Manage Cookbooks

A cookbook is the fundamental unit of configuration and policy distribution. A cookbook defines a scenario and contains everything that is required to support that scenario:

• Recipes that specify the resources to use and the order in which they are to be applied
• Attribute values
• File distributions
• Templates
• Extensions to Chef, such as libraries, definitions, and custom resources

Manage

Cookbooks can be viewed from the Chef management console web user interface. Cookbooks are managed using knife.

View Cookbook Details

To view cookbook details:

1. Open the Chef management console.

2. Click Policy.

3. Click Cookbooks.

4. Select a cookbook.

5. Click the Details tab:

   

Cookbook Files

A cookbook can contain the following types of files:

File Type	Description
Attributes	An attribute can be defined in a cookbook (or a recipe) and then used to override the default settings on a node. When a cookbook is loaded during a chef-client run, these attributes are compared to the attributes that are already present on the node. Attributes that are defined in attribute files are first loaded according to cookbook order. For each cookbook, attributes in the default.rb file are loaded first, and then additional attribute files (if present) are loaded in lexical sort order. When the cookbook attributes take precedence over the default attributes, the chef-client will apply those new settings and values during the chef-client run on the node.
Definitions	A definition is code that is reused across recipes, similar to a compile-time macro. A definition is created using arbitrary code wrapped around built-in chef-client resources—file, execute, template, and so on—by declaring those resources into the definition as if they were declared in a recipe. A definition is then used in one (or more) recipes as if it were a resource. Though a definition behaves like a resource, some key differences exist. A definition: Is not a resource or a custom resource Is defined from within the /definitions directory of a cookbook Is loaded before resources during the chef-client run; this ensures the definition is available to all of the resources that may need it May not notify resources in the resource collection because a definition is loaded before the resource collection itself is created; however, a resource in a definition may notify a resource that exists within the same definition Automatically supports why-run mode, unlike custom resources Use a defintion when repeating patterns exist across resources and/or when a simple, direct approach is desired. There is no limit to the number of resources that may be included in a definition: use as many built-in chef-client resources as necessary. Warning Starting with chef-client 12.5, it is recommended to build custom resources instead of definitions and to migrate existing definitions to be custom resources .
Files	Use the cookbook_file resource to transfer files from a sub-directory of COOKBOOK_NAME/files/ to a specified path located on a host that is running the chef-client. The file is selected according to file specificity, which allows different source files to be used based on the hostname, host platform (operating system, distro, or as appropriate), or platform version. Files that are located in the COOKBOOK_NAME/files/default sub-directory may be used on any platform.
Libraries	A library allows arbitrary Ruby code to be included in a cookbook, either as a way of extending the classes that are built-in to the chef-client—Chef::Recipe, for example—or for implementing entirely new functionality, similar to a mixin in Ruby. A library file is a Ruby file that is located within a cookbook’s /libraries directory. Because a library is built using Ruby, anything that can be done with Ruby can be done in a library file.
Recipes	A recipe is the most fundamental configuration element within the organization. A recipe: Is authored using Ruby, which is a programming language designed to read and behave in a predictable manner Is mostly a collection of resources, defined using patterns (resource names, attribute-value pairs, and actions); helper code is added around this using Ruby, when needed Must define everything that is required to configure part of a system Must be stored in a cookbook May be included in a recipe May use the results of a search query and read the contents of a data bag (including an encrypted data bag) May have a dependency on one (or more) recipes May tag a node to facilitate the creation of arbitrary groupings Must be added to a run-list before it can be used by the chef-client Is always executed in the same order as listed in a run-list
Resources	A resource is a statement of configuration policy that: Describes the desired state for a configuration item Declares the steps needed to bring that item to the desired state Specifies a resource type—such as package, template, or service Lists additional details (also known as resource properties), as necessary Are grouped into recipes, which describe working configurations
Templates	A cookbook template is an Embedded Ruby (ERB) template that is used to dynamically generate static text files. Templates may contain Ruby expressions and statements, and are a great way to manage configuration files. Use the template resource to add cookbook templates to recipes; place the corresponding Embedded Ruby (ERB) template file in a cookbook’s /templates directory.

All of the file types that are part of any cookbook uploaded to the Chef server are visible from the Chef management console.

Download File

To download a file that is located in a cookbook:

1. Open the Chef management console.

2. Click Policy.

3. Click Cookbooks.

4. Select the file type: Attributes, Definitions, Files, Recipes, Templates, or Root Files.

5. Select a file.

6. Click Download File:

   

7. Specify the location to which the file should be saved.

View a File

To view a cookbook file:

1. Open the Chef management console.

2. Click Policy.

3. Click Cookbooks.

4. Select a cookbook.

5. Click the Content tab.

6. Select the file type: Attributes, Definitions, Files, Recipes, Templates, or Root Files.

7. Select a file:

   

Permissions

Permissions are used in the Chef server to define how users and groups can interact with objects on the server. Permissions are configured per-organization.

The Chef server includes the following object permissions:

Permission	Description
Delete	Use the Delete permission to define which users and groups may delete an object. This permission is required for any user who uses the knife [object] delete [object_name] argument to interact with objects on the Chef server.
Grant	Use the Grant permission to define which users and groups may configure permissions on an object. This permission is required for any user who configures permissions using the Administration tab in the Chef management console.
Read	Use the Read permission to define which users and groups may view the details of an object. This permission is required for any user who uses the knife [object] show [object_name] argument to interact with objects on the Chef server.
Update	Use the Update permission to define which users and groups may edit the details of an object. This permission is required for any user who uses the knife [object] edit [object_name] argument to interact with objects on the Chef server and for any chef-client to save node data to the Chef server at the conclusion of a chef-client run.

Set

To set permissions list for a cookbook object:

1. Open the Chef management console.
2. Click Policy.
3. Click Cookbooks.
4. Select a cookbook.
5. Click the Permissions tab.
6. For each group listed under Name, select or de-select the Read, Update, Delete, and Grant permissions.

Update

To update the permissions list for a cookbook object:

1. Open the Chef management console.
2. Click Policy.
3. Click Cookbooks.
4. Select a cookbook.
5. Click the Permissions tab.
6. Click the + Add button and enter the name of the user or group to be added.
7. Select or de-select Read, Update, Delete, and Grant to update the permissions list for the user or group.

View

To view permissions for a cookbook object:

1. Open the Chef management console.
2. Click Policy.
3. Click Cookbooks.
4. Select a cookbook.
5. Click the Permissions tab.
6. Set the appropriate permissions: Delete, Grant, Read, and/or Update.