SALT Integrations

The capability for self-service and remote deployment of operating systems like Windows, CentOS, ESXi, and Ubuntu on physical servers revolutionizes your data center into a bare metal cloud environment. This Metal-As-A-Service (MAAS) framework facilitates provisioning across diverse systems, providing on-demand server functionalities alongside management of remote edge clusters. With its robust infrastructure monitoring and discovery capabilities, it integrates smoothly with automation tools such as Ansible, Chef, Puppet, SALT, and Juju, enabling quick installations from the ground up. Supporting a range of operating systems including VMware ESXi, Windows, CentOS, RHEL, and Ubuntu, the platform allows users to create tailored images with pre-installed applications and specific configurations for disk and network settings. Employing an API-driven methodology for critical services like DHCP, DNS, PXE, and IPAM, it streamlines the provisioning process through a REST API. Additionally, it enhances security through LDAP user authentication and role-based access control (RBAC). Integral to this solution are hardware testing and commissioning, designed to achieve the fastest operating system installation times within the industry, utilizing a highly optimized image-based installer. MAAS is compatible with all certified servers from top vendors and adeptly discovers servers housed in racks, chassis, and expansive data center networks, while also supporting prominent system BMCs and chassis controllers. Altogether, these features empower organizations to manage their infrastructure with greater efficiency, ultimately boosting operational productivity and reducing downtime.

Dqlite is a fast, embedded SQL database that provides persistent storage and employs Raft consensus, making it particularly suitable for robust IoT and Edge devices. Often referred to as "distributed SQLite," Dqlite enhances SQLite’s functionality across numerous machines, ensuring automatic failover and high availability to keep applications running smoothly. It utilizes C-Raft, an optimized version of Raft in C, which delivers outstanding performance in terms of transactional consensus and fault tolerance while retaining SQLite's well-known efficiency and compactness. C-Raft is crafted to minimize transaction latency, allowing for quicker operations. Both C-Raft and Dqlite are developed in C, which guarantees their portability across different platforms. Released under the LGPLv3 license, which includes a static linking exception, it ensures widespread compatibility. The system also offers a standard command-line interface for database initialization and managing the membership of voting members. Along with this, it includes configurable delays for failover processes and automatic leader election mechanisms. Moreover, Dqlite accommodates a disk-backed database option alongside in-memory functionalities and complies with SQLite's transaction protocols. This combination of capabilities positions Dqlite as a formidable option for contemporary data storage challenges, making it an excellent choice for developers looking for a resilient and efficient database solution.

With a single command, you can quickly set up an Ubuntu virtual machine using Multipass, which facilitates the creation and management of VMs while allowing configurations through cloud-init, similar to those found in public cloud platforms. This utility enables you to test cloud launches on your local system at no expense, and within just five minutes, you will discover how simply a lightweight cloud environment can be established. To begin, you can initiate multiple LTS instances, monitor their statuses, run commands, implement cloud-init configurations, and delete older instances as desired. For anyone aiming to excel at the Linux command line, the "Ubuntu Server CLI cheat sheet" acts as a handy guide for various skills, from fundamental file management to complex deployments such as Kubernetes and OpenStack. Additionally, Multipass comes equipped with a command line interface that streamlines the process of launching, managing, and engaging with Linux instances. You will notice that obtaining a new image is remarkably quick, allowing you to set up a fully functional VM in just a few minutes. Moreover, you have the option to create Ubuntu instances and initialize them with cloud-init metadata, akin to setups on major cloud providers like AWS, Azure, Google, IBM, and Oracle, which enables you to effectively replicate a cloud deployment right from your own workstation. This functionality significantly simplifies the process of experimenting and acquiring knowledge about cloud computing, eliminating the necessity for extensive resources. By leveraging these capabilities, users can deepen their understanding of cloud infrastructure and enhance their skills in an accessible manner.

Effortlessly establish and manage OpenStack on a Linux system with MicroStack, which is specifically tailored for developers and ideal for applications in edge computing, Internet of Things, and various hardware appliances. MicroStack delivers a comprehensive OpenStack experience wrapped into a single snap package, enabling a multi-node deployment that can run straight from your workstation. Although its main target audience consists of developers, it is also a fantastic option for environments at the edge, IoT configurations, and appliance use. Simply download MicroStack from the Snap Store, and within a very short time, you can initiate your OpenStack environment. In just a few minutes, your fully operational OpenStack system will be ready for use. It operates securely on laptops by utilizing innovative isolation methods to ensure safety. This implementation includes pure upstream OpenStack components such as Keystone, Nova, Neutron, Glance, and Cinder, providing all the exciting features you'd want in a compact, standard OpenStack configuration. You can seamlessly incorporate MicroStack into your CI/CD workflows, which allows you to concentrate on your projects without facing unnecessary hurdles. It’s important to note that for optimal performance, MicroStack requires at least 8 GB of RAM and a multi-core processor. Overall, MicroStack offers an enjoyable and efficient experience when working with a powerful OpenStack environment while fostering greater productivity and ease of use.

For those looking to set up an information kiosk, digital signage, an in-vehicle entertainment system, or a home automation interface, Mir on Ubuntu offers the fastest deployment option. Acting as a system-level component, Mir enables the development of cutting-edge user experiences and supports a wide range of Linux-based devices, including traditional desktop computers, IoT devices, and embedded systems. By effectively replacing the longstanding X window server system, which has been a staple in Linux desktop environments, Mir provides manufacturers and users with a robust, efficient, versatile, and secure graphical framework. The X windowing system has served as the foundation for graphical user interfaces on Linux for over three decades, accommodating both system-level and application-level requirements. However, with the growing demand for a more unified, integrated, and secure experience, the X system often falls short. This is where Mir emerges as a modern solution, crafted to address these shifting demands and elevate the user experience to new heights. In addition to its compatibility with various platforms, Mir's architecture is optimized for performance, ensuring that applications run smoothly and efficiently.

MicroK8s delivers a streamlined, low-maintenance Kubernetes platform specifically designed for developers engaging with cloud infrastructures, clusters, workstations, Edge, and IoT devices. It smartly identifies the best nodes for the Kubernetes datastore and effortlessly promotes another node if a database node fails, thus eliminating the need for manual oversight in maintaining strong edge deployments. With its compact structure and intuitive defaults, MicroK8s is crafted to function effectively immediately after installation, making tasks such as upgrades and security management both straightforward and efficient. Perfect for micro clouds and edge computing scenarios, it offers comprehensive enterprise support at no extra cost, along with options for 24/7 support and ten years of security updates. Whether used near cell towers, on racing vehicles, in satellites, or in common household gadgets, MicroK8s ensures a complete Kubernetes experience for IoT and micro cloud applications. Its fully containerized approach guarantees dependable operations, further enhanced by streamlined over-the-air updates. By default, MicroK8s applies security updates automatically, although users have the flexibility to postpone them if they choose, and upgrading to the newest Kubernetes version requires just a single command, simplifying the entire process. This blend of user-friendliness and powerful features positions MicroK8s as an essential asset for contemporary developers seeking efficiency and reliability in their deployments. Moreover, the capacity for integration into diverse environments showcases its versatility in meeting various developmental needs.

Gaya revolutionizes the tedious process of transferring information between carriers by enabling you to compile all necessary details in one go, thereby allowing for quick autofilling of required carrier portals. By alleviating the burden of repetitive data entry, Gaya provides you with the freedom to concentrate on building rapport and trust with your clients. Leveraging cutting-edge AI technology, Gaya adeptly scans and extracts data from a multitude of sources, including carrier portals and Agency Management Systems (AMS). It can also pull information from physical documents like carriers' declaration pages and record forms. Furthermore, Gaya can cleverly identify and capture relevant details from screenshots you provide. The platform seamlessly pastes this information, guaranteeing that all insurance web systems and carrier portals are automatically populated. Whether dealing with input fields, checkboxes, radio buttons, or drop-down menus, Gaya’s AI efficiently manages every type of entry. This groundbreaking tool not only streamlines your workflow but also significantly boosts your productivity in the insurance processing environment, ultimately allowing you to serve your clients more effectively. With Gaya, you can expect a transformative impact on how you handle insurance tasks, making your operations smoother and more efficient.

Enhanced operators for enterprise applications offer a detailed application graph and declarative integration that serve both Kubernetes setups and older systems alike. By utilizing Juju operator integration, we can streamline each operator, allowing them to be composed into complex application graph topologies that address intricate scenarios while delivering a more intuitive experience with significantly less YAML overhead. The UNIX philosophy of ‘doing one thing well’ translates effectively to large-scale operational coding, fostering similar benefits in terms of clarity and reusability. This principle of efficient design shines through: Juju enables organizations to adopt the operator model across their entire infrastructure, including legacy applications. Model-driven operations can lead to significant reductions in maintenance and operational costs for traditional workloads, all while avoiding the need for a transition to Kubernetes. Once integrated with Juju, older applications can also function seamlessly across various cloud environments. Moreover, the Juju Operator Lifecycle Manager (OLM) is uniquely designed to support both containerized and machine-based applications, facilitating smooth interaction between them. This forward-thinking approach not only enhances management capabilities but also paves the way for a more unified and efficient orchestration of diverse application ecosystems. As a result, organizations can expect improved performance and adaptability in their operational strategies.