POC for writing status updates to a sqlite db. Updates are written using an Orchestrate file. The Orchestrate file can be called via the Reactor.

process_status_updates.sls

{# Place this file in /srv/reactor/process_status_updates.sls

Call via sending a custom event on a minion as:
  salt-call event.send myco/external_task/status_update task=foo status='Update number one!'

Requires reactor config such as:

reactor:
  - 'myco/external_task/status_update':
    - /srv/reactor/process_status_updates.sls
#}

process_status_updates:
  runner.state.orchestrate:
    - mods: orch.write_to_db
    - pillar:
        mid: {{ data.id }}
        task: {{ data.data.task }}
        status: {{ data.data.status }}

write_to_db.sls

{# Place this file in /srv/salt/orch/write_to_db.sls

Call from the CLI as:
  salt-run state.orchestrate orch.write_to_db pillar='{task: foo, status: "Update number one!"}'
#}

{# Create the db if it doesn't yet exist. #}

{% set db_file = '/tmp/job_events.sqlite3' %}

{% if not salt['file.file_exists'](db_file) %}
create_db:
  module.run:
    - name: sqlite3.modify
    - db: {{ db_file }}
    - sql: |
        CREATE TABLE log_entries(
            id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY AUTOINCREMENT,
            task TEXT,
            status_update TEXT
        );
{% endif %}

{# Pull the db entry from Pillar data passed in via the CLI. Don't write to the
DB if the update is empty. #}

{% set task = salt['pillar.get']('task', '') %}
{% set status = salt['pillar.get']('status', '') %}

{% if task != '' and status != '' %}
write_event_updates_to_db:
  module.run:
    - name: sqlite3.modify
    - db: {{ db_file }}
    - sql: |
        INSERT INTO log_entries VALUES(
            null,
            '{{ task }}',
            '{{ status }}'
        );

log_success_to_minion:
  salt.function:
    - tgt: {{ salt['pillar.get']('mid') }}
    - name: cmd.run
    - arg:
      - |
          echo "Success" > /some/log_file/on/the/minion.log
    - onchanges:
      - module: write_event_updates_to_db

notify_on_failure:
  cmd.run:
    - name: echo 'sqlite falure!' >> sqlite.log
    - onfail:
      - module: write_event_updates_to_db
{% endif %}

if you are on a Windows minion, you must double quotes for the string:

salt-call event.send myco/external_task/status_update task=foo status="Update number one!"