In which scenario would you expect $server to have the value of "localhost"?

The scenario in which $server would have the value of "localhost" is when executed in the notify resource. In Puppet, the notify resource is often used to trigger notifications for other resources based on changes. This can allow for dynamic assignment of values based on the environment or the particular state of the resources being managed.

When a notify resource is declared, it typically can reference other variables or resources. If the value for $server is set up in the context of a notify within a resource itself, it can accurately reflect "localhost" if that is how it has been defined in your Puppet configurations or manifests. This behavior is crucial for ensuring that the resources correctly understand where to send notifications or perform configurations, especially in scenarios where services are running locally.

In contrast, executing code in a class definition or during the call of the ntp class does not inherently mean that $server will resolve to "localhost" because it could take on different values based on how the classes or variables are defined. Similarly, when assigned directly in the node declaration, the value of $server may not default to "localhost" unless explicitly set that way.

Thus, the notify resource offers a scenario where $server can be leveraged to capture and use the local server context dynamically.