Learn SALTSTACK with Real Code Examples
Updated Nov 27, 2025
Explain
Manages configuration and state across servers, cloud instances, and containers.
Supports remote execution of commands in parallel across thousands of machines.
Uses a declarative approach with YAML-based SLS files for configuration.
Integrates with cloud providers, orchestration tools, and CI/CD pipelines.
Enables automated provisioning, monitoring, and management of infrastructure.
Core Features
Salt Minions for managed nodes
Salt Master for centralized control
States (SLS) for configuration enforcement
Execution modules for tasks and commands
Reactors for event-driven workflows
Basic Concepts Overview
Master - centralized Salt control node
Minion - agent node managed by Master
State - YAML-based configuration file
Pillar - secure variable storage per minion
Reactor - event-triggered automation system
Project Structure
salt/ - main configuration states directory
salt/<module>/init.sls - module state files
pillar/ - secure variable definitions
top.sls - mapping of states to nodes
roster/ - for Salt SSH node definitions
Building Workflow
Define configuration states in SLS files
Assign states to nodes via top.sls
Apply states with salt-call or salt '*' state.apply
Use pillars for secure, environment-specific data
Monitor events and trigger reactions with reactors
Difficulty Use Cases
Beginner: configure basic Linux packages and users
Intermediate: multi-node orchestration
Advanced: event-driven automation with reactors
Expert: large-scale cloud and container management
Enterprise: full compliance and hybrid-cloud automation
Comparisons
SaltStack vs Ansible: event-driven vs push-only
SaltStack vs Puppet: faster remote execution
SaltStack vs Chef: Python-based vs Ruby-based DSL
SaltStack vs Terraform: configuration vs provisioning
SaltStack vs CFEngine: modern API and cloud support
Versioning Timeline
2011 - SaltStack initial release by Thomas S. Hatch
2013 - Salt Cloud and orchestration features added
2016 - Event-driven Reactor system introduced
2020 - VMware acquires SaltStack
2025 - Continued enterprise support and cloud integrations
Glossary
Master - centralized Salt server
Minion - managed node
SLS - state configuration file
Pillar - secure variables per minion
Reactor - event-triggered automation