Configuration Management

Large number of like hosts … that are somehow never alike.

Documentation; no documentation - no idea what I did that for. Stick documentation in wiki, so anybody can edit.

Track changes - Software configuration management.

CMDB - configuration management database.

Configuration managent tools:

• closed source solutions: Tivoli (does a lot of things but not very well)
• open source solutions better: Puppet

Puppet is:

• free
• client server model
• secure SSL communication
• unix centric
• supports external databases and LDAP for configuration
• extensible
• ruby
• windows not supported; flat files are supported; windows requires API calls, reboots, etc.
• open application
• declarative language
• relational, define relationships
• transactional - roll back changes - not yet fully implemented
• https://reductivelabs.com/PuppetModules
• Language: Define arrays, variables, conditionals
• not monoloithic model; does a better job

Remove inventory tool.

push and pull model supported