Word of the Day & Pop Quiz: configuration management

Word of the Day: Daily updates on the latest technology terms

Word of the Day Daily updates on the latest technology terms | September 21, 2020 configuration management Configuration management is the detailed recording and updating of information that describes an enterprise's computer systems and networks. The goal of configuration management is to maintain information technology (IT) systems in a desired, consistent state. Administrators can identify and track individual configuration items (CIs) by documenting both functional capabilities and interdependencies. Because configuration issues are one of the major causes of outages, it's important for organizations to have the right tools and follow best practices. For a configuration management system to operate, it needs something in which to store the information it governs. Originally, this mechanism was called the configuration management database (CMDB). In 2007, ITIL V3 introduced the concept of a configuration management system (CMS) to replace the CMDB. Today, ITIL version 4 refers to configuration management simply as "service configuration." Continue reading... Take today's Pop Quiz!                                                           Answers are below   1. What do you call the technique or methodology that, through experience and research, has proven to reliably lead to a desired result? Answer   2. ITIL is a framework designed to standardize the selection, planning, delivery and maintenance of IT services within a business. What does ITIL stand for? a. Information Technology Iterative Listserve b. Information Technology Infrastructure Library Answer   3. Desired State Configuration is a feature in ___________ that helps administrators automate the configuration of Windows and Linux operating systems. a. PowerShell b. GNOME Answer   4. What open source tool allows administrators to encode the configuration of a service as a policy? a. Puppet b. Open Vault Answer   5. What configuration management tool uses code packages called recipes to define how each managed node should be configured? Answer Today's Takeaway "Configuration management software may no longer be cutting-edge, but enterprises won't complete their shift to newer IT automation approaches overnight. Chef likely has at least a decade before its historic niche is fully eclipsed by new IT automation approaches." Charles Betz Watch and Learn   5 Essential DevOps Pipeline Stages There's no shortage of best practices to aid a DevOps journey, but there are some essential stages that most DevOps pipelines go through. Watch this short video to learn more about the steps in a DevOps pipeline. Continue Learning How change management and configuration management differ in IT When examining change management vs. configuration management, it's easy to confuse them. The examples below illustrate how they intertwine, but still address different areas. Kick-start an IT configuration management process in 4 key steps Configuration management tools go a long way in effective IT system maintenance. However, admins still need to take certain steps of their own to ensure desired outcomes. Why configuration management is important for networks Configuration management is essential to keep accurate network configuration records and to help organizations avoid potential challenges or problems within their networks. What is the Puppet configuration management tool, and how does it work? With Puppet, enterprises can manage configurations and simplify the DevOps process as a whole. Grasp how it works, and see if it's the right choice for your organization. Enable automated failover with a highly available CMDB A resilient CMDB helps drive automated failover processes. Explore several approaches to prepare your configuration management database for DR scenarios. What are the main features of Ansible vs. Ansible Tower? Both Ansible and Ansible Tower offer enterprises a wealth of resources for config management, but they aren't equals. Assess their differences in crucial aspects such as security. Pop Quiz Answer Key 1. best practice 2. Information Technology Infrastructure Library 3. PowerShell 4. Puppet 5. Chef Stay in Touch Thank you for reading! For feedback about any of our definitions or to suggest a new definition (or learning resource) please contact me at mrouse@techtarget.com FOLLOW US About This E-Newsletter The Word of the Day is published by TechTarget, Inc., 275 Grove Street, Newton, Massachusetts, 02466 US. Click to: Unsubscribe. You are receiving this email because you are a member of TechTarget. When you access content from this email, your information may be shared with the sponsors or future sponsors of that content and with our Partners, see up-to-date Partners List, as described in our Privacy Policy. For additional information, please contact: webmaster@techtarget.com. © 2020 TechTarget, Inc. all rights reserved. Designated trademarks, brands, logos, and service marks are the property of their respective owners. Privacy Policy | Partners List