Skills overview

A skill is an agent that allows you to perform actions on a node for a specific outcome. A skill can either be a canister-based skill or a non-canister-based skill. Skills can be Chef owned (for example, Chef Infra, Chef Inspec, or Chef Courier) or user created custom skills that can be registered and managed with Chef 360 Platform.

To add skills to a node, you define your skills, create override settings for the skills, group them into a skill assembly, and the later assign the skill assembly to a node cohort.

Skill types

canister skill

The Habitat package of an agent, which is installed independently and in parallel with other canisters and is managed by a supervisor (Node Management Client). Canisters don’t run as services; they must be invoked by another skill or service. For example the Courier Skill will invoke an Infra Client Canister Skill. You can install multiple versions of a canister skill.

canister service skill

The Habitat package of an agent installed as a Habitat service managed by a supervisor (Node Management Client). For example, install the Courier Runner as a service skill that can invoke canister skills such as Chef Infra Client or Chef Inspec. A service skill can only support one version running on a node.

non-canister skill

A skill that’s not a Habitat package. For example, Chef Infra Client or Chef Inspec Omnibus skills, or remote management abilities.

omnibus skills

The Omnibus package of an agent. For example, Chef Infra Client 18 installed on your nodes before Chef 360 Platform adoption.