# Skipping chef server

**URL:** <https://discourse.chef.io/t/skipping-chef-server/13432>\
**Category:** Chef Infra (archive)\
**Created:** [August 10, 2018, 7:55am UTC](https://discourse.chef.io/t/skipping-chef-server/13432 "2018-08-10T07:55:02Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 12\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![deepaksingla](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.chef.io/deepaksingla/32/2321_2.png) [@deepaksingla](https://discourse.chef.io/u/deepaksingla)\
**Post date:** [August 10, 2018, 7:55am UTC](https://discourse.chef.io/t/skipping-chef-server/13432/1 "2018-08-10T07:55:02Z")

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Hello, I have a scenario where I want to use chef only for applying changes on the nodes BUT not using chef server at all. Have few questions here -

1. I have read all over internet and it says that basic 3 components needed for chef are Workstation - Server - Node. But no where I could find any article that says if the workstation can be used to apply changes on the node directly i.e. NO chef server at all.

Is it possible?  
If yes, can you please share the link to configure workstation/node

1. We have installed Workstation on one Windows machine and Node on another Windows machine (all instructions followed as per the documentation) and I believe we have applied everything available on internet to connect from workstation to node but big time failure ☹

Any pointers here. Not using ssh.

1. If answer to #1 is yes, then do I need to deploy agent on the Node??
2. If answer to #1 is yes, then do I need to deploy Chef DK on Workstation to test the connectivity alone [from Workstation to Node]??

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**Author:** ![nkadel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5f9b8f/32.png) [@nkadel](https://discourse.chef.io/u/nkadel)\
**Post date:** [August 10, 2018, 12:39pm UTC](https://discourse.chef.io/t/skipping-chef-server/13432/2 "2018-08-10T12:39:42Z")

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You can use "chef-client --local" to keep Chef cookbooks, roles, environments, and even node configurations in a git repository, check it out, and apply it locally with no Chef Server in the mix anywhere. It works best with chefdk, which contains Berkshelf to assemble the local copies of the cookbooks. chefdk includes and is compatible with the Chef client in the chef package.

See my tools at [https://github.com/nkadel/nkadel-chef-local-wrapper](https://github.com/nkadel/nkadel-chef-local-wrapper) for an example.

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**Author:** ![deepaksingla](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.chef.io/deepaksingla/32/2321_2.png) [@deepaksingla](https://discourse.chef.io/u/deepaksingla)\
**Post date:** [August 10, 2018, 3:27pm UTC](https://discourse.chef.io/t/skipping-chef-server/13432/3 "2018-08-10T15:27:15Z")

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Hi Nkadel  
Thanks for response.  
But we want to deploy cookbooks and recipes from chef-workstation to chef-node.  
Both are running on separate VM machines.

Thanks  
Deepak

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**Author:** ![nathenharvey](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.chef.io/nathenharvey/32/964_2.png) [@nathenharvey](https://discourse.chef.io/u/nathenharvey)\
**Post date:** [August 10, 2018, 3:59pm UTC](https://discourse.chef.io/t/skipping-chef-server/13432/4 "2018-08-10T15:59:49Z")

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@deepaksingla have you looked at [Chef Workstation](https://www.chef.sh/docs/chef-workstation/getting-started/)? This was initially [released earlier this year](https://blog.chef.io/2018/05/23/introducing-chef-workstation/) and is probably the best fit for the scenario you have described.

-Nathen

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**Author:** ![deepaksingla](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.chef.io/deepaksingla/32/2321_2.png) [@deepaksingla](https://discourse.chef.io/u/deepaksingla)\
**Post date:** [August 19, 2018, 2:20pm UTC](https://discourse.chef.io/t/skipping-chef-server/13432/5 "2018-08-19T14:20:37Z")

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Hi Nathenharvey

I am working on window environment 2012r2. I want to access chef-client node without ssh key.  
Is there any commend to access chef-client node using winrm command?

Thanks  
Deepak

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**Author:** ![stuartpreston](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.chef.io/stuartpreston/32/1771_2.png) [@stuartpreston](https://discourse.chef.io/u/stuartpreston)\
**Post date:** [August 20, 2018, 11:53am UTC](https://discourse.chef.io/t/skipping-chef-server/13432/6 "2018-08-20T11:53:26Z")

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If you're using Chef Workstation, then the `chef-run` command does support WinRM (use `winrm://username@` instead of `ssh://username@` (doc: [https://www.chef.sh/docs/chef-workstation/cli-reference/](https://www.chef.sh/docs/chef-workstation/cli-reference/))

If you're using the older ChefDK, you could achieve this using the `knife winrm` command from the `knife-windows` plugin (doc: [https://docs.chef.io/plugin\_knife\_windows.html](https://docs.chef.io/plugin_knife_windows.html))

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**Author:** ![deepaksingla](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.chef.io/deepaksingla/32/2321_2.png) [@deepaksingla](https://discourse.chef.io/u/deepaksingla)\
**Post date:** [August 27, 2018, 9:21am UTC](https://discourse.chef.io/t/skipping-chef-server/13432/7 "2018-08-27T09:21:09Z")

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Thanks @stuartpreston

By using this command **chef-run winrm://username@target-host testcookbook\_1\recipes\default.rb --password Password**  
able to connect chef-workstation with chef-node.

Now I am trying to install sql server 2014 express 64-bit from window Server 2012 r2 chef-workstation to chef-node.  
It didn't get proper recipes to install it.

I am thinking, there should be below scenario:

1. Need to download SQL Server 2014 on chef-workstation.
2. Copy from chef-workstation to chef-node using recipes.
3. Install it on chef-node.

I didnot get any recipe to copy from chef-workstation to chef-node and to install sql-server 2014.  
Can anyone help me to figure out all these issues.

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**Author:** ![deepaksingla](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.chef.io/deepaksingla/32/2321_2.png) [@deepaksingla](https://discourse.chef.io/u/deepaksingla)\
**Post date:** [September 17, 2018, 11:07am UTC](https://discourse.chef.io/t/skipping-chef-server/13432/8 "2018-09-17T11:07:44Z")

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Hi @stuartpreston @Larryc

I want to install the same recipe on multiple window 2012 r2 chef-nodes at the same time.  
Name of target machines are **chef-node** and **chef-client**.  
Both machines have the same username **administrator** and password **ABC123**  
I don't know how to define username and password for multiple machines at the same time?

When I am using below command, It is only connecting to chef-node, but not to chef-client.

```auto
c:\test-chef-deploy>chef-run winrm://administrator@chef-node,chef-client TestCookBook::default --password ABC123
 [?] Generated local policyfile
+ [?] Converging targets:
|-- [?] [chef-node] Successfully converged target!
|__ [?] [chef-client] Connection failed: Net::SSH::ConnectionTimeout

One or more actions has failed.

A complete list of failures and possible resolutions can
be found in the file below:

  C:/Users/Administrator/.chef-workstation/logs/errors.txt

```

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**Author:** ![Larryc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Larryc](https://discourse.chef.io/u/Larryc)\
**Post date:** [September 17, 2018, 12:01pm UTC](https://discourse.chef.io/t/skipping-chef-server/13432/9 "2018-09-17T12:01:13Z")

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Is chef-client windows or linux? It is trying to converge over ssh.

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**Author:** ![deepaksingla](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.chef.io/deepaksingla/32/2321_2.png) [@deepaksingla](https://discourse.chef.io/u/deepaksingla)\
**Post date:** [September 17, 2018, 3:05pm UTC](https://discourse.chef.io/t/skipping-chef-server/13432/10 "2018-09-17T15:05:56Z")

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Hi @Larryc

This is window 2012R2 based VM.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Larryc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Larryc](https://discourse.chef.io/u/Larryc)\
**Post date:** [September 17, 2018, 4:43pm UTC](https://discourse.chef.io/t/skipping-chef-server/13432/11 "2018-09-17T16:43:17Z")

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@deepaksingla Its treating the second server as SSH

|-- [?] [chef-node] Successfully converged target!  
**|\_\_ [?] [chef-client] Connection failed: Net::SSH::ConnectionTimeout**

try this

chef-run winrm://administrator@chef-node,winrm://administrator@chef-client TestCookBook::default --password ABC123

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![deepaksingla](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.chef.io/deepaksingla/32/2321_2.png) [@deepaksingla](https://discourse.chef.io/u/deepaksingla)\
**Post date:** [September 18, 2018, 12:29am UTC](https://discourse.chef.io/t/skipping-chef-server/13432/12 "2018-09-18T00:29:13Z")

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Thanks @Larryc  
It is working.