# Best strategy for node location in Chef-solo - Synching chef-solo-search - Knife-solo - Vagrant - chef?

**URL:** <https://discourse.chef.io/t/best-strategy-for-node-location-in-chef-solo-synching-chef-solo-search-knife-solo-vagrant-chef/3158>\
**Category:** Chef Infra (archive)\
**Created:** [September 29, 2012, 3:06pm UTC](https://discourse.chef.io/t/best-strategy-for-node-location-in-chef-solo-synching-chef-solo-search-knife-solo-vagrant-chef/3158 "2012-09-29T15:06:36Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Patrick\_Debois](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.chef.io/patrick_debois/32/440_2.png) [@Patrick\_Debois](https://discourse.chef.io/u/Patrick_Debois)\
**Post date:** [September 29, 2012, 3:06pm UTC](https://discourse.chef.io/t/best-strategy-for-node-location-in-chef-solo-synching-chef-solo-search-knife-solo-vagrant-chef/3158/1 "2012-09-29T15:06:36Z")

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Hi,

Chef-solo-search[1] by @edelight has support for node search support by  
putting it in databags/nodes.

Knife-solo[2] by @matshaffer stores nodes not in databags/nodes but in  
the nodes directory at the top level

Vagrant has support for databags\_path and role\_path and auto shares in  
the guest if configured.  
Chef-solo only has support for databag\_path and role\_path

I’m wondering if we can coordinate this? Some options I see:

- introduce chef-solo node\_path config parameter (has to be @opscode  
supported)  
o if yes we can patch vagrant, knife-solo and chef-solo-search,  
still lives the question for the default location
- no specific config in chef-solo :  
o either keep it in databags/nodes  
+ auto works with vagrant  
+ knife-solo people have to adapt (or symlink) or look in an  
additional path  
o either keep it in nodes  
+ chef-solo-search have to adapt (or symlink) or look in an  
additional path

Happy to supply patches, if we can have consensus on this.

Patrick

FYI - Recently I added role support to chef-solo-search ,  
this opens up cookbooks that make of this possible on solo projects  
(like the nagios cookbook).

[1] - [https://github.com/edelight/chef-solo-search](https://github.com/edelight/chef-solo-search)  
[2] - [https://github.com/matschaffer/knife-solo/](https://github.com/matschaffer/knife-solo/)  
[3] - [https://github.com/jedi4ever/chef-solo-search](https://github.com/jedi4ever/chef-solo-search)

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**Author:** ![Torben\_Knerr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba8739/32.png) [@Torben\_Knerr](https://discourse.chef.io/u/Torben_Knerr)\
**Post date:** [October 1, 2012, 7:13am UTC](https://discourse.chef.io/t/best-strategy-for-node-location-in-chef-solo-synching-chef-solo-search-knife-solo-vagrant-chef/3158/2 "2012-10-01T07:13:28Z")

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I would opt for a top-level nodes directory as in knife-solo. Nodes  
are not databags.

Are there any plans to incorporate search into Chef-solo officially?  
That seems to be a quite usefule and often requested feature?

Cheers,  
Torben

On Sat, Sep 29, 2012 at 5:06 PM, Patrick Debois [Patrick.Debois@jedi.be](mailto:Patrick.Debois@jedi.be) wrote:

> Hi,
> 
> Chef-solo-search[1] by @edelight has support for node search support by  
> putting it in databags/nodes.
> 
> Knife-solo[2] by @matshaffer stores nodes not in databags/nodes but in the  
> nodes directory at the top level
> 
> Vagrant has support for databags\_path and role\_path and auto shares in the  
> guest if configured.  
> Chef-solo only has support for databag\_path and role\_path
> 
> I'm wondering if we can coordinate this? Some options I see:
> 
> introduce chef-solo node\_path config parameter (has to be @opscode  
> supported)
> 
> if yes we can patch vagrant, knife-solo and chef-solo-search, still lives  
> the question for the default location
> 
> no specific config in chef-solo :
> 
> either keep it in databags/nodes
> 
> auto works with vagrant  
> knife-solo people have to adapt (or symlink) or look in an additional path
> 
> either keep it in nodes
> 
> chef-solo-search have to adapt (or symlink) or look in an additional path
> 
> Happy to supply patches, if we can have consensus on this.
> 
> Patrick
> 
> FYI - Recently I added role support to chef-solo-search ,  
> this opens up cookbooks that make of this possible on solo projects (like  
> the nagios cookbook).
> 
> [1] - [GitHub - edelight/chef-solo-search: Data bag search for Chef Solo](https://github.com/edelight/chef-solo-search)  
> [2] - [GitHub - matschaffer/knife-solo: DEPRECATED: Please consider using https://knife-zero.github.io/, ansible, or visit https://www.chef.io/ for other ideas](https://github.com/matschaffer/knife-solo/)  
> [3] - [https://github.com/jedi4ever/chef-solo-search](https://github.com/jedi4ever/chef-solo-search)