cf-execd8

Usage

Overview

cf-execd is the scheduling daemon for cf-agent. It runs cf-agent locally according to a schedule specified in policy code (executor control body). After a cf-agent run is completed, cf-execd gathers output from cf-agent, and may be configured to email the output to a specified address. It may also be configured to splay (randomize) the execution schedule to prevent synchronized cf-agent runs across a network. Note: this daemon reloads it's config when the SIGHUP signal is received.

Options

--help, -h

Print the help message

--debug, -d

Enable debugging output

--verbose, -v

Output verbose information about the behaviour of cf-execd

--dry-run, -n

All talk and no action mode - make no changes, only inform of promises not kept

--version, -V

Output the version of the software

--file, -f value

Specify an alternative input file than the default. This option is overridden by FILE if supplied as argument.

--define, -D value

Define a list of comma separated classes to be defined at the start of execution

--negate, -N value

Define a list of comma separated classes to be undefined at the start of execution

--no-lock, -K

Ignore locking constraints during execution (ifelapsed/expireafter) if "too soon" to run

--inform, -I

Print basic information about changes made to the system, i.e. promises repaired

--diagnostic, -x

Activate internal diagnostics (developers only)

--log-level, -g value

Specify how detailed logs should be. Possible values: 'error', 'warning', 'notice', 'info', 'verbose', 'debug'

--no-fork, -F

Run as a foreground processes (do not fork)

--once, -O

Run once and then exit (implies no-fork)

--no-winsrv, -W

Do not run as a service on windows - use this when running from a command shell (CFEngine Nova only)

--ld-library-path, -L value

Set the internal value of LD_LIBRARY_PATH for child processes

--color, -C value

Enable colorized output. Possible values: 'always', 'auto', 'never'. If option is used, the default value is 'auto'

--timestamp, -l

Log timestamps on each line of log output

--ignore-preferred-augments, -

Ignore def_preferred.json file in favor of def.json

--skip-db-check, - value

Do not run database integrity checks and repairs at startup

--with-runagent-socket, - value

Specify the directory for the socket for runagent requests or 'no' to disable the socket

Cfengine

CFEngine provides automated configuration management of large-scale computer systems. A system administrator describes the desired state of a system using CFEngine policy code. The program cf-agent reads policy code and attempts to bring the current system state to the desired state described. Policy code is downloaded by cf-agent from a cf-serverd daemon. The daemon cf-execd is responsible for running cf-agent periodically.
Documentation for CFEngine is available at https://docs.cfengine.com/.

Promise theory

CFEngine is built on principles from promise theory, proposed by Mark Burgess in 2004. Promise theory is a model of voluntary cooperation between individual, autonomous actors or agents who publish their intentions to one another in the form of promises. A promise is a declaration of intent whose purpose is to increase the recipient's certainty about a claim of past, present or future behaviour. For a promise to increase certainty, the recipient needs to trust the promiser, but trust can also be built on the verification that previous promises have been kept, thus trust plays a symbiotic relationship with promises.
For an introduction to promise theory, please see http://arxiv.org/abs/0810.3294/