# The Top File

The top file is used to map what SLS modules get loaded onto what minions via the state system. The top file creates a few general abstractions. First it maps what nodes should pull from which environments, next it defines which matches systems should draw from.

## Environments

Environment
  A configuration that allows conceptually organizing state tree directories. Environments can be made to be self-contained or state trees can be made to bleed through environments.

Note

Environments in Salt are very flexible, this section defines how the top file can be used to define what states from what environments are to be used for specific minions.

If the intent is to bind minions to specific environments, then the environment option can be set in the minion configuration file.

The environments in the top file corresponds with the environments defined in the `file_roots` variable. In a simple, single environment setup you only have the `base` environment, and therefore only one state tree. Here is a simple example of `file_roots` in the master configuration:

    file_roots:
      base:
        - /srv/salt

This means that the top file will only have one environment to pull from, here is a simple, single environment top file:

    base:
      '*':
        - core
        - edit

This also means that `/srv/salt` has a state tree. But if you want to use multiple environments, or partition the file server to serve more than just the state tree, then the `file_roots` option can be expanded:

    file_roots:
      base:
        - /srv/salt/base
      dev:
        - /srv/salt/dev
      qa:
        - /srv/salt/qa
      prod:
        - /srv/salt/prod

Then our top file could reference the environments:

    dev:
      'webserver*dev*':
        - webserver
      'db*dev*':
        - db
    qa:
      'webserver*qa*':
        - webserver
      'db*qa*':
        - db
    prod:
      'webserver*prod*':
        - webserver
      'db*prod*':
        - db

In this setup we have state trees in three of the four environments, and no state tree in the `base` environment. Notice that the targets for the minions specify environment data. In Salt the master determines who is in what environment, and many environments can be crossed together. For instance, a separate global state tree could be added to the `base` environment if it suits your deployment:

    base:
      '*':
        - global
    dev:
      'webserver*dev*':
        - webserver
      'db*dev*':
        - db
    qa:
      'webserver*qa*':
        - webserver
      'db*qa*':
        - db
    prod:
      'webserver*prod*':
        - webserver
      'db*prod*':
        - db

In this setup all systems will pull the global SLS from the base environment, as well as pull from their respective environments. If you assign only one SLS to a system, as in this example, a shorthand is also available:

    base:
      '*': global
    dev:
      'webserver*dev*': webserver
      'db*dev*':        db
    qa:
      'webserver*qa*': webserver
      'db*qa*':        db
    prod:
      'webserver*prod*': webserver
      'db*prod*':        db

Note

The top files from all defined environments will be compiled into a single top file for all states. Top files are environment agnostic.

Remember, that since everything is a file in Salt, the environments are primarily file server environments, this means that environments that have nothing to do with states can be defined and used to distribute other files.

A clean and recommended setup for multiple environments would look like this:

    # Master file_roots configuration:
    file_roots:
      base:
        - /srv/salt/base
      dev:
        - /srv/salt/dev
      qa:
        - /srv/salt/qa
      prod:
        - /srv/salt/prod

Then only place state trees in the dev, qa and prod environments, leaving the base environment open for generic file transfers. Then the top.sls file would look something like this:

    dev:
      'webserver*dev*':
        - webserver
      'db*dev*':
        - db
    qa:
      'webserver*qa*':
        - webserver
      'db*qa*':
        - db
    prod:
      'webserver*prod*':
        - webserver
      'db*prod*':
        - db

## Other Ways of Targeting Minions

In addition to globs, minions can be specified in top files a few other ways. Some common ones are compound matches and node groups.

Here is a slightly more complex top file example, showing the different types of matches you can perform:

    base:
        '*':
            - ldap-client
            - networking
            - salt.minion

        'salt-master*':
            - salt.master

        '^(memcache|web).(qa|prod).loc$':
            - match: pcre
            - nagios.mon.web
            - apache.server

        'os:Ubuntu':
            - match: grain
            - repos.ubuntu

        'os:(RedHat|CentOS)':
            - match: grain_pcre
            - repos.epel

        'foo,bar,baz':
            - match: list
            - database

        'somekey:abc':
            - match: pillar
            - xyz

        'nag1* or G@role:monitoring':
            - match: compound
            - nagios.server

In this example `top.sls`, all minions get the ldap-client, networking and salt.minion states. Any minion with an id matching the `salt-master*` glob will get the salt.master state. Any minion with ids matching the regular expression `^(memcache|web).(qa|prod).loc$` will get the nagios.mon.web and apache.server states. All Ubuntu minions will receive the repos.ubuntu state, while all RHEL and CentOS minions will receive the repos.epel state. The minions `foo`, `bar`, and `baz` will receive the database state. Any minion with a pillar named `somekey`, having a value of `abc` will receive the xyz state. Finally, minions with ids matching the nag1* glob or with a grain named `role` equal to `monitoring` will receive the nagios.server state.

## How Top Files Are Compiled

As mentioned earlier, the top files in the different environments are compiled into a single set of data. The way in which this is done follows a few rules, which are important to understand when arranging top files in different environments. The examples below all assume that the `file_roots` are set as in the above multi-environment example.

1. The `base` environment's top file is processed first. Any environment which is defined in the `base` top.sls as well as another environment's top file, will use the instance of the environment configured in `base` and ignore all other instances. In other words, the `base` top file is authoritative when defining environments. Therefore, in the example below, the `dev` section in `/srv/salt/dev/top.sls` would be completely ignored.

`/srv/salt/base/top.sls:`

    base:
      '*':
        - common
    dev:
      'webserver*dev*':
        - webserver
      'db*dev*':
        - db

`/srv/salt/dev/top.sls:`

    dev:
      '10.10.100.0/24':
        - match: ipcidr
        - deployments.dev.site1
      '10.10.101.0/24':
        - match: ipcidr
        - deployments.dev.site2

Note

The rules below assume that the environments being discussed were not defined in the `base` top file.

2. If, for some reason, the `base` environment is not configured in the `base` environment's top file, then the other environments will be checked in alphabetical order. The first top file found to contain a section for the `base` environment wins, and the other top files' `base` sections are ignored. So, provided there is no `base` section in the `base` top file, with the below two top files the `dev` environment would win out, and the `common.centos` SLS would not be applied to CentOS hosts.

`/srv/salt/dev/top.sls:`

    base:
      'os:Ubuntu':
        - common.ubuntu
    dev:
      'webserver*dev*':
        - webserver
      'db*dev*':
        - db

`/srv/salt/qa/top.sls:`

    base:
      'os:Ubuntu':
        - common.ubuntu
      'os:CentOS':
        - common.centos
    qa:
      'webserver*qa*':
        - webserver
      'db*qa*':
        - db

3. For environments other than `base`, the top file in a given environment will be checked for a section matching the environment's name. If one is found, then it is used. Otherwise, the remaining (non-`base`) environments will be checked in alphabetical order. In the below example, the `qa` section in `/srv/salt/dev/top.sls` will be ignored, but if `/srv/salt/qa/top.sls` were cleared or removed, then the states configured for the `qa` environment in `/srv/salt/dev/top.sls` will be applied.

`/srv/salt/dev/top.sls:`

    dev:
      'webserver*dev*':
        - webserver
      'db*dev*':
        - db
    qa:
      '10.10.200.0/24':
        - match: ipcidr
        - deployments.qa.site1
      '10.10.201.0/24':
        - match: ipcidr
        - deployments.qa.site2

`/srv/salt/qa/top.sls:`

    qa:
      'webserver*qa*':
        - webserver
      'db*qa*':
        - db

Note

When in doubt, the simplest way to configure your states is with a single top.sls in the `base` environment.

Current Salt release: 0.17.1

### Table Of Contents

- The Top File
  - Environments
  - Other Ways of Targeting Minions
  - How Top Files Are Compiled

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