Using the salt client api

Salt Client Python API

Salt is written to be completely api centric, Salt minions and master can be built directly into third party applications as a communication layer. The Salt client api is very straightforward.

Using the LocalClient API

Sending information through the client is simple:

# Import the salt client librairy
import salt.client
# create a local client object
client = salt.client.LocalClient()
# make calls with the cmd method
ret = client.cmd('*', 'cmd.run', ['ls -l'])

The cmd call is the only one needed for the local client, the arguments are as follows:

LocalClient.cmd(tgt, fun, arg=[], timeout=5, expr_form='glob')

The LocalClient object only works running as root on the salt-master, it is the same interface used by the salt command line tool. The arguments are as follows.

tgt

The tgt option is the target specification, by default a target is passed in as a bash shell glob. The expr_form option allows the tgt to be passed as either a pcre regular expresion or as a python list.

fun

The name of the function to call on the specified minions. The documentation for these functions can be seen by running on the salt-master:

salt '*' sys.doc

arg

The optional arg paramater is used to pass a list of options on to the remote function

timeout

The number of seconds to wait after the last minion returns but before all minions return.

expr_form

The type of tgt that is passed in, the allowed values are:

• 'glob' - Bash glob completion - Default
• 'pcre' - Perl style regular expresion
• 'list' - Python list of hosts