Automating beyond configuration management

When Red Hatters discuss configuration management, they’re usually applying the term to IT infrastructure within an organization, such as standing up computing resources, installing applications or configuring specific applications to function as intended for the end user. 

Infrastructure-level configuration management is a high-impact area of the business because without proper infrastructure, an organization is not able to leverage most or any technology. For this reason, it’s important to view configuration management only as a potential starting point on your automation journey.

Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform provides an excellent automation framework for teams because it is built to help overcome common challenges encountered when using legacy automation tooling, and serves as a common platform and framework to automate across environments, on premises or in the cloud. Having Ansible Automation Platform in your IT toolbox allows for the creation of diverse automation content, whether this be a series of rules, extensive playbooks or a combination of the two.

After defining a configuration, teams are able to apply it in a repeatable manner while maintaining detailed records of system configuration, reducing the likelihood of human error or possible missteps. Additionally, certified content collections from our robust partner ecosystem provide faster value out-of-the-box, with supported automation content from your trusted vendors.

[Related reading: What is Ansible Automation Hub and why should you use it?]

Working towards automation maturity

Red Hat has defined parameters to determine where organizations are in their automation adoption journey. At the beginning, automation use cases are very tactical and are designed to solve specific problems.

After an organization automates these tactical components, such as standing up virtual machines or instances in the cloud, IT teams can begin analyzing their end-to-end workflows to see how automation may be leveraged to make them more efficient.

Once multiple workflows are tied together using automation, IT teams can drive collaboration between business units in order to expand their efforts and encourage the adoption of automation across the organization. Here, organizations reach a higher level of maturity and can begin truly innovating with federated automation that fosters self-service and advanced use cases like event-driven automation. 

Begin your journey with Red Hat Services

As an organization who prides itself on open culture, Red Hat Consulting takes a collaborative and interactive approach with enterprises to develop effective and standardized automation solutions. Our consultants work with teams to build an automation strategy at a pace that works for them to help drive the adoption of automation within their organization. 

Red Hat Consulting works side-by-side with teams to help them implement the preferred approaches and to assist with roadblocks along the way. Our subject matter experts are trusted advisors for teams, providing support and helping you maximize automation impact in your organization. 

Getting started with Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 

Ansible Automation Platform is the premier solution for enterprises looking to drive adoption and build a cohesive automation strategy. With Red Hat, you're never alone—Red Hat Consulting has extensive experience coaching teams on best practices, using a holistic approach that connects people, processes and technology to support your business goals.

Discover how Red Hat Consulting can accelerate your transformation initiatives and quicken your time to value.