?
- Lesson 2: Importance of Orchestration in DevOps
- Lesson 3: Overview of Configuration Management Tools (Ansible, Puppet, Chef, etc.)
- Lesson 4: Overview of Orchestration Tools (Terraform, Ansible, Kubernetes, etc.)
- Lesson 5: Comparison of SaltStack with Other Configuration Management and Orchestration Tools
Chapter 2: Introduction to SaltStack
- Lesson 1: What is SaltStack and Why Use It?
- Lesson 2: History and Evolution of SaltStack
- Lesson 3: Key Features of SaltStack
- Lesson 4: SaltStack in DevOps Workflow
- Lesson 5: Key Concepts in SaltStack (Master-Minion, Grains, Pillar, State, etc.)
Chapter 3: Installing and Setting Up SaltStack
- Lesson 1: Installing Salt Master and Minion
- Lesson 2: Setting Up SaltStack on Various Platforms (Linux, Windows, Mac)
- Lesson 3: Configuring Salt Master and Minion for Communication
- Lesson 4: Setting Up IDEs for SaltStack (e.g., Visual Studio Code, PyCharm)
- Lesson 5: Using SaltStack Command-Line Interface (salt, salt-run, etc.)
Chapter 4: SaltStack Basics
- Lesson 1: Understanding SaltStack’s Architecture (Master, Minion, Syndic)
- Lesson 2: Using Grains to Collect and Use System Information
- Lesson 3: Introduction to Salt States and YAML Syntax
- Lesson 4: Executing Commands on Minions (Remote Execution)
- Lesson 5: Using Pillar for Secure Data Storage
- Lesson 6: Managing Files with SaltStack
Chapter 5: Configuration Management with SaltStack
- Lesson 1: Writing and Applying Salt States
- Lesson 2: Using Jinja2 Templates in Salt States
- Lesson 3: Managing System Packages with SaltStack
- Lesson 4: Managing Services and Users with SaltStack
- Lesson 5: Managing Files and Directories Using Salt States
- Lesson 6: Best Practices for Writing and Managing Salt States
Chapter 6: Orchestration with SaltStack
- Lesson 1: Introduction to Salt Orchestration
- Lesson 2: Creating and Using Salt Orchestrate Runners
- Lesson 3: Orchestrating Multi-Step Processes Across Minions
- Lesson 4: Event-Driven Automation with SaltStack
- Lesson 5: Automating Routine Tasks with Salt Reactor
Chapter 7: Advanced SaltStack Features
- Lesson 1: Managing Multiple Masters (Master-Master Setup)
- Lesson 2: Using SaltStack Syndic for Hierarchical Deployments
- Lesson 3: Managing Infrastructure as Code (IaC) with SaltStack
- Lesson 4: Scheduling Jobs with SaltStack Scheduler
- Lesson 5: SaltStack Beacons for Real-Time Monitoring and Event Triggering
- Lesson 6: Customizing SaltStack with Custom Modules and Execution Modules
Chapter 8: SaltStack Security and Compliance
- Lesson 1: Understanding SaltStack Security Best Practices
- Lesson 2: Managing Secrets with Salt Pillar and External Vaults
- Lesson 3: Implementing Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) with SaltStack
- Lesson 4: Auditing Systems with SaltStack Compliance Features
- Lesson 5: Logging and Monitoring SaltStack Activities
Chapter 9: SaltStack for Cloud and Containers
- Lesson 1: Managing Cloud Infrastructure with SaltStack (AWS, Azure, GCP)
- Lesson 2: Salt Cloud: Provisioning Virtual Machines on Cloud Platforms
- Lesson 3: Integrating SaltStack with Docker and Kubernetes
- Lesson 4: Automating Multi-Cloud Environments with SaltStack
Chapter 10: Troubleshooting and Debugging in SaltStack
- Lesson 1: Common SaltStack Issues and How to Fix Them
- Lesson 2: Debugging SaltStack States and Execution Modules
- Lesson 3: Using SaltStack Logs for Troubleshooting
- Lesson 4: Troubleshooting Master-Minion Communication Issues
Chapter 11: Monitoring and Reporting with SaltStack
- Lesson 1: Setting Up SaltStack Monitoring for Infrastructure
- Lesson 2: Generating Reports Using SaltStack
- Lesson 3: Integrating SaltStack with Monitoring Tools (Nagios, Prometheus, etc.)
- Lesson 4: Creating Alerts and Notifications with SaltStack
Chapter 12: New Features in SaltStack Releases
- Lesson 1: SaltStack Release Cycle and Updates
- Lesson 2: Key Features in Recent SaltStack Releases
- Lesson 3: Upgrading SaltStack Environments
- Lesson 4: Managing Deprecated Features
Chapter 13: Real-World Applications of SaltStack
- Lesson 1: Using SaltStack for Configuration Drift Management
- Lesson 2: Scaling Infrastructure Management with SaltStack
- Lesson 3: Case Studies: Enterprises Using SaltStack
- Lesson 4: Best Practices for SaltStack Deployments
Chapter 14: SaltStack and DevOps Workflows
- Lesson 1: Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) with SaltStack
- Lesson 2: Integrating SaltStack with Jenkins, GitLab CI, and GitHub Actions
- Lesson 3: Automated Testing with SaltStack States
- Lesson 4: Blue-Green and Canary Deployments with SaltStack