Ansible vs Cfengine

Struggling to choose between Ansible and Cfengine? 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, Cfengine is a Network & Admin product tagged with automation, configuration-management, devops.

Its standout features include Agent-based architecture for distributed configuration management, Declarative policy-based configuration language, File integrity monitoring and intrusion detection, Automated system configuration and maintenance, Built-in promise theory for modeling dependencies, Support for common OS platforms like Linux, Windows, Solaris, and it shines with pros like Powerful policy framework for modeling system state, Agentless and autonomous operation, Efficient at scale for large server deployments, Robust security and access controls, Thorough file integrity monitoring capabilities, Open source with active development community.

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:
Network & Admin It Automation
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

Cfengine

Cfengine

Cfengine is an open source configuration management software used to automate tasks like configuring servers, managing files, and deploying applications. It uses a policy-based approach allowing admins to define desired system states.

Categories:
Network & Admin Configuration Management
automation configuration-management devops

Cfengine Features

  1. Agent-based architecture for distributed configuration management
  2. Declarative policy-based configuration language
  3. File integrity monitoring and intrusion detection
  4. Automated system configuration and maintenance
  5. Built-in promise theory for modeling dependencies
  6. Support for common OS platforms like Linux, Windows, Solaris

Pricing

  • Open Source
  • Commercial Editions Available

Pros

Powerful policy framework for modeling system state

Agentless and autonomous operation

Efficient at scale for large server deployments

Robust security and access controls

Thorough file integrity monitoring capabilities

Open source with active development community

Cons

Steep learning curve for policy language

Less intuitive than procedural languages like Ansible

Limited built-in modules compared to Ansible/Puppet

Complex dependency modeling requires planning

Not as widely used as other tools like Chef/Puppet