Six configuration management tools that administrators must know

The common characteristics of virtual infrastructure and software are , There are always configuration options . In the increasingly distributed IT Environment , Whether in the data center or in the cloud , There is a real need for large-scale management configurations .

Configuration management software is a large class of tools and services , They enable administrators to be driven by a policy 、 Manage configurations on a large scale in a repeatable and automated manner . Key factors such as infrastructure monitoring play a role .

Software configuration management (SCM) Originally, it was a kind of software specially used for application program and server software . In recent years , Configuration management has become more extensive . As infrastructure is increasingly used as virtual services in cloud and local environments , There is a trend to define infrastructure as code , Configuration management tools play a prominent role in this area .

The main functions of the configuration management tool

Several configuration management tools support many key functions .

• To configure ： According to the definition , Both configuration management tools enable users to configure the options required for deployment and operation .
• Automatic deployment ： The ability to deploy software and virtual infrastructure automatically with a policy driven approach and defined configurations is a key attribute .
• Policy compliance ： Aligning infrastructure and software with policies is an important feature of most organizations .

How to select a configuration management tool ?

When selecting the configuration management service , There are several main considerations ：

• Range ： Determine what type of software or infrastructure you need to manage , And ensure that it is supported by the tool .
• complexity ： In terms of user introduction and daily control , Some tools are easier to manage than others . Before deciding to buy , Make sure to try out the tool in a limited deployment .
• cost ： Whether the solution can be extended to support different use cases , While still being cost effective ?

1.Chef

Selling points to attract potential buyers ：Chef There is now a set of configuration management and automation tools , It helps to enable organizations of any size to adopt a policy driven deployment approach .

The main value / Differentiation advantage

• Chef The core is cookbook and recipe, They provide guidance on how to configure and deploy software .
• With the help of Chef Automate In depth understanding of running systems , This is useful for administrators to determine which objects need to be configured .
• Contribute to consistent 、 Accelerate the deployment of software and infrastructure in a repeatable way .

2.CFEngine

Selling points to attract potential buyers ：CFengine Provides a powerful open source approach , It is very suitable for developers who need rapid configuration management across large and small deployments .

The main value / Differentiation advantage

• CFEngine It is one of the oldest open source configuration management projects , It goes back to 1993 year .
• The velocity is CFEngine A major differentiation advantage of , This is due to its use of C Programming languages , Very little memory used .
• Configuration through “ promise ” complete , such “ promise ” Write in declarative language , Used to define policies .
• There are open source and enterprise versions , The enterprise edition is available for free , Most support 25 Connected hosts .

3.Hashicorp Terraform

Selling points to attract potential buyers ：Hashicor There is a complete set of infrastructure management tools ( Include Terraform), Can help organizations define infrastructure as code .

The main value / Differentiation advantage

• Hashicorp Is one of the leaders in this field ,3 month 16 It was announced on the th that E Financing in round financing 1.75 Billion dollars , The valuation of the company is as high as 51 Billion dollars
• Terraform Enable organizations to write declarative configuration files , To clarify how the infrastructure should be configured and to provide automatic configuration .
• Hashicorp One of the major differentiation advantages of is Terraform Cloud service , This service introduces collaboration and SaaS Pattern .

4.Puppet

Selling points to attract potential buyers ：Puppet Is an open source based configuration management provider , Its tools enable configuration management and ongoing compliance to meet regulatory requirements .

The main value / Differentiation advantage

• The flagship of the company Puppet Enterprise The platform enables automation and configuration management across local and multi cloud infrastructures .
• Puppet One of the major differentiators is the focus on supporting strategies, namely code patterns , Potential drift can be identified , Then provide automatic compensation mechanism .
• Auditability and visibility are Puppet Another area of strength , Fully integrated dashboard to manage status .
• The functions of change management and understanding and evaluating the impact of potential changes are Puppet A powerful feature of .

5.Red Hat Ansible

Selling points to attract potential buyers ： This project is based on open source DevOps Automation and configuration management technologies can be used with Linux、 Container and cloud deployment are well compatible .

The main value / Differentiation advantage

• Red Hat On 2015 year 10 I bought Ansible, and Red Hat Itself in 2019 By the IBM Acquisition .
• Ansible Engine Remind the core technology for configuration management , and Ansible Tower Provides a wider range of enterprise management and control functions .
• Ansible The core approach to automation and configuration management is encapsulated in Playbooks The concept of ,Playbooks Defines the actions that need to be taken .
• Ansible One of the major differentiators of is the integration of network automation and configuration .

6.SaltStack

Selling points to attract potential buyers ：SaltStack Our configuration management tools are well suited for infrastructure automation and security operations use cases .

The main value / Differentiation advantage

• SaltStack be based on Salt Open source project , This project uses Python Programming languages .
• SaltStack Enterprise Can be used to help implement configuration management and infrastructure automation across local and cloud environments .
• SaltStack One of the major differentiators of is that it is integrated with safe operation , Helps provide ongoing compliance .

For large and medium-sized organizations , And orientation IT Service management (ITSM) Of ServiceNow Integration with vulnerability scanning oriented Tenable Integration is two powerful complementary functions .

Original title ：Top 7 Configuration Management Tools, author ：Sean Michael Kerner