# Reconcile chef environment settings done on Chef web management interface with chef workstation

**URL:** <https://discourse.chef.io/t/reconcile-chef-environment-settings-done-on-chef-web-management-interface-with-chef-workstation/4593>\
**Category:** Chef Infra (archive)\
**Created:** [October 22, 2013, 4:43pm UTC](https://discourse.chef.io/t/reconcile-chef-environment-settings-done-on-chef-web-management-interface-with-chef-workstation/4593 "2013-10-22T16:43:56Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Eric\_Feldhusen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/57b2e6/32.png) [@Eric\_Feldhusen](https://discourse.chef.io/u/Eric_Feldhusen)\
**Post date:** [October 22, 2013, 4:43pm UTC](https://discourse.chef.io/t/reconcile-chef-environment-settings-done-on-chef-web-management-interface-with-chef-workstation/4593/1 "2013-10-22T16:43:56Z")

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Is there any good(& fast) way to reconcile chef environment changes done in  
the Chef web management interface like workstations moved to different  
environments, cookbook version locks, etc… with a chef workstation, so  
that the chef workstation directories and files are updated with the  
workstation moves, cookbook versioning, etc…?

Eric Feldhusen

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**Author:** ![kallistec](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.chef.io/kallistec/32/23_2.png) [@kallistec](https://discourse.chef.io/u/kallistec)\
**Post date:** [October 22, 2013, 4:51pm UTC](https://discourse.chef.io/t/reconcile-chef-environment-settings-done-on-chef-web-management-interface-with-chef-workstation/4593/2 "2013-10-22T16:51:17Z")

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On Tuesday, October 22, 2013 at 9:43 AM, Eric Feldhusen wrote:

> Is there any good(& fast) way to reconcile chef environment changes done in the Chef web management interface like workstations moved to different environments, cookbook version locks, etc... with a chef workstation, so that the chef workstation directories and files are updated with the workstation moves, cookbook versioning, etc..?
> 
> Eric Feldhusen  
> `knife download` can do this, provided you're using json instead of ruby format for environments, roles, etc. Generally it's best to pick one means of updating data on your server and sticking to it, though.

--  
Daniel DeLeo

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**Author:** ![Eric\_Feldhusen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/57b2e6/32.png) [@Eric\_Feldhusen](https://discourse.chef.io/u/Eric_Feldhusen)\
**Post date:** [October 22, 2013, 5:06pm UTC](https://discourse.chef.io/t/reconcile-chef-environment-settings-done-on-chef-web-management-interface-with-chef-workstation/4593/3 "2013-10-22T17:06:07Z")

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Thanks, that does help.

So, if my current environment, nodes, and roles directories are blends of  
ruby and json, would the best practice be to 'knife download" the json  
format files and just do a one-to-one replacement of them?

Eric

On Tue, Oct 22, 2013 at 12:51 PM, Daniel DeLeo [dan@kallistec.com](mailto:dan@kallistec.com) wrote:

> On Tuesday, October 22, 2013 at 9:43 AM, Eric Feldhusen wrote:
> 
> Is there any good(& fast) way to reconcile chef environment changes done  
> in the Chef web management interface like workstations moved to different  
> environments, cookbook version locks, etc... with a chef workstation, so  
> that the chef workstation directories and files are updated with the  
> workstation moves, cookbook versioning, etc..?
> 
> Eric Feldhusen
> 
> `knife download` can do this, provided you're using json instead of ruby  
> format for environments, roles, etc. Generally it's best to pick one means  
> of updating data on your server and sticking to it, though.
> 
> --  
> Daniel DeLeo

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Ranjib](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.chef.io/ranjib/32/1040_2.png) [@Ranjib](https://discourse.chef.io/u/Ranjib)\
**Post date:** [October 22, 2013, 5:31pm UTC](https://discourse.chef.io/t/reconcile-chef-environment-settings-done-on-chef-web-management-interface-with-chef-workstation/4593/4 "2013-10-22T17:31:48Z")

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you can. but if you change environments frequently (which i do, specially  
in dev\_\* environments ), you might want to read them, and in that case .rb  
versions shine. also, rb versions will have less content, as the ruby  
versions dont require the defaults, class types etc. you can do more  
advance stuff, like creating nested environments with little scripting, and  
for such extensions rb formats are easy to deal with (very minute though).

in general , i find them more concise and readable.

that said, we too use the json format. but i think we should restrict it to  
backup/restore tools, where machines does the job. But in workstation, we  
deal with the git repo rb files would have been very helpful.

On Tue, Oct 22, 2013 at 10:06 AM, Eric Feldhusen \<[efeldhusen.lists@gmail.com](mailto:efeldhusen.lists@gmail.com)

> wrote:

> Thanks, that does help.
> 
> So, if my current environment, nodes, and roles directories are blends of  
> ruby and json, would the best practice be to 'knife download" the json  
> format files and just do a one-to-one replacement of them?
> 
> Eric
> 
> On Tue, Oct 22, 2013 at 12:51 PM, Daniel DeLeo [dan@kallistec.com](mailto:dan@kallistec.com) wrote:
> 
> > On Tuesday, October 22, 2013 at 9:43 AM, Eric Feldhusen wrote:
> > 
> > Is there any good(& fast) way to reconcile chef environment changes done  
> > in the Chef web management interface like workstations moved to different  
> > environments, cookbook version locks, etc... with a chef workstation, so  
> > that the chef workstation directories and files are updated with the  
> > workstation moves, cookbook versioning, etc..?
> > 
> > Eric Feldhusen
> > 
> > `knife download` can do this, provided you're using json instead of ruby  
> > format for environments, roles, etc. Generally it's best to pick one means  
> > of updating data on your server and sticking to it, though.
> > 
> > --  
> > Daniel DeLeo