Error while configuring Hiera for puppet

Question

there's a issue when attempting to apply a module the contains a Hiera lookup to an agent.

When running from the Windows agent:

Info: Retrieving pluginfacts
Info: Retrieving plugin
Info: Loading facts
Error: Could not retrieve catalog from remote server: Error 400 on SERVER: Could not find data item git_client in any Hiera data file and no default supplied at /etc/puppetlabs/puppet/environments/develop/modules/[REDACTED PATH TO .pp FILE]:24 on node [REDACTED]
Warning: Not using cache on failed catalog
Error: Could not retrieve catalog; skipping run

hiera.yaml

:backends:
  - yaml
:hierarchy:
  - defaults
  - "%{clientcert}"
  - "%{environment}"
  - global

:yaml:
  :datadir: '/etc/puppetlabs/puppet/hiera'

develop.yaml

git_client:
    file_content:here

puppet.conf:

[main]
server=[REDACTED]
pluginsync=true
autoflush=true
archive_files=true
archive_file_server=[REDACTED]
graph=true
environment=develop

When running Hiera to debug:

/opt/puppet/bin/hiera git_client environment=develop -c /etc/puppetlabs/puppet/hiera.yaml --debug

DEBUG: 2015-05-12 12:40:27 -0400: Hiera YAML backend starting
DEBUG: 2015-05-12 12:40:27 -0400: Looking up git_client in YAML backend
DEBUG: 2015-05-12 12:40:27 -0400: Looking for data source defaults
DEBUG: 2015-05-12 12:40:27 -0400: Cannot find datafile /etc/puppetlabs/puppet/hiera/defaults.yaml, skipping
DEBUG: 2015-05-12 12:40:27 -0400: Looking for data source develop
DEBUG: 2015-05-12 12:40:27 -0400: Found git_client in develop
file_content:here

Answer 1

• In order for changes to your hiera configuration to take effect, you need to make sure to restart your puppet master. 

• If you are using the puppetserver that runs in the JVM then restart the pe-puppetserver service. 

• If you are using the old ruby master running on passenger, then restart pe-httpd.
  
  Hope this helps!