How to test Chef Code using InSpec

Purpose – In this article, we will see how we can validate or test the Chef Infrastructure code using InSpec, which we develop for managing or maintaining our systems in the desired state.

Pre-requisities –

Workstation with ChefDK
Docker
Vagrant
Step1: Checking the Installed Versions of Chef and related tools

[root@desktop1 ~]# chef --version
Chef Development Kit Version:

2.0.26
chef-client version: 13.2.20
delivery version: master
berks version: 6.2.0
kitchen version: 1.16.0
inspec version: 1.30.0
[root@desktop1 ~]# docker

--version
Docker version 17.03.2-ce,

build f5ec1e2
[root@desktop1 ~]# vagrant --version
Vagrant 1.9.6

Step2: Generate a simple cookbook for testing webserver application functionality

[root@desktop1 cookbooks]# pwd
/root/stack/middleware/chefspace/cookbooks
[root@desktop1 cookbooks]# chef generate cookbook webserver_test
Generating cookbook webserver_test
- Ensuring correct cookbook file content
- Committing cookbook files to git
- Ensuring delivery configuration
- Ensuring correct delivery build cookbook content
- Adding delivery configuration to feature branch
- Adding build cookbook to feature branch
- Merging delivery content feature branch to master

Your cookbook is ready. Type `cd webserver_test` to enter it.

There are several commands you can run to get started locally developing and

testing your cookbook.
Type `delivery local --help` to see a full list.

Why not start by writing a test? Tests for the default recipe are stored at:

test/smoke/default/default_test.rb

If you'd prefer to dive right in, the default recipe can be found at:
recipes/default.rb

Step3: Update the .kitchen.yml with the appropriate Drivers and Image details as below

[root@desktop1 webserver_test]# cat .kitchen.yml
---
driver:
  name: vagrant
  provider: docker

provisioner:
  name: chef_zero
  # You may wish to disable always updating cookbooks in

  # CI or other testing environments.
  # For example:
  #   always_update_cookbooks: <%= !ENV['CI'] %>
  # always_update_cookbooks: true

verifier:
  name: inspec

platforms:
  - name: tknerr/baseimage-ubuntu-14.04

suites:
  - name: default
    run_list:
      - recipe[webserver_test::default]
    verifier:
      inspec_tests:
        - test/smoke/default
    attributes:

Step4: Update the default_test.rb file with InSpec code for validating the webserver functionality

[root@desktop1 webserver_test]# cat test/smoke/default/default_test.rb
# # encoding: utf-8

# Inspec test for recipe webserver_test::default

# The Inspec reference, with examples and extensive documentation, can be
# found at http://inspec.io/docs/reference/resources/

describe package('apache2') do
        it {should be_installed}
end

describe service('apache2') do
        it {should be_enabled}
        it {should be_running}
end

describe command('curl localhost') do
        its('stdout') {should match /hello/}
end

describe port(80) do
        it {should be_listening}
end

Step5: Update the default.rb recipe with the Infrastructure code for installing and configuring a basic webserver

[root@desktop1 webserver_test]# cat recipes/default.rb
#
# Cookbook:: webserver_test
# Recipe:: default
#
# Copyright:: 2017, The Authors, All Rights Reserved.

apt_update 'update' do
  action :update
end

package 'apache2'

service 'apache2' do
        action [:enable,:start]
end

file '/var/www/html/index.html' do
        content '


hello world


'
end

Step6: Test the Chef Code in a Test Kitchen using InSpec

[root@desktop1 webserver_test]# kitchen test
-----> Starting Kitchen (v1.16.0)
-----> Cleaning up any prior instances of 
-----> Destroying ...
       ==> default: Stopping container...
       ==> default: Deleting the container...
       Vagrant instance  destroyed.
       Finished destroying  (0m9.73s).
-----> Testing 
...

         * apt_package[apache2] action install

           - install version 2.4.7-1ubuntu4.16 of package apache2
         * service[apache2] action enable (up to date)
         * service[apache2] action start
           - start service service[apache2]
         * file[/var/www/html/index.html] action create
           - update content in file /var/www/html/index.html from 538f31 to e53067
           --- /var/www/html/index.html 2017-07-10 09:31:02.697553595 +0000
           +++ /var/www/html/.chef-index20170710-195-30i74n.html        

2017-07-10 09:31:10.261551246 +0000
           @@ -1,379 +1,7 @@

Note – Kitchen test is going to internally destroy any containers if present,

create a test kitchen, converge the infrastructure code, verify the code and 
finally destroy the container instance.

kitchen destroy
kitchen create
kitchen converge
kitchen verify
kitchen destroy

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