Continuous configuration automation: Difference between revisions

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'''Continuous configuration automation''' ('''CCA''') is the methodology or process of automating the deployment and configuration of settings and software for infrastructure both physical and virtual [[data center]] equipment.<ref name="CCA" >{{cite report

|lastlast1= Fletcher | firstfirst1= Colin | last2= Cosgrove | first2=Terrence

|title=Innovation Insight for Continuous Configuration Automation Tools

|website=Gartner

|url=http://www.gartner.com/document/3119319?ref=unauthreader

| date=26 August 2015

}}{{dead link|date=December 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

}}</ref>

==Overview==

Continuous configuration automation is marketed for [[data center]] and application [[configuration management]]. CCA tools address these challenges throughuse a programmable framework which allows for ease of configuration and orchestration through coding, planning, and incrementally adopting industry best practicespolicies.<ref>{{cite web | url= http://info.easydynamics.com/blog/continuous-integration-infrastructure-as-code | title= Continuous Integration: Infrastructure as Code in DevOps | last= Ramos | first= Martin | website= easydynamics.com | date= 4 November 2015 | access-date= 11 May 2016 | archive-date= 6 February 2016 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160206165308/http://info.easydynamics.com/blog/continuous-integration-infrastructure-as-code | url-status= dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite report |title=Infrastructure As Code: Fueling the Fire for Faster Application Delivery |publisher=Forrester |date=March 2015}}</ref>

<ref>{{cite report |title=Infrastructure As Code: Fueling the Fire for Faster Application Delivery |publisher=Forrester |date=March 2015}}</ref>

==Relationship to DevOps==

CCA tooltools are includedused infor thiswhat realmis ofcalled [[DevOps]] tooling, and are often included as part of a [[DevOps toolchain]]. CCA grew out of a push to develop more reliable software faster.<ref name="CCA" /> Gartner describes CCA as “Embodying [[Lean software development|lean]], [[agile software development | 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.”

<ref >{{cite web

| url=http://devops.com/2015/05/14/moving-from-infrastructure-automation-to-true-devops/

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==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 traditional [[infrastructure as code]] (IaC) frameworks, CCA tools leverage IaC to “Change configure and automate infrastructure".<ref name="CCA" /> There are a few different CCA tools includinginclude [[Ansible (software)|Ansible]], [[Chef software]], Otter, [[OtterPuppet (software)]], [[PuppetRudder (software)]], and [[SaltStack]].<ref >{{cite web | url= http://www.networkworld.com/article/2172097/virtualization/puppet-vs--chef-vs--ansible-vs--salt.html | title= Puppet vs. Chef vs. Ansible vs. Salt | last= Venezia | first= Paul | date= 21 November 2013 | website= [[Network World]] | publisher= Network World | access-date= 14 December 2015 | archive-date= 18 July 2018 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180718030604/https://www.networkworld.com/article/2172097/virtualization/puppet-vs--chef-vs--ansible-vs--salt.html | url-status= dead }}</ref> 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.<ref >{{cite report

| url=http://www.networkworld.com/article/2172097/virtualization/puppet-vs--chef-vs--ansible-vs--salt.html

| title= Puppet vs. Chef vs. Ansible vs. Salt

| last= Venezia | first=Paul | date= 21 November 2013| website= networkworld.com | publisher= Network World | access-date=14 December 2015

}}</ref> 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.<ref >{{cite report

|title=Garner Market Trends: DevOps – Not a Market, but Tool-Centric Philosophy That supports a Continuous Delivery Value Chain

|publisher=[[Gartner]]

|date=18 February 2015

}}</ref>

Notable CCA tools include:

{| class="wikitable"

! Tool !! Developed by !! Initial release !! Method !! Approach !! Written in

|-

! [[Ansible (software)|Ansible]]

| [[Red Hat]]

| {{release date and age|2012}}

| Push

| Declarative and imperative

|[[Python (programming language)|Python]]

|-

![[CFEngine]]

|Northern.tech

| {{release date and age|1993}}

|Pull

|Declarative

|[[C (programming language)|C]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://cfengine.com/learn/what-is-cfengine/|title = CFEngine 3.18.0 Documentation - What is CFEngine?}}</ref>

|-

![[Progress Chef|Chef]]

|[[Progress Software|Progress]]

| {{release date and age|2009}}

|Pull

|Imperative

|[[Ruby (programming language)|Ruby]]

|-

!Otter

|Inedo

| {{release date and age|2015}}

|Push

|Declarative and imperative

| -

|-

![[Puppet (software)|Puppet]]

|[[Puppet (company)|Puppet]]

| {{release date and age|2005}}

|Pull

|Declarative

|[[C++]], [[Clojure]] since 4.0, [[Ruby (programming language)|Ruby]]

|-

![[Salt (software)|Salt]]

|[[VMware]]

| {{release date and age|2011}}

|Push and Pull

|Declarative and imperative

|[[Python (programming language)|Python]]

|-

! [[Terraform (software)|Terraform]]

| [[HashiCorp]]

| {{release date and age|2014}}

| Push

| Declarative

|[[Go (programming language)|Go]]

|-

|}

==Evaluation factors==

Evaluations of CCA tools may consider the following:<ref>{{cite report

|lastlast1= Fletcher | firstfirst1= Colin | last2= Cosgrove | first2=Terrence

|title=How I&O teams can combine CCA tools With Containers to Achieve Operational EfficieciesEfficiencies

|url=https://www.gartner.com/en/documents/3265717

|url-access=subscription

|website=Gartner

| date=25 March 2016

}}</ref><ref>{{cite report

|lastlast1= Fletcher | firstfirst1= Colin | last2= Cosgrove | first2=Terrence

|title=Market Guide for Continuous Configuration Automation Tools

|url=https://www.gartner.com/en/documents/3843365

|url-access=subscription

|website=Gartner

| date=8 December 2016

}}</ref>

*Skills, training, and cost required to implement and maintain tool

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*Method of interacting with managing system

*Support and training availability and cost

*Incorporation of orchestration with [[Configurationconfiguration Managementmanagement]]

*Security and compliance reporting

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*[[Agile software development]]

*[[Continuous delivery]]

*[[Continuous Integrationintegration]]

*[[DevOps toolchain]]

*[[Infrastructure as Code]]

*[[Software configuration management]]

*[[WinOps]]

==References==