Ansible vs Bcfg2

Struggling to choose between Ansible and Bcfg2? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

Ansible is a Network & Admin solution with tags like automation, configuration-management, deployment.

It boasts features such as Agentless architecture, Uses YAML playbooks to define automation tasks, Idempotent execution of tasks, Large library of modules for interacting with different systems, Push-based model for deploying configuration changes, Supports parallel execution of tasks and pros including Very simple to set up and use, Powerful automation capabilities, Agentless model reduces resource usage, Playbooks provide infrastructure as code, Active open source community.

On the other hand, Bcfg2 is a Network & Admin product tagged with configuration-management, drift-detection, desired-state.

Its standout features include Configuration management, Managing large server environments, Automated configuration monitoring, Detect and correct configuration drift, Declarative configuration modeling, Integration with Puppet, Chef, etc, Plugin architecture, and it shines with pros like Powerful configuration modeling, Scales to large environments, Detects and fixes drift, Integrates with other tools, Open source and free.

To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison of these two products, delving into their features, pros, cons, pricing, and more. Get ready to explore the nuances that set them apart and determine which one is the perfect fit for your requirements.

Ansible

Ansible

Ansible, an open-source automation tool for configuration management, application deployment, and task orchestration. Using a simple, human-readable language, Ansible enables efficient automation of IT infrastructure. It streamlines complex tasks, promotes consistency, and empowers teams to manage infrastructure as code.

Categories:
automation configuration-management deployment

Ansible Features

  1. Agentless architecture
  2. Uses YAML playbooks to define automation tasks
  3. Idempotent execution of tasks
  4. Large library of modules for interacting with different systems
  5. Push-based model for deploying configuration changes
  6. Supports parallel execution of tasks

Pricing

  • Open Source

Pros

Very simple to set up and use

Powerful automation capabilities

Agentless model reduces resource usage

Playbooks provide infrastructure as code

Active open source community

Cons

Limited Windows support compared to Linux

Steeper learning curve than some other tools

Not ideal for large, complex environments without additional orchestration

Upgrades can sometimes break playbooks


Bcfg2

Bcfg2

Bcfg2 is an open-source configuration management system that helps administrators maintain an overview of the configuration of many computers. It allows defining desired configuration states and automatically correcting any detected differences or 'drift'.

Categories:
configuration-management drift-detection desired-state

Bcfg2 Features

  1. Configuration management
  2. Managing large server environments
  3. Automated configuration monitoring
  4. Detect and correct configuration drift
  5. Declarative configuration modeling
  6. Integration with Puppet, Chef, etc
  7. Plugin architecture

Pricing

  • Open Source

Pros

Powerful configuration modeling

Scales to large environments

Detects and fixes drift

Integrates with other tools

Open source and free

Cons

Steep learning curve

Less flexible than pure scripting

Limited adoption compared to Puppet/Chef/Ansible

No commercial support available