StackStorm

StackStorm
Name	StackStorm
Developer	StackStorm, Inc.; Extreme Networks
Released	2014
Programming language	Python
Operating system	Linux, macOS
License	Apache License 2.0

StackStorm StackStorm is an open‑source event-driven automation platform for connecting tools such as Ansible, Puppet (software), Chef (software), SaltStack, and Jenkins (software). It enables automated responses to events from sources like Nagios, Prometheus, AWS, and GitHub by linking sensors, rules, and actions into workflows compatible with Kubernetes, Docker, and OpenStack environments. StackStorm is used by organizations including HP, Cisco Systems, and Comcast to implement runbooks, remediation, and CI/CD integrations with tools such as Terraform and GitLab.

Overview

StackStorm originated as an automation and orchestration engine that focuses on event-driven and policy-based automation. It unifies disparate automation tools used by teams at companies such as Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Amazon (company) and IBM by exposing a consistent API and a catalog of reusable actions and packs. The platform emphasizes reusability and auditability, integrating with logging solutions like ELK Stack and monitoring platforms including Zabbix and Datadog.

Architecture

StackStorm's architecture follows a modular service-oriented design composed of components that communicate over a message bus such as RabbitMQ or Apache Kafka. Core services include the API server, authentication using providers like LDAP or OAuth, an actions engine implemented in Python (programming language), and a datastore that can be backed by MongoDB or PostgreSQL. Event ingestion comes from sensors and webhook receivers analogous to components in Prometheus exporters or Grafana alerting pipelines, while executions are coordinated similarly to orchestration engines such as Apache Airflow and Argo (software).

Components and Features

Key components include Sensors, Rules, Actions, Workflows, Packs, and the Web UI/Dashboard. Sensors and Webhooks collect events from systems like PagerDuty, Slack, Jenkins (software), and GitHub; Rules evaluate events and trigger Actions or complex Workflows authored with engines such as Mistral (OpenStack) or Orquesta. Packs provide curated integrations comparable to connectors in Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud Platform marketplaces, and common packs exist for AWS, Azure, VMware, and Cisco gear. Features include role-based access control integrated with Active Directory, auditing compatible with Splunk and ELK Stack, and an action execution model that supports remote SSH, API calls, and containerized tasks similar to Kubernetes Jobs.

Use Cases and Integrations

Typical use cases span incident response, automated remediation, CI/CD pipelines, change orchestration, and chatops-driven workflows. Incident remediation examples link monitoring sources like Nagios, Prometheus, or Datadog to remediation playbooks that invoke Ansible, SaltStack, or custom scripts, while CI/CD integrations tie into Jenkins (software), GitLab, and Travis CI. Network automation use cases integrate with Cisco IOS, Juniper Networks, and Arista Networks devices through SDKs resembling NETCONF and RESTCONF, and cloud automation workflows orchestrate resources on AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform using Terraform or native SDKs.

Deployment and Management

StackStorm can be deployed on bare metal, virtual machines, or container platforms including Docker and Kubernetes. Production deployments typically use orchestration tools like Ansible or Terraform for reproducible provisioning, and monitoring/observability is implemented with Prometheus exporters and Grafana dashboards. High‑availability architectures leverage clustered RabbitMQ or Apache Kafka and replicated MongoDB or PostgreSQL setups similar to patterns used by Cassandra and Redis. Backup, secrets management, and CI pipelines are commonly integrated with tools such as HashiCorp Vault, Jenkins (software), and GitLab CI/CD.

Community and Development History

StackStorm was founded by engineers with roots in automation at companies including Rackspace and later attracted investment and enterprise adoption by organizations like HP and EMC Corporation. Its development community includes contributors from corporate entities such as Cisco Systems, Comcast, and Extreme Networks, and it has been discussed in forums and conferences alongside projects like OpenStack, Kubernetes, AnsibleFest, and DevOpsDays. Governance and releases follow an open‑source model under the Apache License 2.0, with contributions coordinated through platforms like GitHub and community channels similar to those used by Linux Foundation projects.

Category:Automation software Category:Open-source software