Bcfg2 vs Ansible

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

Bcfg2 is a Network & Admin solution with tags like configuration-management, drift-detection, desired-state.

It boasts features such as 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 pros including Powerful configuration modeling, Scales to large environments, Detects and fixes drift, Integrates with other tools, Open source and free.

On the other hand, Ansible is a Network & Admin product tagged with automation, configuration-management, deployment.

Its standout features include 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 it shines with pros like Very simple to set up and use, Powerful automation capabilities, Agentless model reduces resource usage, Playbooks provide infrastructure as code, Active open source community.

Feature	Bcfg2	Ansible
Overall Score	N/A	1
Primary Category	Network & Admin	Network & Admin

Product Overview

Bcfg2

Description: 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'.

Ansible

Description: 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.

Key Features Comparison

Bcfg2 Features

• Configuration management
• Managing large server environments
• Automated configuration monitoring
• Detect and correct configuration drift
• Declarative configuration modeling
• Integration with Puppet, Chef, etc
• Plugin architecture

Ansible Features

• 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

Pros & Cons Analysis

Bcfg2

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

Ansible

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

Pricing Comparison

Bcfg2

• Open Source

Ansible

• Open Source