* [Topics](/en/topics "Topics") * [Automation and management](/en/topics/automation "Automation and management") * What is configuration management? What is configuration management? ================================= Updated June 22, 2023•*4*-minute read Copy URL Jump to section --------------- What is configuration management?Why it mattersAutomating configuration managementConfiguration management toolsWhy Red Hat? What is configuration management? --------------------------------- Configuration management is a process for maintaining a desired state of IT systems and components. It helps ensure that a system consistently performs as expected throughout its lifecycle. System administrators can use configuration management tools to set up an IT system, such as a server or workstation, then build and maintain other servers and workstations with the same settings. They can also use configuration assessments and drift analyses to continuously identify systems that have strayed from the desired state and need to be updated, reconfigured, or patched. As a part of [IT Service Management (ITSM)](/en/topics/automation/what-is-it-service-management-itsm) process, configuration management databases (CMDBs) track individual configuration items (CIs): any asset or component involved in the delivery of IT services. CMDBs store information about a CI’s attributes, dependencies, and changes to its configuration over time—enabling IT teams to map and maintain the relationships that tie CIs together. Why configuration management matters ------------------------------------ In enterprise environments, IT teams manage a wide array of applications and systems, including clouds, networks, storage, servers, and edge devices. Just as it's important to set up systems correctly, performing regular, thorough maintenance helps prevent more costly problems in the future. System misconfigurations were identified in Red Hat's State of Kubernetes Security report as a leading cause of security incidents among containerized or Kubernetes-orchestrated environments. The introduction of minor inconsistencies or misconfiguration errors in IT systems can lead to configuration drift and ultimately slower systems, security and compliance exposures, and even outages. To prevent these issues, configuration management involves establishing a clear approach to documentation, maintenance, and change control so that systems can be configured consistently and accurately across complex environments. | | | --- | | Change management is an [ITSM process](/en/topics/automation/what-is-it-service-management-itsm) that is related to—but distinct from—configuration management. It describes the policies and processes your organization follows when updating infrastructure or responding to critical events such as service performance degradation or outages. | IT teams typically use specialized software to define system settings—as well as build and maintain systems according to those baseline settings. Configuration management tools help system administrators keep track of the current state of applications and services, so that they can more quickly identify systems that require attention, determine remediation steps, prioritize actions, and validate completion. Typical configuration management tools help teams to: * Classify and manage systems by groups and subgroups. * Centrally modify base configurations. * Roll out new settings to all applicable systems. * Automate system identification, patches, and updates. * Identify outdated, poorly performing, and noncompliant configurations. * Prioritize necessary actions. * Access and apply prescriptive remediation. Due to the scale and complexity of most enterprise environments, IT teams now use automation to define and maintain the desired state of their various systems. Recommended for you Ansible for Windows Automation Hands-on Virtual Workshop -------------------------------------------------------- [Watch the webinar](https://www.redhat.com/en/events/webinar/ansible_for_windows_sep26?percmp=RHCTG0250000455235) Automating configuration management ----------------------------------- Automating configuration management is essential to establishing a reliable, consistent, and well-maintained IT environment at scale. Rather than relying on individuals to perform time-consuming manual configuration tasks, automation allows teams to consistently deploy and decommission infrastructure components in less time, with fewer opportunities for human mistakes. It also makes it possible to maintain consistent system settings across datacenter, cloud, and edge environments for an application’s entire life cycle, minimizing both performance and security issues. Automation can help enterprises reduce costs, complexity, and manual errors in a variety of IT use cases: * **Infrastructure automation:** configure and manage server infrastructure to enforce consistency and eliminate configuration drift. * **Cloud automation:** configure and manage cloud resources including operating systems, security groups, load balancers, and virtual private clouds. * **Network automation:** configure and manage network devices such routers and switches. * **Security automation:** configure and manage security devices such as firewalls and intrusion detection systems— and apply consistent network access policies. * **Edge automation:** configure and manage remote infrastructure systems including network, security, IoT devices, and server equipment. [Get the guide to automating your IT operations](/en/engage/automated-enterprise-ebook-20171107 "Ebook | The Automated Enterprise") What to look for in a configuration management tool --------------------------------------------------- For organizations with—or transitioning to—a hybrid cloud environment, an ideal configuration management solution will provide: * Flexibility to manage physical datacenters, public clouds, and edge environments. * Support for a variety of use cases including networking, security, applications, provisioning, and more. * Integration with leading third-party platforms and solutions. * A declarative structure that allows you to define the desired state you want—rather than an imperative structure, which requires you to provide specific commands to achieve the desired state. * Drift detection capabilities so that you can compare systems against one another or against a baseline setting. [Learn about the differences between Ansible, Terraform, Puppet, and Salt](/en/topics/automation/understanding-ansible-vs-terraform-puppet-chef-and-salt "Article | Understanding Ansible, Terraform, Puppet, Chef, and Salt") Why choose Red Hat for automation? ---------------------------------- [Red Hat® Ansible® Automation Platform](/en/technologies/management/ansible) helps your organization accelerate, orchestrate, and innovate with automation. As you grow, you can scale your automation with control and insight, foster collaboration across teams, and manage policy and governance. Ansible Automation Platform includes all the tools needed to implement enterprise-wide automation, including content creation tools, YAML-based [Ansible Playbooks](/en/topics/automation/what-is-an-ansible-playbook), a visual dashboard, an [event-driven solution](/en/technologies/management/ansible/event-driven-ansible), and rich performance analytics. It delivers Red Hat's open source innovation, hardened for your enterprise—so you can boost productivity and reduce time-to-completion for new projects. With your Ansible Automation Platform subscription, you unlock Red Hat Ansible Certified Content and Ansible validated content—curated by both Red Hat and our robust partner ecosystem—access to hosted management services, and life cycle technical support that helps you fully integrate automation into your organization. [Explore the configuration management use case](/en/technologies/management/ansible/configuration-management "Use case | Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform for configuration management") > Automation is mission-critical at Southwest. Ansible Automation Platform is crucial as we continue our automation journey. > > Carlos Tapia > > Senior Systems Engineer, Southwest Airlines [Read their story](/en/resources/southwest-airlines-customer-story "Case study: Southwest Airlines is expanding its automation use cases") The official Red Hat blog ------------------------- Get the latest information about our ecosystem of customers, partners, and communities. [Keep reading](/en/blog "The official Red Hat blog") Recommended for you Red Hat Services Management and Automation ------------------------------------------ Red Hat Services Management and Automation (RH358) teaches you how to configure, manage, and scale key services used in the data center. [View course](https://www.redhat.com/en/services/training/rh358-red-hat-services-management-automation?percmp=RHCTG0250000455236) Keep reading ------------ ### Why choose Red Hat for automation? Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform includes all the tools needed to share automation across teams and implement enterprise-wide automation. [Read the article](/en/topics/automation/why-choose-red-hat-for-automation "article | Why choose Red Hat for automation") ### What is an Ansible Playbook? An Ansible Playbook is a blueprint of automation tasks executed on hosts. [Read the article](/en/topics/automation/what-is-an-ansible-playbook "article | what is an Ansible playbook") ### Learning Ansible basics Ansible automates IT processes like provisioning and configuration management. Learn the basics of Ansible with this introduction to key concepts. 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