CHAPTER 4Configuring Systems withcfengine

So far we've been discussing automation in a general way. At this point we'll move beyond single ad hoc measures to a more systematic and robust approach. While you certainly have the option of writing your own collection of automation scripts, we recommend you use a proven automation framework: cfengine.

Getting an Overview of cfengine

Cfengine is software you can use to automate changes on UNIX (and UNIX-like) systems. It is a high-level language that describes system state, not a general-purpose programming language such as Perl or a shell. It's primarily declarative, meaning that the SA writes out a technical description instead of a list of low-level steps to accomplish the goal. It is high-level ...

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