Cfengine vs Crowbar

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

Cfengine is a Network & Admin solution with tags like automation, configuration-management, devops.

It boasts features such as 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 pros including 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.

On the other hand, Crowbar is a Os & Utilities product tagged with linux, automation, provisioning.

Its standout features include Automated operating system installation, Configuration management, Lifecycle management for Linux and cloud environments, Disaster recovery, Monitoring and alerts, Integration with cloud platforms like OpenStack and CloudFoundry, RESTful API, and it shines with pros like Automates and simplifies OS deployment, Powerful configuration management capabilities, Supports leading Linux distros and cloud platforms, Open source and community driven, Active development and support.

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.

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


Crowbar

Crowbar

Crowbar is an open source software lifecycle management tool developed by SUSE for Linux and cloud environments. It provides automated, unattended operating system installation and configuration on bare metal systems.

Categories:
linux automation provisioning

Crowbar Features

  1. Automated operating system installation
  2. Configuration management
  3. Lifecycle management for Linux and cloud environments
  4. Disaster recovery
  5. Monitoring and alerts
  6. Integration with cloud platforms like OpenStack and CloudFoundry
  7. RESTful API

Pricing

  • Open Source

Pros

Automates and simplifies OS deployment

Powerful configuration management capabilities

Supports leading Linux distros and cloud platforms

Open source and community driven

Active development and support

Cons

Steep learning curve

Limited adoption outside of SUSE ecosystem

Not as feature rich as some proprietary alternatives

Requires dedication and expertise to run in production