Continuous configuration automation

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Continuous configuration automation (CCA) is the methodology or process of automating the deployment and configuration of settings and software for both physical and virtual data center equipment. [1]

Contents

Overview

Continuous configuration automation is marketed for data center and application configuration management. CCA tools use a programmable framework for configuration and orchestration through coding, planning, and incrementally adopting policies. [2] [3]

Relationship to DevOps

CCA tools are used for what is called DevOps, and are often included as part of a DevOps toolchain. CCA grew out of a push to develop more reliable software faster. [1] Gartner describes CCA as “Embodying lean, agile and collaborative concepts core to DevOps initiatives, CCA tools bring a newly found level of precision, efficiency and flexibility to the challenges of infrastructure and application configuration management.” [4]

Tools

CCA tools support administrators and developers to automate the configuration and Orchestration of physical and virtual infrastructure in a systematic way that give visibility to state of infrastructure within an enterprise. Generally thought of as an extension of infrastructure as code (IaC) frameworks. [1] CCA tools include Ansible, Chef software, Otter, Puppet (software), Rudder (software) and SaltStack. [5] Each tool has a different method of interacting with the system some are agent-based, push or pull, through an interactive UI. Similar to adopting any DevOps tools, there are barriers to bring on CCA tools and factors that hinder and accelerate adoption. [6]

Notable CCA tools include:

ToolDeveloped byInitial releaseMethodApproachWritten in
Ansible Red Hat 2012;13 years agoPushDeclarative and imperative Python
CFEngine Northern.tech1993;32 years agoPullDeclarative C [7]
Chef Progress 2009;16 years agoPullImperative Ruby
OtterInedo2015;10 years agoPushDeclarative and imperative-
Puppet Puppet 2005;20 years agoPullDeclarative C++, Clojure since 4.0, Ruby
Salt VMware 2011;14 years agoPush and PullDeclarative and imperative Python
Terraform HashiCorp 2014;11 years agoPushDeclarative Go

Evaluation factors

Evaluations of CCA tools may consider the following: [8] [9]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Fletcher, Colin; Cosgrove, Terrence (26 August 2015). Innovation Insight for Continuous Configuration Automation Tools. Gartner (Report).[ dead link ]
  2. ↑ Ramos, Martin (4 November 2015). "Continuous Integration: Infrastructure as Code in DevOps". easydynamics.com. Archived from the original on 6 February 2016. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
  3. ↑ Infrastructure As Code: Fueling the Fire for Faster Application Delivery (Report). Forrester. March 2015.
  4. ↑ Phillips, Andrew (14 May 2015). "Moving from Infrastructure Automation to True DevOps". DevOps.com.
  5. ↑ Venezia, Paul (21 November 2013). "Puppet vs. Chef vs. Ansible vs. Salt". Network World . Network World. Archived from the original on 18 July 2018. Retrieved 14 December 2015.
  6. ↑ Garner Market Trends: DevOps – Not a Market, but Tool-Centric Philosophy That supports a Continuous Delivery Value Chain (Report). Gartner. 18 February 2015.
  7. ↑ "CFEngine 3.18.0 Documentation - What is CFEngine?".
  8. ↑ Fletcher, Colin; Cosgrove, Terrence (25 March 2016). How I&O teams can combine CCA tools With Containers to Achieve Operational Efficiencies . Gartner (Report).
  9. ↑ Fletcher, Colin; Cosgrove, Terrence (8 December 2016). Market Guide for Continuous Configuration Automation Tools . Gartner (Report).
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