Python client API

Salt provides several entry points for interfacing with Python applications. These entry points are often referred to as *Client() APIs. Each client accesses different parts of Salt, either from the master or from a minion. Each client is detailed below.

See also

There are many ways to access Salt programmatically.

Salt can be used from CLI scripts as well as via a REST interface.

See Salt's outputter system to retrieve structured data from Salt as JSON, or as shell-friendly text, or many other formats.

See the state.event runner to utilize Salt's event bus from shell scripts.

See the salt-api project to access Salt externally via a REST interface. It uses Salt's Python interface documented below and is also useful as a reference implementation.

Salt's opts dictionary

Some clients require access to Salt's opts dictionary. (The dictionary representation of the master or minion config files.)

A common pattern for fetching the opts dictionary is to defer to environment variables if they exist or otherwise fetch the config from the default location.

salt.config.client_config(path, env_var='SALT_CLIENT_CONFIG', defaults=None)

Load Master configuration data

Usage:

import salt.config
master_opts = salt.config.client_config('/etc/salt/master')

Returns a dictionary of the Salt Master configuration file with necessary options needed to communicate with a locally-running Salt Master daemon. This function searches for client specific configurations and adds them to the data from the master configuration.

This is useful for master-side operations like LocalClient.

salt.config.minion_config(path, env_var='SALT_MINION_CONFIG', defaults=None, minion_id=False)

Reads in the minion configuration file and sets up special options

This is useful for Minion-side operations, such as the Caller class, and manually running the loader interface.

import salt.client
minion_opts = salt.config.minion_config('/etc/salt/minion')

Salt's Loader Interface

Modules in the Salt ecosystem are loaded into memory using a custom loader system. This allows modules to have conditional requirements (OS, OS version, installed libraries, etc) and allows Salt to inject special variables (__salt__, __opts, etc).

Most modules can be manually loaded. This is often useful in third-party Python apps or when writing tests. However some modules require and expect a full, running Salt system underneath. Notably modules that facilitate master-to-minion communication such as the mine, publish, and peer execution modules. The error KeyError: 'master_uri' is a likely indicator for this situation. In those instances use the Caller class to execute those modules instead.

Each module type has a corresponding loader function.

salt.loader.minion_mods(opts, context=None, whitelist=None, loaded_base_name=None)

Load execution modules

Returns a dictionary of execution modules appropriate for the current system by evaluating the __virtual__() function in each module.

import salt.config
import salt.loader

__opts__ = salt.config.minion_config('/etc/salt/minion')
__grains__ = salt.loader.grains(__opts__)
__opts__['grains'] = __grains__
__salt__ = salt.loader.minion_mods(__opts__)
__salt__['test.ping']()
salt.loader.raw_mod(opts, name, functions)

Returns a single module loaded raw and bypassing the __virtual__ function

import salt.config
import salt.loader

__opts__ = salt.config.minion_config('/etc/salt/minion')
testmod = salt.loader.raw_mod(__opts__, 'test', None)
testmod['test.ping']()
salt.loader.states(opts, functions, whitelist=None)

Returns the state modules

import salt.config
import salt.loader

__opts__ = salt.config.minion_config('/etc/salt/minion')
statemods = salt.loader.states(__opts__, None)
salt.loader.grains(opts, force_refresh=False)

Return the functions for the dynamic grains and the values for the static grains.

import salt.config
import salt.loader

__opts__ = salt.config.minion_config('/etc/salt/minion')
__grains__ = salt.loader.grains(__opts__)
print __grains__['id']

Salt's Client Interfaces

LocalClient

class salt.client.LocalClient(c_path='/etc/salt/master', mopts=None, skip_perm_errors=False)

The interface used by the salt CLI tool on the Salt Master

LocalClient is used to send a command to Salt minions to execute execution modules and return the results to the Salt Master.

Importing and using LocalClient must be done on the same machine as the Salt Master and it must be done using the same user that the Salt Master is running as. (Unless external_auth is configured and authentication credentials are included in the execution).

import salt.client

local = salt.client.LocalClient()
local.cmd('*', 'test.fib', [10])
cmd(tgt, fun, arg=(), timeout=None, expr_form='glob', ret='', kwarg=None, **kwargs)

Synchronously execute a command on targeted minions

The cmd method will execute and wait for the timeout period for all minions to reply, then it will return all minion data at once.

>>> import salt.client
>>> local = salt.client.LocalClient()
>>> local.cmd('*', 'cmd.run', ['whoami'])
{'jerry': 'root'}

With extra keyword arguments for the command function to be run:

local.cmd('*', 'test.arg', ['arg1', 'arg2'], kwarg={'foo': 'bar'})

Compound commands can be used for multiple executions in a single publish. Function names and function arguments are provided in separate lists but the index values must correlate and an empty list must be used if no arguments are required.

>>> local.cmd('*', [
        'grains.items',
        'sys.doc',
        'cmd.run',
    ],
    [
        [],
        [],
        ['uptime'],
    ])
Parameters:
  • tgt (string or list) -- Which minions to target for the execution. Default is shell glob. Modified by the expr_form option.
  • fun (string or list of strings) --

    The module and function to call on the specified minions of the form module.function. For example test.ping or grains.items.

    Compound commands
    Multiple functions may be called in a single publish by passing a list of commands. This can dramatically lower overhead and speed up the application communicating with Salt.

    This requires that the arg param is a list of lists. The fun list and the arg list must correlate by index meaning a function that does not take arguments must still have a corresponding empty list at the expected index.

  • arg (list or list-of-lists) -- A list of arguments to pass to the remote function. If the function takes no arguments arg may be omitted except when executing a compound command.
  • timeout -- Seconds to wait after the last minion returns but before all minions return.
  • expr_form --

    The type of tgt. Allowed values:

    • glob - Bash glob completion - Default
    • pcre - Perl style regular expression
    • list - Python list of hosts
    • grain - Match based on a grain comparison
    • grain_pcre - Grain comparison with a regex
    • pillar - Pillar data comparison
    • nodegroup - Match on nodegroup
    • range - Use a Range server for matching
    • compound - Pass a compound match string
  • ret -- The returner to use. The value passed can be single returner, or a comma delimited list of returners to call in order on the minions
  • kwarg -- A dictionary with keyword arguments for the function.
  • kwargs --

    Optional keyword arguments. Authentication credentials may be passed when using external_auth.

    For example: local.cmd('*', 'test.ping', username='saltdev', password='saltdev', eauth='pam'). Or: local.cmd('*', 'test.ping', token='5871821ea51754fdcea8153c1c745433')

Returns:

A dictionary with the result of the execution, keyed by minion ID. A compound command will return a sub-dictionary keyed by function name.

cmd_async(tgt, fun, arg=(), expr_form='glob', ret='', kwarg=None, **kwargs)

Asynchronously send a command to connected minions

The function signature is the same as cmd() with the following exceptions.

Returns:A job ID or 0 on failure.
>>> local.cmd_async('*', 'test.sleep', [300])
'20131219215921857715'
cmd_batch(tgt, fun, arg=(), expr_form='glob', ret='', kwarg=None, batch='10%', **kwargs)

Iteratively execute a command on subsets of minions at a time

The function signature is the same as cmd() with the following exceptions.

Parameters:batch -- The batch identifier of systems to execute on
Returns:A generator of minion returns
>>> returns = local.cmd_batch('*', 'state.highstate', bat='10%')
>>> for ret in returns:
...     print(ret)
{'jerry': {...}}
{'dave': {...}}
{'stewart': {...}}
cmd_iter(tgt, fun, arg=(), timeout=None, expr_form='glob', ret='', kwarg=None, **kwargs)

Yields the individual minion returns as they come in

The function signature is the same as cmd() with the following exceptions.

Returns:A generator yielding the individual minion returns
>>> ret = local.cmd_iter('*', 'test.ping')
>>> for i in ret:
...     print(i)
{'jerry': {'ret': True}}
{'dave': {'ret': True}}
{'stewart': {'ret': True}}
cmd_iter_no_block(tgt, fun, arg=(), timeout=None, expr_form='glob', ret='', kwarg=None, **kwargs)
Yields the individual minion returns as they come in, or None
when no returns are available.

The function signature is the same as cmd() with the following exceptions.

Returns:A generator yielding the individual minion returns, or None when no returns are available. This allows for actions to be injected in between minion returns.
>>> ret = local.cmd_iter_no_block('*', 'test.ping')
>>> for i in ret:
...     print(i)
None
{'jerry': {'ret': True}}
{'dave': {'ret': True}}
None
{'stewart': {'ret': True}}
cmd_subset(tgt, fun, arg=(), expr_form='glob', ret='', kwarg=None, sub=3, cli=False, **kwargs)

Execute a command on a random subset of the targeted systems

The function signature is the same as cmd() with the following exceptions.

Parameters:sub -- The number of systems to execute on
>>> SLC.cmd_subset('*', 'test.ping', sub=1)
{'jerry': True}
get_cli_returns(jid, minions, timeout=None, tgt='*', tgt_type='glob', verbose=False, show_jid=False, **kwargs)

Starts a watcher looking at the return data for a specified JID

Returns:all of the information for the JID
get_event_iter_returns(jid, minions, timeout=None)

Gather the return data from the event system, break hard when timeout is reached.

run_job(tgt, fun, arg=(), expr_form='glob', ret='', timeout=None, kwarg=None, **kwargs)

Asynchronously send a command to connected minions

Prep the job directory and publish a command to any targeted minions.

Returns:A dictionary of (validated) pub_data or an empty dictionary on failure. The pub_data contains the job ID and a list of all minions that are expected to return data.
>>> local.run_job('*', 'test.sleep', [300])
{'jid': '20131219215650131543', 'minions': ['jerry']}

Salt Caller

class salt.client.Caller(c_path='/etc/salt/minion', mopts=None)

Caller is the same interface used by the salt-call command-line tool on the Salt Minion.

Importing and using Caller must be done on the same machine as a Salt Minion and it must be done using the same user that the Salt Minion is running as.

Usage:

import salt.client
caller = salt.client.Caller()
caller.function('test.ping')

# Or call objects directly
caller.sminion.functions['cmd.run']('ls -l')

Note, a running master or minion daemon is not required to use this class. Running salt-call --local simply sets file_client to 'local'. The same can be achieved at the Python level by including that setting in a minion config file.

Instantiate a new Caller() instance using a file system path to the minion config file:

caller = salt.client.Caller('/path/to/custom/minion_config')
caller.sminion.functions['grains.items']()

Instantiate a new Caller() instance using a dictionary of the minion config:

New in version 2014.7.0: Pass the minion config as a dictionary.

import salt.client
import salt.config

opts = salt.config.minion_config('/etc/salt/minion')
opts['file_client'] = 'local'
caller = salt.client.Caller(mopts=opts)
caller.sminion.functions['grains.items']()
function(fun, *args, **kwargs)

Call a single salt function

RunnerClient

class salt.runner.RunnerClient(opts)

The interface used by the salt-run CLI tool on the Salt Master

It executes runner modules which run on the Salt Master.

Importing and using RunnerClient must be done on the same machine as the Salt Master and it must be done using the same user that the Salt Master is running as.

Salt's external_auth can be used to authenticate calls. The eauth user must be authorized to execute runner modules: (@runner). Only the master_call() below supports eauth.

async(fun, low, user='UNKNOWN')

Execute the function in a multiprocess and return the event tag to use to watch for the return

cmd(fun, arg, pub_data=None, kwarg=None)

Execute a runner function

>>> opts = salt.config.master_config('/etc/salt/master')
>>> runner = salt.runner.RunnerClient(opts)
>>> runner.cmd('jobs.list_jobs', [])
{
    '20131219215650131543': {
        'Arguments': [300],
        'Function': 'test.sleep',
        'StartTime': '2013, Dec 19 21:56:50.131543',
        'Target': '*',
        'Target-type': 'glob',
        'User': 'saltdev'
    },
    '20131219215921857715': {
        'Arguments': [300],
        'Function': 'test.sleep',
        'StartTime': '2013, Dec 19 21:59:21.857715',
        'Target': '*',
        'Target-type': 'glob',
        'User': 'saltdev'
    },
}
cmd_async(low)

Execute a runner function asynchronously; eauth is respected

This function requires that external_auth is configured and the user is authorized to execute runner functions: (@runner).

runner.eauth_async({
    'fun': 'jobs.list_jobs',
    'username': 'saltdev',
    'password': 'saltdev',
    'eauth': 'pam',
})
cmd_sync(low, timeout=None)

Execute a runner function synchronously; eauth is respected

This function requires that external_auth is configured and the user is authorized to execute runner functions: (@runner).

runner.eauth_sync({
    'fun': 'jobs.list_jobs',
    'username': 'saltdev',
    'password': 'saltdev',
    'eauth': 'pam',
})

WheelClient

class salt.wheel.WheelClient(opts=None)

An interface to Salt's wheel modules

Wheel modules interact with various parts of the Salt Master.

Importing and using WheelClient must be done on the same machine as the Salt Master and it must be done using the same user that the Salt Master is running as. Unless external_auth is configured and the user is authorized to execute wheel functions: (@wheel).

async(fun, low, user='UNKNOWN')

Execute the function in a multiprocess and return the event tag to use to watch for the return

cmd(fun, **kwargs)

Execute a wheel function

>>> opts = salt.config.master_config('/etc/salt/master')
>>> wheel = salt.wheel.Wheel(opts)
>>> wheel.call_func('key.list_all')
{'local': ['master.pem', 'master.pub'],
'minions': ['jerry'],
'minions_pre': [],
'minions_rejected': []}
cmd_async(low)

Execute a wheel function asynchronously; eauth is respected

This function requires that external_auth is configured and the user is authorized to execute runner functions: (@wheel).

>>> wheel.cmd_async({
    'fun': 'key.finger',
    'match': 'jerry',
    'eauth': 'auto',
    'username': 'saltdev',
    'password': 'saltdev',
})
{'jid': '20131219224744416681', 'tag': 'salt/wheel/20131219224744416681'}
cmd_sync(low, timeout=None)

Execute a wheel function synchronously; eauth is respected

This function requires that external_auth is configured and the user is authorized to execute runner functions: (@wheel).

>>> wheel.cmd_sync({
    'fun': 'key.finger',
    'match': 'jerry',
    'eauth': 'auto',
    'username': 'saltdev',
    'password': 'saltdev',
})
{'minions': {'jerry': '5d:f6:79:43:5e:d4:42:3f:57:b8:45:a8:7e:a4:6e:ca'}}

CloudClient

class salt.cloud.CloudClient(path=None, opts=None, config_dir=None, pillars=None)

The client class to wrap cloud interactions

action(fun=None, cloudmap=None, names=None, provider=None, instance=None, kwargs=None)

Execute a single action via the cloud plugin backend

Examples:

client.action(fun='show_instance', names=['myinstance'])
client.action(fun='show_image', provider='my-ec2-config',
    kwargs={'image': 'ami-10314d79'}
)
create(provider, names, **kwargs)

Create the named VMs, without using a profile

Example:

client.create(names=['myinstance'], provider='my-ec2-config',
    kwargs={'image': 'ami-1624987f', 'size': 'Micro Instance',
            'ssh_username': 'ec2-user', 'securitygroup': 'default',
            'delvol_on_destroy': True})
destroy(names)

Destroy the named VMs

extra_action(names, provider, action, **kwargs)

Perform actions with block storage devices

Example:

client.extra_action(names=['myblock'], action='volume_create',
    provider='my-nova', kwargs={'voltype': 'SSD', 'size': 1000}
)
client.extra_action(names=['salt-net'], action='network_create',
    provider='my-nova', kwargs={'cidr': '192.168.100.0/24'}
)
full_query(query_type='list_nodes_full')

Query all instance information

list_images(provider=None)

List all available images in configured cloud systems

list_locations(provider=None)

List all available locations in configured cloud systems

list_sizes(provider=None)

List all available sizes in configured cloud systems

low(fun, low)

Pass the cloud function and low data structure to run

map_run(path, **kwargs)

Pass in a location for a map to execute

min_query(query_type='list_nodes_min')

Query select instance information

profile(profile, names, vm_overrides=None, **kwargs)

Pass in a profile to create, names is a list of vm names to allocate

vm_overrides is a special dict that will be per node options overrides

Example:

>>> client= salt.cloud.CloudClient(path='/etc/salt/cloud')
>>> client.profile('do_512_git', names=['minion01',])
{'minion01': {u'backups_active': 'False',
        u'created_at': '2014-09-04T18:10:15Z',
        u'droplet': {u'event_id': 31000502,
                     u'id': 2530006,
                     u'image_id': 5140006,
                     u'name': u'minion01',
                     u'size_id': 66},
        u'id': '2530006',
        u'image_id': '5140006',
        u'ip_address': '107.XXX.XXX.XXX',
        u'locked': 'True',
        u'name': 'minion01',
        u'private_ip_address': None,
        u'region_id': '4',
        u'size_id': '66',
        u'status': 'new'}}
query(query_type='list_nodes')

Query basic instance information

select_query(query_type='list_nodes_select')

Query select instance information