Open source systems management tools slideshow: Data center automation and configuration tools

Open source systems management tools slideshow: Data center automation and configuration tools

 

Open source data center automation and configuration tools

In the open source space, Cfengine and Puppet are leading data center automation and configuration tools. In 1993, Mark Burgess at Oslo University College wrote Cfengine, which can be used to build, deploy, manage and audit all the major operating systems. Cfengine boasts some large customers, including companies such as eBay and Google. Cfengine offers a proprietary commercial version called Cfengine Nova. As an open source-only product, Puppet takes a different approach, and its creators, Puppet Labs, make money through training and support.

Puppet founder Andrew Schafer, for example, wrote a column on Puppet and how it works.

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Also, James Turnbull recently wrote a book on using Puppet in the data center. Turnbull has also written tips on Puppet, including the recent article on using the Puppet dashboard. The Oregon State University Open Source Laboratory uses Cfengine for systems management but planned to move to Puppet. "From a technical point of view, Puppet offers more flexibility and an ability to actually use real code to deal with tasks. Cfengine has its own syntax language, but it's not really suited for complex tasks," said OSUOSL administrator Lance Albertson in an interview earlier this year.

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This was first published in September 2010

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