[QUESTION] Is this module deprecated when using Puppet version > 4 or > 4.2 ?

[mickaelperrin]

Hi,

I want to manage data in modules using hiera. It seems that, since version 4, puppet has a way to do that.

However, I didn't find any straightforward documentation on the web on how to use it.

Can you tell me if your module is still relevant with puppet version superior to 4 ? If not, do you know some good ressources on how to implement the native way ?

Thanks,

[ripienaar]

I have avoided working on it for 4 as lots of things have changed and PL are bringing out native data in modules. I hear this is due in a few weeks

[raphink]

Ah cool, I was wondering, too. http://puppet-on-the-edge.blogspot.ch/2015/01/puppet-40-data-in-modules-and.html mentions it, but there's nothing clear on how to make use of it.

[goffinf]

Whilst it might not be under active enhancement I certainly don't regard this module as deprecated.

It works perfectly well under version 4 of Puppet and is still providing tremendous value to many of our our provisioning use cases. Yes there are some other approaches in Puppet 4 but from an ease of implementation perspective module_data is much much simpler and consistent with what some might consider legacy Puppet.

The only issue I've come across with using module_data with Puppet 4 is when using the Puppet provisioner in Vagrant and that's nothing to do with Puppet itself. The workaround is simply to use the Shell provisioner, which in many cases is in-line with the e edutainment model in production environments anyway.

If Puppet 4's new approach was simple, I would most likely move to it (over a period of time anyway to minimise the migration risk), but even a quick read through the docs it seems to me to be a bit overly complex. Perhaps there will come a point where there is no choice, but while there is, module_data is the one I would go for.

I realise that this module was at least in part a provocation, but I for one hope that Mr Pienaar doesn't drop it ... it's a nice piece of work.

Fraser.

On 12/10/2015, Raphaël Pinson notifications@github.com wrote:

Ah cool, I was wondering, too. http://puppet-on-the-edge.blogspot.ch/2015/01/puppet-40-data-in-modules-and.html mentions it, but there's nothing clear on how to make use of it.

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Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHub: https://github.com/ripienaar/puppet-module-data/issues/30#issuecomment-147439830

[ripienaar]

@goffinf thanks - there's an entirely redeveloped hiera/data layer/data in modules feature comes, different from the one in the blog post linked which indeed were hard to use.

But it appears they've built on that and new things seems better - though I guess time will tell when it eventually ship

I have hopes that it will be pretty good and we can move to something properly supported

[mickaelperrin]

Many thanks for your answers,

I can confirm it works well with puppet 4.2.2.

For those interested, here is the most complete documentation I found about the native data in module.

Mickaël

[ripienaar]

I pushed a new release that starts making many warnings about using it in puppet 4. Do not use it in Puppet 4. In fact for a while there it even broke the puppet 4 lookup functionality.

This module was a proof of concept to show this idea can work, I hoped mainline would adopt this idea quicker than they have but it has now happened. Puppet 4 supports this natively so having 2 competing methods for achieving the same in Puppet 4 is a bad situation.

In time I will do another release that will refuse to work on Puppet 4. Move on while you can :)

See https://www.devco.net/archives/2016/01/08/native-puppet-4-data-in-modules.php