How does Automation Config work
Automation Config
workAutomation Config
includes four or more
architectural components including the RaaS server, the Master Plugin, and two central
databases.Going forward,
Automation Config
is no longer included in the Aria
Automation suite of products. The new name of this product is VMware Tanzu Salt and this
product is available as part of the VMware Tanzu Platform suite of products. See Using and Managing
Tanzu Salt for more information.The following diagram shows the primary components of the basic
Automation Config
architecture that are relevant to
installation: 
As part of VMware’s initiative to
remove problematic terminology, the term Salt master will be replaced with a better
term in
Automation Config
and related
products and documentation. This terminology update may take a few release cycles
before it is fully completeSalt Masters and the Master
Plugin
Automation Config
is powered by Salt, an open-source configuration management
and automation system. The Salt master is the main connection
between
Automation Config
and the rest
of the nodes on your network (the minions). When you issue a command from
Automation Config
(such as a job),
the command goes to the Salt master for distribution to the targeted minions. Automation Config
can connect to one Salt master or many masters as needed in
your system. In order for Automation Config
to communicate with a Salt master, you must install the
Master Plugin on the Salt master and accept its key in Automation Config
. The Master Plugin allows the
Salt master to access jobs or processes initiated by Automation Config
. The Salt Master can access external files and
pillar data that are stored on the PostgreSQL database. The plugin integrates with the existing
extension points provided by Salt. For example, job returns are collected using a
Salt master-side Salt external job cache, and the RaaS file server uses a Salt
fileserver plugin.
You can
connect more than one Salt master to
Automation Config
. Each Salt master that connects to Automation Config
must have the Master
Plugin installed.RaaS
RaaS, which stands for Returner as a
Service, is the central component in
Automation Config
. In fact, when some people refer to Automation Config
itself, they are often talking
about RaaS. RaaS provides RPC endpoints to receive
management commands from the
Automation Config
user interface, as well as RPC control endpoints to
interface with connected Salt masters. All communication is sent using RPC API calls
over WebSockets or HTTP(s).
Automation Config user interface
Automation Config
user interfaceThe
Automation Config
user interface is a web application that
provides the graphical user interface front end for RaaS. Though Automation Config
is API-first, the user
interface interfaces directly with the API (RaaS) to enable simple management of all
systems in your environment. Different workspaces provide users with the ability to
manage minions, users, roles, jobs, and more.Databases
PostgreSQL
Database
RaaS uses a PostgreSQL database to store
minion data, job returns, event data, files and pillar data, local user accounts,
and other settings for the user interface.
Redis Database
RaaS uses a Redis database to store
certain types of data in temporary storage, such as cached data. It also uses
temporary data storage to distribute queued work to background workers.
For more information on how Salt works,
see Salt System Architecture.