Configuration management (CM) software is an advanced tool that helps to manage operating systems. Configuration management software tracks and monitors changes to software systems including metadata, thereby ensuring that processes are working optimally and consistently.
Lack of proper configuration management can result in problems with operating systems such as reliability, scalability, compliance, and downtime. With an OS being the foundation of all of your cyber activities, any misconfigurations or errors can have a drastic impact. Operating systems can be highly complex, so having tools that can effectively manage, configure, and maintain them is essential. These systems will also ensure that your organization is compliant and in-line with your organization’s policies.
IT teams can use CM software to build robust and stable systems. CM tools automatically identify updates and changes to configuration data, ensuring that you have comprehensive visibility over events. CM software will detect any abnormalities and manage unexpected changes using a variety of methods, including through code review and version control. Configuration management is designed to identify changes and ensure that settings and services are operating as they should.
Many software development solutions will come with configuration management capabilities. However not all of them will – and in some cases organizations will need more advanced and dedicated pieces of kit to ensure optimization. We have compiled a list of the best vendors on the market offering configuration management software solutions. In each instance, we will identify the platform’s key features before explaining the type of organization that would benefit from its implementation.
AWS Config continually assesses and evaluates your resources and settings. The platform is powerful and robust, allowing for the easy and effective management, evaluation, auditing, and assessment. It continually performs, updates, and manages your resources to ensure that they are working effectively. AWS Config will perform audits across your company’s resources to ensure they’re compliant and in-line with your organization’s policies. AWS Config can discover resources, understand relationships, log changes, and record configurations. It offers streamlined operational troubleshooting through correlating configuration changes to specific events.
AWS Config will check resource compliance before and after provisioning, as specified in custom and managed rules. It is designed to be streamlined and simple to use. AWS Config can perform multi-account, multi-region data aggregation which allows for centralized auditing and governance. The platform offers an enterprise-wide view of the rule compliance status. This gives extended visibility into your operating system configurations, system-level updates, and network configuration. We would recommend this solution for medium to large sized organizations already utilizing AWS that need a robust and reliable solution.
Azure Automation is a cloud management, configuration management, and process automation solution. It offers full control over hybrid environments, as well as integrating management systems through serverless runbooks. It also provides consistent management for Windows and Linux environments. The platform can monitor and update systems across hybrid, cloud, and on-prem environments. The platform will manage and log inventories then track changes to your operating system resources such as installed applications.
The Azure platform can create and manage PowerShell configurations, generate node configurations, and import configuration scripts through the cloud. Teams can trigger automation from ITSM and monitoring systems to provide continuous and consistent management. The reporting and search feature allow you to find specific information and settings easily. Admins are able to track changes across files, software, services, and registries then can launch investigations into the cause and resolution of an issue. Diagnostics and alerting features will monitor and flag any unwanted changes or performance impacts. We would recommend this solution for any organization already utilizing Azure and operating in a Windows or Linux environment.
BackBox is a simplified automation solution with configuration management capabilities to monitor your environments. It can assist with device backups, vulnerability patching, OS updates, and configuration compliance. BackBox can be used to automate and audit a range of tasks, with a preset library boasting over 2,300 pre-built automations. The solution is very customizable, allowing admins to build new automations code-free. The solution is easily integrated with your existing security environment and works well with other third-party vendors within your security stack. BlackBox boasts out-of-the-box support for over 180 vendors and thousands of devices.
BackBox is API-driven and has been built on an open platform – the BackBox UI is accessible via a Swagger API. The solution supports multi-tenant usage, with a robust RBAC for data and operational segmentation between clients. It offers a single-pane view into your company’s entire operating system and devices. BlackBox also utilizes an automated onboarding and discovery feature which improves efficiency and time-to-revenue. The tool can perform dynamic tracking of additions, moves, and changes within your system environment. This scalable and powerful solution is one that we would recommend for medium to large sized enterprises and MSPs looking for a solution that they can tailor and modify relatively simply.
CloudBees is a consolidated and complete DevOps platform with robust configuration management capabilities. The platform offers centralized intelligence, compliance, analytics, release orchestration, CI/CD, and feature management. It offers self-service workflows that are compliant with various regulatory structures, as can be performed at scale. While it can roll out configurations and updates efficiently, the solution does not compromise on security. Admins can grant granular security permissions to ensure data and systems stay secure. It integrates well with AWS and other services.
The platform itself is easy to use and navigate with a streamlined user interface. The platform supports rapid onboarding, meaning teams can manage controllers at scale and can apply configurations to any system from a singular location as well as integration with other SDLC toolchains. Compliance management and maintenance is straight forward, with useful alerts warn you of areas that need addressing. CloudBees’ compliance tool continually searches for configuration and settings to ensure you are compliant all the time. The platform adheres to a range of regulatory control frameworks out-of-the-box (such as FedRAMP, PCI, HIPAA), whilst allowing you to customize these controls. We would recommend CloudBees for mid-market and enterprise level organizations due to its robust settings with a broad range of configurations and features.
HashiCorp Terraform is a cloud-native configuration management solution that can automate infrastructure across cloud environments. Terraform is highly scalable and will continuously check against infrastructure state to identify changes. The solution can support multi-tenant architecture and cover hundreds of teams and multiple units. The solution is agent-based and comes with versioning and secure state management features. HashiCorp can integrate third-party services into its lifecycle to enhance workflows, compliance, and security.
HashiCorp is an intuitive and advanced solution that can reduce and prevent misconfigurations through the enforcement of policies before your infrastructure is provisioned. The solution leverages its Sentinel policy as a code framework, allowing teams to code best practices and guardrails. It offers flexible workflows, with Terraform able to run from the CLI, version control, UI, or API. A version control integration feature means admins can manually approve complex changes, whilst permitting simpler ones to be accepted automatically. HashiCorp’s other notable features include custom workspace permissions and audit logs. We would recommend HashiCorp Terraform for organizations of any size looking or currently moving to the cloud.
meshIQ is a relative newcomer to the observability, configuration, and management space. The platform offers automation, configuration, and management for messaging, event processing, and streaming across hybrid cloud (MESH). It provides full observability and monitoring through situational awareness and can securely address administration and deployment requirements. The platform can effectively track and analyze all messages, flows, and transactions, as well as monitoring normal, benchmark performance. meshIQ comes with granular access controls that help manage configurations across your environment to help reduce downtime and recover efficiently from outages. It can service all environments including on-prem, cloud, and appliances.
meshIQ can create new artifacts and deploy topologies with ease. The platform works well with multi-tenant architectures and allows you to streamline configuration management processes through self-service management. Diagnostics and analysis can be efficient and robust; it can detect bottlenecks and reduce instances of MTRR. Through a single pane view, the platform allows end-to-end monitoring. The solution can also automate actions based on preset policies and events, then trigger a range of IT responses. meshIQ is an effective and responsive solution that doesn’t compromise on security. We would recommend meshIQ for SMBs and enterprises.
Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform is an end-to-end automation platform that can configure systems, perform advanced workflows, and deploy software. It can effectively manage automation policy and governance, through its use of an automation services catalog. The platform provides real-time reporting on your entire system environment. The platform has a range of deployment options, including managed or self-managed on your own infrastructure or in a public cloud setting. It is available on AWS, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure.
Using the automation controller feature, teams can manage inventories, launch processes, schedule workflows, integrate reporting, and track changes through a centralized and clean interface using a RESTful API. The Event-Driven Ansible feature enables teams to automate IT actions through rule-based workflows. The platform is API driven, with API inventory management, API credential management, and API automation job management available. The platform is easy to manage with streamlined automation and a range of graphical, text-based, and command line. Red Hat offers effective 24×7 vendor support, ensuring that you get the most out of the platform. This is a powerful, complex, and effective platform that we would recommend for larger organizations looking for a responsive and comprehensive solution.
The IT Service Management from ServiceNow has effective configuration management capabilities. It is delivered through a singular cloud platform that allows for collaboration and targeted, data-centric decision making. The platform allows teams to automate processes, services, and response, making collaboration and alert triage more efficient. The platform’s configuration management features are powerful, adaptive, and reactive. It assists key operation processes, helping teams predict, prevent, mitigate, and reduce service outages. The platform can improve changes identification, allowing teams to respond faster.
The platform has strong database visualization and reporting capabilities that allow teams to map, query, and analyze CI relationships via a clean and consolidated single pane view. Admins have the ability to integrate external data from key IT systems to the configuration management platform, allowing for more precise and complex assessments. ServiceNow can manage digital lifecycles and break down silos with a single system of action. The platform has strong and comprehensive reporting features, with admins able to create and distribute customized reports and dashboards. We would recommend this solution for mid to large organizations that require a comprehensive and powerful solution.
VMware Aria Automation is an infrastructure automation platform with configuration management and event-driven state management capabilities. It is designed to provide a secure environment and provide greater control over self-service multi-cloud environments. Teams can enjoy streamlined, public cloud experiences whilst maintaining compliance, control, performance, and security. The platform utilizes the VMware Aria Automation Config feature – this can define optimal and compliant software states and ensure this is enforced across your entire environment.
The platform can be deployed to virtual, public cloud, or hybrid environments, and is able to automate redundant configurations and reduce workloads. The platform’s other notable features include flexible cloud guardrails, vulnerability remediation, and native compliance management. Admins have a comprehensive overview of environments and can delve into configuration settings and performance. The platform comes with both predefined custom policies, approval flows, and roles for targeted configuration management. This is a powerful and scalable solution that is suited to multi-cloud environments. We would recommend the VMware Aria Automation for larger companies and those at enterprise level.
FAQs
What Is Configuration Management Software?
Configuration management (CM) is the process of ensuring that systems are set up as you expect them to be. This involves maintaining systems, ensuring they’re working correctly, are secure, and are in-line with the relevant policies and compliance. Rather than responding to specific threats or vulnerabilities, CM solutions will ensure your existing tools are set up effectively. This type of solution will also ensure that systems are working efficiently and optimally.
Configuration Management Solutions will generally audit and assess the following network areas:
- Servers
- Databases and other storage units
- Operating systems
- Applications
- Software
- Networking
- Endpoints
Configuration management solutions can be comprised of a single solution, or a suite of tools with wider capabilities. The solutions can identify, provision, and configure desktops, servers, and mobile devices. The solution will continually manage the configuration settings, software, files, and data on these systems. CM software can detect and identify systems that need to be patched, updated, and reconfigured when there is a problem with a system or it is no longer working optimally.
Why Do You Need A Configuration Management Solution?
Configuration management systems help companies build and define settings and systems in a consistent manner. They can be used to define policies and apply standards across a whole environment. This ensures that systems and devices stay compliant and behave as you expect them to.
Configuration management software tools can push updates – such as patches – thereby ensuring that security measures are effectively applied.
Configuration management software solutions are an important piece of kit to have in your IT stack as they will identify problematic configurations, or changes within your system, allowing you to highlight non-compliance or underperforming areas. This can have a direct impact on productivity and security. Once these issues are identified, remediation can be enacted automatically – ensuring that an issue is addressed quickly, without affecting IT staff.
What Features Should Configuration Management Solutions Have?
- Visibility: The entire lifecycle and performance of your systems and devices should be identified and analyzed in order for configuration management to be successful.
- Updates And Patches: CM tools should be able to manage and deploy software updates and patches across your entire environment. Once patches and updates have been deployed, the solution should continue to monitor these updates to make sure they are working correctly and that no unauthorized changes have been made.
- Version Control: Version control acts as an archive, monitoring and logging any changes that have been made to the software code. These changes can be logged, allowing teams to return to previous versions in the event of an issue.
- Reporting: A CM solution should have strong reporting and graphical features. Being able to identify issues in real-time ensures that issues can be remediate quickly.
- Auditing: Information and reports should be easily accessible and generated for auditing purposes. Likewise, the solution should generally enable co-operation between various teams.
How Does Configuration Management Work?
In order for configuration management software to work optimally, it needs to gather a broad range of information effectively. Configuration data should be collated and assessed to give a good insight into network events. Real-time readings should be compared with baseline readings to understand how live systems are responding.
From there, configuration management software solutions will use a version control system. Version control, sometimes referred to as source control, is the process of monitoring any changes that may occur to software code. Again, these changes are compared with baseline readings to understand efficiency and optimization.
Configuration data is collected and stored, allowing teams to understand if systems are working optimally and to understand why this may not be the case. Teams can apply a pull request workflow to review and edit code to configuration data files. Any changes made can be reviewed before being applied.
