Bcfg2 vs Cfengine

Struggling to choose between Bcfg2 and Cfengine? 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, 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.

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


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:
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