22 Configuration Management Tools for Efficient IT Operations

Configuring and managing the intricate web of IT systems and applications can be a daunting challenge. Fortunately, a myriad of configuration management tools exists to simplify this complexity. 

These tools aid in everything from server configurations, managing operational overhead and physical servers, infrastructure configuration and baseline configuration, and so much more. There are endless benefits of configuration management tools for development teams.

To help you find the best one for your team, we’ll explore the top 22 tools that empower IT professionals to automate, orchestrate, and control configurations, ensuring consistency, compliance, and efficient management of IT assets.

Let’s go!

Puppet

Puppet Enterprise is a popular open-source configuration management and automation software. It enables organizations to automate the provisioning, configuration, and management of their infrastructure. Puppet Enterprise uses declarative language to define system states and ensure consistency, making it a valuable tool for efficiently managing large-scale IT environments.

Best for: Linux and Windows systems.

Key features:

• Compliance management.
• Secure data storage.
• Task scheduling.
• Testing management.

Pros:

• Helps set up IT infrastructure.
• Wide range of modules for different products.
• Changes are easily tracked.

Cons:

• Requires at least some knowledge of Ruby.

Chef

Chef is a widely used open-source automation platform for configuring and managing IT infrastructure. It employs a domain-specific language to define system configurations and automates tasks like provisioning, application deployment, and updates. Chef ensures consistency and scalability, making it a favored choice for DevOps teams in orchestrating complex infrastructure environments.

Best for: Automating the infrastructure provisioning process.

Key features:

• Manages ad-hoc configuration tasks.
• Remote scanning.
• Creates cookbooks.
• Tests software and dependencies. 

Pros:

• Solid set of features.
• Easy to configure and implement.
• Good value for money.

Cons:

• No free trial.

Salt

SaltStack, also known as Salt, is a robust, open-source infrastructure automation and orchestration platform. It utilizes a master-minion architecture to manage and configure systems across a network. SaltStack is known for its speed and flexibility, making it a powerful tool for orchestrating and automating IT operations at scale.

Best for: Structuring states and formulas.

Key features:

• Python API.
• Fault tolerance.
• Language agnostic.
• Parallel execution model.

Pros:

• Works around thousands of systems.
• Keeps data secure and encrypted.
• Infrastructure is based in data, not code.

Cons:

• The UI on the website has limited features and capabilities.

CFEngine

CFEngine is a pioneering open-source software configuration management and automation tool designed for maintaining large-scale IT infrastructures. It utilizes a policy-based approach to ensure system consistency and enforce desired configurations. CFEngine is known for its low resource consumption and is often used in critical infrastructure settings to manage and monitor systems efficiently.

Best for: Building servers.

Key features:

• IT asset tracking.
• Vulnerability scanning.
• Compliance management.
• Role-based permissions.

Pros:

• It’s free.
• Fast execution times.
• Easily scalable.

Cons:

• There’s a steep learning curve.

Ansible

Ansible is a popular open-source automation and software configuration management tool. It simplifies complex tasks through its agentless architecture, relying on SSH for communication. Ansible uses playbooks, written in YAML, to define automation tasks, making it user-friendly for configuration management, application deployment, and orchestration in various IT environments.

Best for: Managing IT infrastructures.

Key features:

• Automated testing.
• Lifecycle management.
• Reporting and statistics.
• Policy management.

Pros:

• Requires no software for automation.
• Doesn’t need custom security infrastructure.
• Manages remote machines efficiently.

Cons:

• Doesn’t track dependencies.

Octopus

Octopus is a DevOps automation tool designed to streamline and manage the deployment of applications and services. It provides a user-friendly interface to create, automate, and coordinate deployment pipelines. Octopus Deploy supports a wide range of platforms and simplifies the process of continuous integration and delivery, enhancing software deployment efficiency.

Best for: Managing releases.

Key features:

• Continuous deployment.
• Version control.
• Project management.
• Rules-based workflow.

Pros:

• Automates the deployment process.
• Highly customizable.
• Easy to use.

Cons:

• There’s a lot of jargon users need to understand to get the most out of it.

Rudder

Rudder is an open-source IT infrastructure automation and compliance tool. It allows organizations to automate system configuration management and ensure compliance with desired configurations and policies. With a web-based interface and policy-driven approach, Rudder simplifies the management of large-scale IT environments, helping maintain consistency and security across systems.

Best for: Vulnerability tracking.

Key features:

• Audit trails.
• Vulnerability scanning.
• Data visualization.
• Compliance management.

Pros:

• Comprehensive data governance features.
• Improves data accuracy.
• Able to organize and manage almost all configuration items.

Cons:

• There are limited customization options.

ServiceNow

ServiceNow Configuration Management Database is a critical component of the ServiceNow platform, serving as a central repository for IT assets, configurations, and relationships. It provides a holistic view of an organization’s IT infrastructure, facilitating efficient management, tracking, and control of assets. CMDB enhances decision-making, change management, and incident resolution in ServiceNow.

Best for: Service delivery.

Key features:

• Service graph connectors.
• Visualization and reporting.
• Application development.
• Service mapping.

Pros:

• Good incident/service request management.
• Has tons of integrations.
• Highly customizable.

Cons:

• Reporting functionalities have room for improvement.

SysAid

SysAid is a comprehensive IT service management (ITSM) platform that streamlines IT operations and support. It offers robust ticketing, asset management, and automation capabilities, aiding organizations in delivering efficient and consistent IT services. SysAid enhances productivity by centralizing IT processes, helping operations teams resolve issues and manage assets effectively.

Best for: Help desks.

Key features:

• Document storage.
• Help desk management.
• Network monitoring.
• Performance metrics.

Pros:

• Excellent customer support.
• Easy setup.
• Gives administrators better visibility of tickets.

Cons:

• The number of configuration options can be confusing.

Juju

Juju is an open-source, model-driven cloud orchestration and application modeling tool. Developed by Canonical, it simplifies the deployment, scaling, and management of applications in diverse cloud environments. Juju employs “Charms,” which are pre-configured packages of software that enable automated, repeatable deployments, making it a valuable tool for DevOps and cloud administrators.

Best for: Using both public and private clouds.

Key features:

• Collaboration.
• Quality assurance.
• Application management.
• Application graph models.

Pros:

• Users can focus on managing applications and scenarios rather than on configurations.
• Simplifies the operations around deployments both big and small.

Cons:

• There’s a steep learning curve.

Docker

Docker is a widely used open-source platform for containerization. It allows developers to package applications and their dependencies into lightweight, portable containers, ensuring consistency across different environments. Docker simplifies application deployment, scaling, and management, making it a key technology in modern DevOps practices and microservices architectures.

Best for: Continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) workflows.

Key features:

• Graphical user interface.
• Lifecycle management.
• Configurable workflow.
• Application management.

Pros:

• Visualizes systems.
• Has a mobile app.
• New services are constantly added.

Cons:

• Uses up a lot of memory.

TeamCity

TeamCity is a popular continuous integration and continuous delivery server developed by JetBrains. It automates and streamlines the building, testing, and deployment of software. TeamCity supports various programming languages and integrates with numerous version control and build tools. It offers a user-friendly interface for efficient CI/CD pipeline management.

Best for: Automating the testing process.

Key features:

• Data capture and transfer.
• Statistic analysis.
• Continuous deployment.
• Software testing management.

Pros:

• User-friendly interface.
• Highly rated by developers.
• Automates builds.

Cons:

• It’s not easy to set up integrations with other tools.

Apache Subversion

Apache Subversion, commonly known as SVN, is an open-source version control system. It enables software developers to manage and track changes to source code and other files. SVN provides a centralized repository where users can collaborate, making it a valuable tool for version control, revision tracking, and software development in a team environment.

Best for: Maintaining source code.

Key features:

• Merge tracking.
• File locking.
• Interactive conflict resolution. 
• Free-form versioned metadata.

Pros:

• Tracks and remembers changes to files.
• Functions well with Agile methodologies.
• Great conflict resolution.

Cons:

• It is centralized, so it’s not good for developers who need more flexibility.

Consul

Consul is a distributed service networking platform developed by HashiCorp. It provides features like service discovery, health checking, and key-value storage for building and managing distributed applications. Consul helps organizations automate network configurations, maintain high availability, and simplify the deployment of services in complex, dynamic environments.

Best for: Application resilience. 

Key features:

• Location-based mapping.
• Network resource management.
• Remote monitoring and management.
• Server monitoring.

Pros:

• Easy to install and configure.
• It’s super reliable.
• It’s always consistent.

Cons:

• It’s very easy to misconfigure it.

Vagrant 

Vagrant is an open-source tool for creating and managing virtualized development environments. It streamlines the setup of reproducible development environments by using virtualization technologies like VirtualBox or Docker. Developers can define environments as code and share them, ensuring consistency and portability across different machines. Vagrant is particularly useful for testing and development workflows.

Best for: Building workflows.

Key features: 

• Dependency isolation.
• Workflow automation.
• Declarative configuration files.

Pros:

• It’s free.
• Easy-to-use commands.
• Highly customizable.

Cons:

• Community support doesn’t add much value.

PowerShell

PowerShell is a powerful task automation and configuration management software framework by Microsoft. It combines a command-line shell and scripting language, allowing administrators and developers to automate tasks, manage system configurations, and control applications on Windows and cross-platform environments. PowerShell’s flexibility and extensive library of cmdlets make it a versatile tool for IT professionals.

Best for: Automating the management of systems.

Key features:

• Error-handling.
• Steppable pipeline.
• Network file transfer.
• Script debugging.

Pros:

• Easy setup.
• There are a number of useful commands, such as chkdsk or scannow.
• Low system footprint.

Cons:

• Requires consistent vulnerability scans.

SolarWinds

SolarWinds is a company specializing in network and systems management software. Its products are widely used for monitoring, managing, and troubleshooting IT infrastructure. SolarWinds offers solutions for network performance, security, and more. Notable products include SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor (NPM) and SolarWinds Security Event Manager (SEM).

Best for: Fixing network performance problems.

Key features:

• Diagnostic tools.
• Data aggregation.
• Network monitoring.
• Performance management.

Pros:

• Excellent set of features.
• Good value for money.
• Smooth implementation.

Cons:

• There is no free version.

AccuRev

AccuRev is a software configuration management and version control system. It offers features for source code management, software development lifecycle management, and issue tracking. AccuRev helps teams manage complex software development projects by providing tools for tracking changes, improving collaboration, and maintaining version control, making it beneficial for software development teams.

Best for: Testing.

Key features:

• Change planning.
• Compliance management.
• Configuration automation.
• Reporting and statistics.

Pros:

• Users can compare files.
• It’s easy to set up projects.
• Has an Eclipse plugin.

Cons:

• It’s virtually useless for non-coders.

ManageEngine

ManageEngine is a division of Zoho Corporation, known for providing a suite of IT management and network performance monitoring tools. Their product range includes solutions for networks, network devices, server, application, and security management. ManageEngine offers IT professionals a comprehensive set of tools to efficiently monitor, troubleshoot, and manage IT infrastructure.

Best for: Monitoring overall IT infrastructure.

Key features:

• HIPAA compliant.
• Audit management.
• Intrusion detection system.
• File integrity monitoring.

Pros:

• Excellent customer support.
• Easy installation and configuration.
• Good value for money.

Cons:

• Lacks in automated network configuration backup.

Pointel CMS

Pointel Configuration Management Solution (CMS) is a software solution used for managing and controlling configurations within an organization’s IT infrastructure. It aids in tracking, modifying, and maintaining the configurations of various hardware and software components, ensuring consistency, compliance, and efficient management of IT resources and systems.

Best for: Genesys configurations

Key features:

• Audit trail.
• Change management.
• Change tracking.
• Performance monitoring.

Pros:

• Great features.
• Easy to use.
• Excellent customer support.

Cons:

• Not as strong for cloud configurations that aren’t Genesys.

Micro Focus Configuration Management System 

Micro Focus Configuration Management System is a comprehensive IT asset and configuration management platform. It enables organizations to discover, track, and manage their IT assets, applications, and infrastructure components. CMS provides valuable insights for better decision-making, risk management, and compliance in complex IT environments.

Best for: Tracking CIs.

Key features:

• CI management.
• Software installation.
• Service level agreement modification.

Pros:

• It’s free.
• Micro Focus has a lot of other products for other parts of the CM pipeline.

Cons:

• It’s not easy to set up.

Comindware Tracker 

Comindware Tracker is a workflow and task management software designed to streamline and automate business processes. It offers a visual, easy-to-use interface for creating custom workflows, managing tasks, and tracking progress. Comindware Tracker helps organizations improve efficiency, collaboration, and productivity by automating and optimizing their workflow processes.

Best for: Bug tracking.

Key features:

• Business process control.
• Graphical workflow editor.
• Status tracking.
• Compliance tracking.

Pros:

• Support team helps with setup.
• Tracks changes.
• Excellent analytics.

Cons:

• The software runs slowly sometimes.

What are configuration management tools?

Configuration management tools are software applications and systems used to automate and streamline the management of an organization’s IT infrastructure, software, and hardware configurations. These tools help IT professionals maintain consistency, control, and compliance in their environments. Key functions of configuration management tools include:

• Configuration tracking: They keep records of all configurations, changes, and versions of hardware and software components.
• Change management: These tools facilitate controlled and documented changes to configurations, helping organizations avoid unexpected disruptions.
• Automation: They enable automated deployment, provisioning, and updates, reducing manual workloads and the potential for human errors.
• Version control: Configuration management tools track and manage different versions of software, helping ensure compatibility and consistency.
• Inventory management: They provide detailed inventories of hardware and software assets, aiding in asset tracking and management.
• Compliance and security: These tools assist in ensuring that configurations adhere to organizational policies and compliance regulations, enhancing security and auditing capabilities.
• Collaboration: They often include features for collaboration among team members, promoting effective communication and coordination in managing configurations.