Which component is used to gather information about a device when using Puppet?

In the context of Puppet, Facter is the tool specifically designed to gather system information and environmental facts about a device. When a Puppet agent runs, it collects various details about the system, such as IP address, operating system, as well as custom facts defined by the user. This information is then sent to the Puppet Master, where it is used to compile the catalog that dictates how the system should be configured.

This capability allows for dynamic configuration management based on the specific attributes of each node. Facter enhances Puppet's flexibility by ensuring that the configuration can adapt to the unique characteristics of the systems being managed, making it crucial for effective automation and orchestration.

Other components, like the Puppet Agent, primarily focus on applying the configurations defined by the Puppet Master rather than gathering information. The Cloud Master is not a standard component in the Puppet architecture but often refers to other orchestrating systems in cloud environments. The Puppet Master is responsible for managing and distributing the configuration codes but does not gather the hardware and software facts about the devices; that is specifically the role of Facter.