According to research house Statista, DevOps and DevSecOps were the most prevalent software development environments used worldwide, combining for 47 percent of implementations in a 2022 survey. Configuration management tools are key to delivering the DevOps promise of shortened development windows and a pipeline of continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD).
Configuration management tools help define a baseline configuration for IT assets, and monitor and repair configuration changes, or drift, which can threaten system security. Configuration management is necessary for any enterprise-scale software development and deployment effort.
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DevOps Vs. DevSecOps
DevOps and DevSecOps are tightly related disciplines. Both are predicated on breaking down the silos that isolate the development and operations functions to enable the CI/CD environment.
The substantive difference in DevSecOps is the inclusion of the security team. DevSecOps embeds security as a core element of software from the beginning of the development process, rather than evaluating and remediating it later in the project.
Benefits of Configuration Management Tools
<BODY>Why use configuration management tools? The State of Kubernetes Security Report authored by Red Hat Inc., creators of the Ansible Automation Platform, identified system misconfiguration as a leading cause of security incidents in containerized and open-source Kubernetes-orchestrated environments. Incremental configuration errors “can lead to configuration drift and ultimately slower systems, security and compliance exposures, and even outages,” according to Red Hat.
Configuration management tools establish not just a secure, baseline configuration, but also a consistent approach to documentation, change management, and maintenance.
Other benefits of configuration management tools include:
- Grouping systems for management.
- Centralizing the management and updating of base configurations, system settings, and patches.
- Centralizing and automating system performance management and compliance.
- Triaging system-wide action items and remediation.
Types of Software Configuration Management Tools
A configuration management platform is the sum of many parts. Generally, the component tools fall into one of these five categories.
Version Control Software: VCS systems track and record source and application code changes. They can help with branches and merges of code, resolve code conflicts, and support the collaborative process. It ensures the DevOps team is all on the same version page and allow reference to snapshots in the process in the event of a system failure.
Artifact Repository: These are closets for storing the other work tools. Compiled code, libraries, dependencies, and documentation reside in a folder for easy access. In a distributed architecture (as opposed to a client-server architecture), this repository can be stored on each machine to speed up maintenance and updates.
A Word About Git
Open source distributed version control system Git, created by Linus Torvalds of Linux fame, is the de facto standard version control software/artifact repository for distributed software development. According to a 2022 survey by Stack Overflow, Git was the version control system of choice for 94% of developer respondents.
Git stores a complete repository — source code, compiled code, version history, documentation — in a directory on every machine that shares the same configuration, with a centralized “single version of the truth” that is distributed to each repository. This speeds updates, patching, and other configuration maintenance tasks, as the other configuration tools are stored within it.
“Git is a foundational tool in higher-level configuration management,” according to Atlassian, developer of Jira project management software.
Configuration Management System: Per its title, this software manages system configuration. This software is used to develop configuration templates for reuse, automated deployment, orchestrate infrastructure, and make sure configuration is consistent across diverse platforms.
Build Automation Tools: These tools compile, test, and deploy distributed software. Including these in the repository massively speeds deployment.
Issue Management Software: Issues, bugs, and feature requests are reported and tracked here. It can assign development tasks to ensure they are accounted for and don’t overlap, prioritize work, track progress, and facilitate collaboration.
Security-Specific Configuration Management Tools
In a DevSecOps environment, there is another box full of tools to ensure that development is not just speedy and continuous, but also that security is baked into the product throughout the development process.
Static Application Security Testing (SAST): These tools examine source code for vulnerabilities, policy compliance, and risk. SAST tools automate code analysis to catch vulnerabilities as they appear, enforce secure coding techniques, and embed security early in the development process.
Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST): Implemented later in the development process, DAST tools perform their analyses in real time in a “black box” fashion. Interactive Application Security (IAST) tools combine the features of SAST and DAST for faster feedback and code remediation.
Run-Time Application Self-Protection (RAST): RAST tools operate in the run-time environment, continuously monitoring for harmful code behavior and preventing its execution. RAST tools base their analysis on application architecture and data flow.
Software Composition Analysis (SCA): SCA produces a software bill-of-materials during the development process, and checks the elements against a database, flagging known vulnerability and compliance issues with the developing code.
Automated Testing: These tools automate and co-ordinate security checks throughout the development lifecycle, detecting vulnerabilities and faulty code for speedier failure recovery and cost savings.
Read: 15 Best DevSecOps Tools for Seamless Security in 2024
7 Key Features & Functions of Configuration Management Tools
Automated Configuration
Automation of the configuration of IT assets is the existential reason for configuration management. These allow developers to build consistent platform infrastructure from templates, establish version control, roll out software, maintain consistency, and provide a record for auditing and compliance.
Policy Enforcement
Automating the enforcement of IT and internal company policy not only frees up resources used to police them but also proactively protects an enterprise against inadvertent and deliberate legal exposure. Specialist IT law firm Michalsons lists the following policy elements that can protect your business — and should be embedded in your configuration management solution where possible.
- Information Security Policy
- Information Management Policy
- Data Governance Policy
- Acceptable Use Policy (especially regarding email, Internet, and social media use)
- Freedom of Information Policy
- IT Governance, Risk and Compliance Policy
- Contract Management Policy
- Project and Change Management Policy
- IT Goods and Services Acquisition Policy
- Availability Management Policy (e.g. disaster recovery, business continuity)
Continuous Monitoring, Reporting and Analytics
A configuration management platform should continuously monitor the performance and vulnerability of a project, both during development — to prevent buggy code that will cost more to remediate when it’s in production — and during run-time, to catch exposure to evolving threats from within or without. Automated reporting to issue management regimes speeds amelioration of security and performance issues.
Audit Trails
Monitoring and analytics software should generate audit trails, reporting at what stage in development an imperfection entered the stream, under what department’s stewardship. This can reveal common vulnerabilities across projects that were previously undetected.
Vulnerability Detection
A key development and operational element of a configuration management platform is the ability to proactively detect vulnerabilities in the developing software and in real- and run-time. These duties are largely the remit of the above-mentioned tools (SAST, DAST, SCA, etc.). These run against continuously updated libraries of known vulnerabilities and insecure coding practices.
Patch Management
End-user software tools designed in-house will require patching for each update or upgrade; some commercial software packages and operating systems need almost continuous patching, as their huge exposure surfaces are constantly under attack, or in need of functional fixes and incremental upgrades. Centralizing and automating these tasks is a huge resource-saver.
Read: Automated Patch Management, Definition, Tools & How It Works
Integration Capabilities
Don’t overlook the integration capabilities of configuration management tools, whether it’s concerning programming language or their compatibility with other management tools. Some offerings may cover all the configuration management bases, but you might prefer a best-in-breed approach for specific elements.
Cloud Security Configuration Management
Configuration management is critical in a cloud computing environment. Cloud computing is more dynamic in terms of resource allocation. It’s more complex because infrastructure may be assigned across servers or even among suppliers. Policy enforcement, vulnerability exposure, and other configuration concerns may differ in private, public, and hybrid cloud environments. For many companies, though, the advantages of a infrastructure-as-a-service climate are too compelling to pass up.
Proper cloud configuration management offers several benefits.
- Automated security controls
- Enforcement of encryption policy
- Rapid detection of vulnerabilities
- Faster remediation of security issues
- Audit trail allowing accountability for security issues
Read: What Is Cloud Configuration Management? Complete Guide
Frequently Asked Questions
What Are Some Examples Of Configuration Management Tools?
A large number of configuration management tools are available. This list contains some of the most common you would encounter in the wild.
- Git: Described above as a “foundational tool” for higher-level configuration management, Git is an open-source version control manager and repository tool that was developed for distributed development of the Linux operating system. It is the de facto standard for DevOps development projects.
- Ansible: Another open-source product, Ansible is one of the leading tools for the automation of configuring, provisioning, deploying, and orchestrating development projects. It is also used to automate policy and compliance. The Ansible community maintains a knowledge hub for developers.
- Puppet: Often compared to Ansible, Puppet is another automation tool that boasts a focus on security and scalability.
- Jira: Oriented toward Agile development environments, Jira is recognized for its collaborative flexibility and the quality and responsiveness of its logging, tracking, and resolution of issues and code problems.
- Kubernetes: Also known as K8, Kubernetes is a free, open-source offering that targets containerized applications, with technology based on Google production technology.
- Progress Chef: Chef writes configuration policies using Domain Specific Language (based on Ruby). It is available in open-source and enterprise versions and on a software-as-a-service (SaaS) basis.
- BitBucket: This tool from Atlassian leverages Git’s version-control capabilities with artificial intelligence-powered (AI) tools to generate pull requests, summarize comments, and suggest code from the BitBucket repository (or take a first pass at code review).
- SaltStack: Widely recognized for its speed, Salt is another open-source project. The software has a multi-threaded design that accommodates hundreds of simultaneous tasks, and it uses a decoupled messaging system (ZeroMQ), which does not require a persistent connection.
- SolarWinds: This management offering is aimed at visibility into cloud environments, whether full-stack hybrid or multi-cloud. Like BitBucket, SolarWinds leverages AI to automate repetitive and time-consuming tasks.
- CF Engine: The CF stands for “continuous feedback,” a partner for CI/CD (continuous Integration/continuous deployment). Listening ports offer real-time visibility into performance and compliance with configurable dashboards and custom alerts.
- Terraform: Terraform delivers infrastructure as code (IaC) for cloud deployments. It can provision and manage infrastructure across multiple, hybrid clouds on Microsoft Azure, AWS, and Google Cloud.
The list is not exhaustive and does not imply endorsement or evaluation; several articles on the eSecurity Planet site detail individual products. Read more here.
How Much Do Configuration Management Tools Cost?
Configuration management tools can cost nothing: The open-source offerings can be free of charge, an option that is worth considering if your development staff can work with an informal support network. Commercial offerings can be priced in a variety of ways. Ansible, for example, is billed at a flat rate each year. Some (Puppet and Chef, for example) are billed annually per node, ranging from about $75 to $135 each. Others (Terraform) are charged per user, per month, at anywhere from $10 to $60 (these are typically billed annually).
What Is A Baseline Configuration?
A baseline configuration is a defined set of specifications for an information system item. It lays out a system’s hardware and software requirements, such as operating systems, versioning for software packages, network topology, etc. It serves as a basis for future builds and a standard against which components can be compared to detect configuration creep and potential vulnerabilities.
Bottom Line: Achieve More Defined Configuration Repairs & Changes
Configuration management tools are necessary for any large software development effort, capable of guiding developers, streamlining the collaborative development process, and — in conjunction with a security focus baked in from the beginning of the process — ensuring a secure deployment constantly monitored for vulnerability exposure and system performance.
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