What does configuration management entail?

Configuration management is a broad practice that oversees the functioning of an organisation’s technology, primarily its computers. Through the intervention of skilled humans and a range of automated processes and software, configuration management ensures that every technical function is being performed correctly, efficiently and consistently. This comprises hardware, software, networks and servers, databases, operating systems, workstations and more – effectively a roll call of an organisation’s IT assets. This management practice is most commonly found in the tech sector but is increasingly extending its utility to businesses of all types.

Configuration management has a surprising history, dating back some time before the first personal computer was invented, and long before computers became a ubiquitous and essential part of the modern workplace. It was developed by the United States Department of Defense in the 1950s as a system for overseeing the workings and maintenance of the military’s complicated hardware and keeping track of where each asset was located. This included vehicles like tanks, aircraft and ocean vessels as well as weaponry. The practice evolved alongside technology as increasingly smaller computers, then the Internet, revolutionised the workforce as well as government operations. Early configuration management was done manually, with the majority of human labour gradually replaced by software.

Configuration management tools

Configuration management employs a wide range of tech tools to accomplish its goals. Some can be created by in-house system engineers or IT workers, while others are third-party software, many of which are open source and can be customised to suit an organisation’s unique needs. Some software is even free to use, an advantage for smaller companies that may have less of a budget for their IT departments. A few of the most popular configuration management software products are:

• Ansible
• CFEngine and its offshoot Rudder
• Chef
• Juju
• Puppet
• Saltstack
• SolarWinds
• TeamCity

Why should you introduce a configuration management system?

Adopting a configuration management system into your organisation takes work, but it will rapidly reap rewards. Here are some benefits of the process:

• Configuration management works to ensure that the development, test and production environments are all the same. This way, your applications should perform exactly as expected. It can also classify and manage your systems with groupings.
• Makes system expansion easy. This includes adding new resources or servers quickly and efficiently, using simple instructions or running scripts. It can also help coordinate the launch of any new products from developers.
• Software changes and updates can easily be implemented without interrupting your regular operations. Configuration management can also check that updates are working correctly within the system as a whole and if not, it can restore a backup version.
• Streamlines processes, tracks projects and prevents duplicate actions, file paths or storage locations. This keeps your systems more organised and prevents miscommunications by ensuring team members can see all aspects of a project.
• Keeps records and offers you greater oversight of your IT systems. This is achieved by tracking and documenting all system interactions (like installations and updates) and who performed them. Software developers can more easily understand how the IT system operates and how to replicate system functions in future updates.
• Reduces risk of errors and crashes and automates more processes. These features ensure your IT department doesn’t lose valuable time that employees could be spending elsewhere on troubleshooting or completing tasks that can be automated. Increased productivity can lead to better profits, while avoiding crashes prevents costly fixes.
• Allows you to uncover any potential security risks or holes in the system.
• Helps identify existing configurations that are outdated, performing poorly or noncompliant.

Imperative vs declarative style

There are two distinct paths your configuration management can take: imperative style or declarative style. The imperative style is hands on. It involves set beginning and end points with a series of steps to bridge them. Through writing code, it provides a list of instructions for a program to perform a specific task or solve a problem. Imperative style is not considered ideal when working with complex systems, because if one aspect changes, the processes will need to be rewritten from scratch.

Declarative style writes code and uses software tools describing what the program should be able to do but leaves the system itself to figure out the finer details. The automatic functions of the declarative style make it more agile and suited to managing complex systems.

How to implement configuration management in your organisation

1. Conduct an audit

To begin your configuration management process, you’ll need to have a comprehensive understanding of your organisation’s entire system infrastructure – its hardware and software – and how the different components interact. This will make it easier to introduce new tools and migrate data. During this phase, you can create a report that details your findings. Make sure to include information on the setup instructions, system documentation, compliance reporting and troubleshooting procedures.

2. Develop a plan

The planning phase should include all relevant employees and stakeholders. It’s a good idea to hold meetings where you can brainstorm your goals together and decide how best to execute them. You’ll also need to identify which parts of the system will be required for the process.

3. Identify areas for automation

This is a specific task within the planning stage. Increased automation is one of the chief benefits of configuration management, valued for its efficiency, accuracy and cost-cutting abilities. Once you have decided on specific system components you’d like to automate, consider what issues you could run into in the future – after updates, for example – and decide how to mitigate these.

Related: What are automated workflows and how can they be used in HR?

4. Choose your tools

There is a broad range of configuration management tools available, some of which we listed earlier in this article. Once you’ve completed your audit and assessed your goals and opportunities, you can decide which tools will be best suited to the project. You’ll also need to consider factors like the capacity of your team and what budget you’re working with, because certain configuration management tools can be very expensive. If you do have the budget for your preferred tools, you can feel confident that you’ll reap plenty of benefits from your investment.

5. Conduct change control

This ensures that any changes you make to your configuration management project will align with other aspects and deliver a quality outcome. During this stage, you’ll also want to establish baselines for version control that you can return to if your new developments end up being dysfunctional. Change control typically functions via a team member proposing the change to the configuration manager. The manager will then assess the possible impact of the change to determine whether it’s a good idea.

6. Set up and run recurring tests

Regularly testing application features and new product versions is an essential component of configuration management. This process should begin in the development phase and continue during use. You can implement a schedule to run automated tests, which will cut down on resources. However, it’s still important to have your team run manual tests from time to time for quality-control purposes. The feedback from the tests can help you identify any issues or places where changes may be required.

7. Integrate new features

Any new features should be integrated with all aspects of your system. Configuration management tools can help you automatically install updates to your system and also back up previous versions in case there are any issues.

8. Document manual changes

It’s likely that your employees will need to make some manual changes or updates alongside your existing and newly automated processes. When working manually with code, it’s vital that employees use the configuration management tools to record their changes in the system. This prevents automated processes from being overridden and reduces the risk of bugs in the program.

9. Review your process

A complete review of all previous stages marks the end step in the configuration management process. You’ll assess whether the project achieved its objectives and ensure all processes are complete and functioning correctly. This detailed audit will also help you prepare documents like installation guides, user manuals and release notes.

Configuration management paves a pathway to efficient IT operations that businesses of all sizes and types can benefit from. It helps to cut costs, increase automation and ensure consistency across systems. Once in place, it requires occasional maintenance and checks, but can largely be left to operate seamlessly and free up your employees for new projects.