allow disabling of some difficult facts

manifests/os.pp

 # General configuration of the basic operating system.  Nearly everything
 # here is specific to the version of Linux we're running and is handled by
 # the appropriate separate class.
-class base::os {
+
+class base::os(
+  $enable_dell_warranty_facts = false,
+  $enable_iptables_facts      = false,
+){
 
   case $::operatingsystem {
     'Debian':      { include base::os::debian }
@@ -17,24 +21,29 @@ class base::os {
     template => 'base/os/motd.erb',
   }
 
-  # Get warranty expiration facts for Dell hardware.
-  if ($::manufacturer =~ /Dell/) {
-    file {
-      '/etc/cron.d/dell-warranty-facts':
-        source => 'puppet:///modules/base/os/etc/cron.d/dell-warranty-facts';
-      '/var/lib/puppet/sufact/su_dell_warranty_days':
-        ensure => present;
-      '/var/lib/puppet/sufact/su_dell_warranty_end':
-        ensure => present;
+  # Get warranty expiration facts for Dell hardware, but only if
+  # the $enable_dell_warranty_facts parameter is true.
+  if ($enable_dell_warranty_facts) {
+    if ($::manufacturer =~ /Dell/) {
+      file {
+        '/etc/cron.d/dell-warranty-facts':
+          source => 'puppet:///modules/base/os/etc/cron.d/dell-warranty-facts';
+        '/var/lib/puppet/sufact/su_dell_warranty_days':
+          ensure => present;
+        '/var/lib/puppet/sufact/su_dell_warranty_end':
+          ensure => present;
+      }
+      include packages::curl
     }
-    include packages::curl
   }
 
   # Generate an iptables fact for the firewall team to query.
-  file { '/var/lib/puppet/sufact/su_iptables':
-    ensure => $::osfamily ? {
-        'RedHat' => '/etc/sysconfig/iptables',
-        default  => '/etc/iptables/general',
+  if ($enable_iptables_facts) {
+    file { '/var/lib/puppet/sufact/su_iptables':
+      ensure => $::osfamily ? {
+          'RedHat' => '/etc/sysconfig/iptables',
+          default  => '/etc/iptables/general',
+      }
     }
   }