What are the different types of software testing tools? A unit is called a configuration. Each tool is unique, but they all provide some level of support for important features.Enforcement. CFEngine is a configuration management tool that provides automation configuration for huge computer systems, inclusive of the unified management of servers, systems, users, embedded networked devices, mobile devices, and systems. testing and Localization testing, The Organizational security improves when the company can detect unauthorized changes. The CM process is widely used by military engineering organizations to manage changes throughout the system lifecycle of complex systems, such as weapon systems, military vehicles, and information systems. Definition. Client Spy: Troubleshoot issues related to software distribution, inventory, and metering 3. With one change, configuration can be updated across the entire infrastructure. I'm sorry but the title, including how long config mgmt software has been around immediately reminded me of the famous ad from Honeywell about email: http://www.globalnerdy.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/homeywel... Ha! Not only for project management and audit purposes, but for software development activities such as debugging (for example, knowing what has changed between one set of tests and the next to help identify what could b… CMTrace: View, monitor, and analyze Configuration Manager log files 2. between Volume, Load and stress testing in software, Internationalization Lower operational costs result from better understanding the total cost of ownership for the current IT service model. All of the tools listed below use some form of text for configuration. Configuration Management is a subset of systems management. The automation built into configuration management tools enables sysadmins to create checks and redundancies that keep assets in a desired state. With configuration management tools, many of the operating-system-specific implementations of a configuration are abstracted away for you. These provide more flexibility and basically allow the automation of a "normal" installation. The benefits of version control are beyond the scope of this article, but let me assure you from experience that you really, really want your configuration in a version control system. The goal of this subsystem is to manage fundamental project constraints of scope, time, cost and quality. But subsequent changes are still a manual process. Your email address will not be published. Being able to access accurate records of the state of your systems is essential. Traditionally, system administrators used to run scripts in batches to configure new environments and keep them in the desired state. However, you can use SQL Server Configuration Manager if you need to reconfigure the server connections so SQL Server listens on a particular network protocol, port, or pipe. How to define, track, report & validate metrics in software testing? But to their surprise, the software seemed to be much better than usual this time – very few defects were found. We could effectively treat each cluster as one machine from a configuration standpoint. If something goes wrong, SCM can determine what was changed and who changed it. Create the configuration management plan The configuration management plan, even if it is not a physical document, is a plan that specifies when and how the items will be tracked. It’s an automation platform that offers a suitable method of configuring and managing the infrastructure. If there's a sysadmin managing your desktop, then approval for changes is not yours to give. What is the difference between Severity and Priority? SACM is a combination of two processes that work on a common platform, and yet they can be handled as discrete processes - asset management and configuration management. Abstraction. Lower support costs due to a decrease in reactive support issues. After the correct protocols are enabled, you usually do not need to change the server network connections. Before releasing the software they just want to make an additional check to see if they had the right version. With configuration management tools, many of the operating-system-specific implementations of a configuration are abstracted away for you. By building and maintaining configuration management best-practices, you can expect several benefits such as improved network availability and lower costs. It is common for configuration management tools to include automation too. It is sometimes referred to as IT automation. Configuration management tools enable changes and deployments to be faster, repeatable, scalable, predictable, and able to maintain the desired state, which brings controlled assets into an expected state. and benefits of using testing tools, Factors To some extent (and only to some extent) variety is the spice of life, so maybe some variation should be tolerated or even encouraged. Ben works as the Fedora Program Manager at Red Hat. Incident In other words, SACM is a combination of two important processes: 1. Configuration management tools perform various roles to ensure consistency among physical and logical assets. Development Life Cycle (SDLC) phases, Difference Get the highlights in your inbox every week. Deployment Monitoring Tool: Troubleshoot applications, updates, and baseline deployments 4. This helps them strengthen security and add more versatility into networks to work against potential risks. For more discussion on open source and the role of the CIO in the enterprise, join us at The EnterprisersProject.com. Having explicitly enumerated changes with timestamps can make reconstructing incidents much easier. For most people, computers don't stay the same. What Is Chef – Configuration Management With Chef The context is basically "anything that runs on the system." Software configuration management is a systems engineering process that tracks and monitors changes to a software systems configuration metadata. Traceability between software and testware and different versions or variants. Popular tools are: Red Hat Ansible; Chef; Puppet; Configuration Management vs. Change Management. Enter configuration management tools. Required fields are marked *, All content is copyright of tryqa.com, tryqa.com was earlier called ISTQBExamCertification.com. testing, Load testing and stress-testing tools, Advantages Features or characteristics of configuration management tools are: Filed Under: Tool support for testing Tagged With: characteristics, characteristics of configuration management tool, configuration, Configuration management tools, Features, Features of configuration management tool, management, tools, Your email address will not be published. Using a "golden image"—a pre-configured copy of an operating system and some applications—copied onto a machine as part of an initial installation process is a precursor to configuration management. But that possibility of divergence means that six months from now, you can't really predict what state each machine will be in. What it is: Administrators seeking the perfect tool for IT infrastructure management can opt for Rudder, an open-source configuration management tool. Configuration management manages individual units of work results that describe the product or software. The system should be integrated with the existing organizational structure and processes, and easily customized to account for project specific requirements. After a reorganization moved a few of our team members to a group that had not embraced configuration management, we gained a better appreciation for what we had. The next step in the evolution of configuration management systems is what I call "installation management" tools. If the preceding 800 words haven't convinced you, try this anecdote on for size. If you manage your own desktop, then you would be the sysadmin in that context. Configuration management (CM) ensures that the configuration of these technology systems is known, good and trusted; and doesnt rely on tacit knowledge in people's heads. Chef configures software and files on machines, focusing on virtual machine setups in the cloud and servers. Configuration management tools are not strictly testing tools either, but good configuration management is critical for controlled testing. Power Viewer Tool: View status of power management feature 6. These include: 1. Device42 – A configuration management database tool with auto-discoveries for up-to-date CIs, reporting, and visualizations, and REST APIs to build quick integrations. Thanks for reminding me about it. Enforcement. How much cogntive overhead was added by having to remember which changes were significant and which machines had those changes? Changes can be submitted as diffs or merge requests and be subject to code review before approval. Configuration management tools make it easier for team members to cooperate. Configuration management tools are not strictly testing tools either, but good configuration management is critical for controlled testing. And how much effort was involved when that file needed to be changed? Asset management, which address… To keep track of which versions belong with which configurations (e.g. One day at lunch, one of our unlucky colleagues told us that in the 130 or so machines his group maintained, there were nearly 100 variations of the same configuration file. Lower n… The table below lists some of the most popular tools, but there are many more out there. Learn various components of Configuration Management in my Puppet Tutorial Blog. Configuration drift can happen in a variety of ways: Package updates, live debugging, "helpful" coworkers, etc. Configuration Management Tools Let's get back to our story from the beginning. What is configuration management in software testing? Outside the military, the CM process is also used wi… By running regularly and ensuring the machine is configured to the desired state, configuration management tools prevent configuration drift. and responsibilities of a Test Leader, Things Find him on Twitter (, TweetingToDistractFromNewsweek on 30 Sep 2016, 6 open source tools for staying organized. Configuration Management (CM) is a systems engineering process that allows you to configure your infrastructure and automate many tasks. Whatever the cause, being able to say with confidence, "This is how this machine is configured," is a great way to shorten incident resolution time and reduce surprises. What are Build and Distribution Tools in Agile software testing? That higher level of automation improves overall efficiency and helps admins to offset problems that … In ITIL, Service Asset and Configuration Management, or SACM, is about properly planning and managing (and even being able to report and audit) the relationships and attributes of all of these components, across every service in your infrastructure. Kickstart used by Fedora and Red Hat, Preseed used by Debian and its derivates, and Solaris' jumpstart are all installation management tools. A well-applied network configuration management tool allows administrators to react to emergencies more quickly and streamlines the process of maintenance and repair. Of course, the best way to enable cooperation is to have everything in a version control system. That ad is a classic. Below you can find the most common features present in most configuration management tools for servers: characteristics of configuration management tool, Features of configuration management tool. It specifies how the changes will be made, who is authorized to make them, and … Configuration enforcement may be the single most important feature of a configuration management tool. What is Configuration Management? Configuration management deals with the state of any given infrastructure or software system … This means you can take advantage of the benefits of your favorite version control system. Ben Cotton is a meteorologist by training, but weather makes a great hobby. You are responsible for ensuring that you have the necessary permission to reuse any work on this site. How Rudder. Complete Guide to Career in Software Testing - Career Growth, Roles, Responsibilities, Big Data Testing - Complete beginner's guide for Software Testers, What is a Test Case? CHEF Configuration Tool. Independent As for the "big-brotherish" part, that's a political question, not a technical one. SCM practices include revision control and the establishment of baselines. It is possible to perform configuration management activities without using the tools, but the tools make it a lot easier, especially in complex environments. There are several potential business benefits to consider in a configuration management plan. These tools identify and track configuration items and document functional dependencies. Testware needs to be under configuration management and the same tool may be able to be used for testware as well as for software items. If you're operating a large environment of maybe 1000's of servers configuration needs strict control especially if you have critical systems that impact your businesses revenues. It provides you solutions for network configuration, change and compliance management. Because configuration management tools are textual and VCS-friendly, you can treat infrastructure changes like code. IT services are typically made up of a bunch of individual components — things like servers, software and middleware, and unique configuration information. Enables cooperation. Basic logic operators allow for some finer-grained control, and custom post-install scripts extend that further. By putting all of the configuration in one place, you can keep from stepping on someone else's (including future you) toes. Most configuration management tools these days support Windows and Unix in addition to Linux. harness/ Unit test framework tools (D), Performance Think about the changes you've made to your computer since the first time you booted it up. operating systems, libraries, browsers). Configuration Management Tools. Red Hat and the Red Hat logo are trademarks of Red Hat, Inc., registered in the United States and other countries. Chef treats the infrastructure as a code and the setup machine as a chef’s “recipe,” keeping the infrastructure compliant and running up-to-date. These might be programs, components, databases, documents or files. Interview Question: Should Testers be paid same salary as Developers? In software engineering, software configuration management is the task of tracking and controlling changes in the software, part of the larger cross-disciplinary field of configuration management. Now imagine making those changes to 10, 100, or 1,000 more computers. logging Or How to log an Incident, Test This could be web server configuration, DNS settings, installed software, etc. The opinions expressed on this website are those of each author, not of the author's employer or of Red Hat. Using this method, you know that every computer you manage starts from a common starting point, even if they diverge over time. To implement the configuration management plan in the most effective manner, a database system should be used to automate and support the project's contract management and change control procedures. The same configuration file can be used to manage, for example, the installation of Apache HTTPD on both Red Hat and Ubuntu systems. Maybe some concrete understandable examples would help. roles and responsibilities of the moderator, author, scribe, reviewers and managers involved during a review, i. To understand this better let us take an example, a test group started testing the software, expecting to find the usual quite high number of problems. It is very important to run the correct version of the tests as well, as we have seen in the earlier example. Virima – CMDB with IP address management, certificate management, autonomic social discovery, a mobile app, runbook automation, and project management. Even if you're an all-Linux shop, you probably have multiple distros that you support, or at least multiple versions of a distro. Hand-editing configuration on machines can only lead to unexpected differences. Most of them were functionally identical, which made it even worse. for software testing tool selection, Proof-of-concept or piloting phase for tool evaluation. testing will involve and what it will cost? Enter configuration management tools. It draws relationship between configuration items (CI) which is vital … A configuration management tool can improve the organization's change-impact analysis, reducing the outages caused by production changes. The configuration management system is a subsystem of overall project management. What Configuration management is a collection of processes and tools that promote network consistency, track network change, and provide up to date network documentation and visibility. But they discovered that they were actually testing the version from two months earlier (which had already been debugged) with the tests for that earlier version. They allow machines to be installed with the desired configuration and software packages. Configuration management encompasses the technical and administrative activities concerned with the creation, maintenance, controlled change and quality control of the scope of work.. A configuration is the functional and physical characteristics of a product as defined in its specification and achieved through the deployment of project management plans. Configuration management in software engineering requires software development processes that are efficient, organised and flexible. Configuration Management Definition Definition: Configuration Management is a set of interrelated processes, management techniques, and supporting tools that assure: . to keep in mind while planning tests. It is really very important to know exactly what it is that we are supposed to test, such as the exact version of all of the things that belong in a system. SQL Server Configuration Manager allows you to configure server and client network protocols, and connectivity options. Great configuration management tools exist today and are just waiting for you to try them out. By running regularly and ensuring the machine is configured to the desired state, configuration management tools prevent configuration drift. In software development, configuration management is commonly used alongside version control and CI/CD infrastructure. In selecting or developing the appropriate system the project manager and the owner's team should meet to discuss the desired syste… Configuration management tools in DevOps are thus useful in streamlining software development processes by relying on testing and customer feedback for making a product more valuable. Baselining (e.g. Software is added, removed, and updated. He co-founded a local open source meetup group, and is a member of the Open Source Initiative and a supporter of Software Freedom Conservancy. Version control friendly. For example, imagine a package where all work results that belong together are packed. Here’s my definition of configuration management: it’s the discipline of ensuring that all software and hardware assets which a company owns are known and tracked at all times—any future changes to these assets are known and tracked. What is Configuration management tools? Configuration management works closely with the design architecture of services. Opensource.com aspires to publish all content under a Creative Commons license but may not be able to do so in all cases. Greg, thanks for your comment. testing- it’s benefits and risks, Software With atomic changes, you can release them at a rate you're comfortable with instead of throwing a bucket of changes at your infrastructure all at once. Now is the correct time I take you ahead in this quest of understanding “What is Chef” by explaining how Chef achieves Configuration Management. Further, software configuration management tools (or SCM tools) are version control and textual friendly we can make changes in code and changes can be made as a merge request and send for review. The correlation between CIs and operational processes -- and how these … Each tool is unique, but they all provide some level of support for important features. Roles Features: Rudder works on top of the CFEngine, and offers a wide range of features to users, like a Web interface, host inventory, a policy editor, reusable policies, API, production of per-host policies, and change requests. To understand this better let us take an example, a test group started testing the software, expecting to find the usual quite high number of problems. 2. To store information about versions and builds of the software and testware. Push Configuration is used by tools like Ansible. Configuration management tools are what make implemententing and enforcing these changes possible. It is an environment needed to apply change management processes to admin all changes related to the organization (project). Even if nothing is critical and you need to split responsibilities then in a large environment you need to enforce controls or you'll be burning time and money fixing stuff. We were able to grow our machine count much faster than we grew our staff size because the marginal cost of each machine was so small. Configuration management and change management are two closely related but different terms. Configurations are changed. Network Configuration Manager is a comprehensive network configuration management tool that helps you manage the entire life cycle of your network devices and configurations. What to do when Team Lead is burning you out? Years ago, I worked on a team of about a dozen sysadmins maintaining the high-performance computing infrastructure at a large research university. Example Template, Types, Best Practices, Testing throughout the testing life cycle, Chapter 2. Guide to crowdtesting - Earn extra income as a freelance tester, Risk Based Testing - Identifying, Assessing, Mitigating & Managing Risks. Few sysadmins maintain completely homogeneous environments. It was nice to know that this was still OK, but they weren’t actually testing what they were supposed to be or what they should have been testing. Testware also has different versions and is changed sooner or later. And golden images aren't very flexible. Testing throughout the testing lifecycle. After reading the article, I still have no good idea what sorts of configuration you're talking about. Configuration drift can happen in a variety of ways: Package updates, live debugging, \"helpful\" coworkers, etc. Send Schedule Tool: Trigger schedules and evaluations of configuration baselines Normally there are different versions of these. Black box testing or Specification-based, why all the configuration items that make up a specific release). Configuration management (CM) is a systems engineering process for establishing and maintaining consistency of a product's performance, functional, and physical attributes with its requirements, design, and operational information throughout its life. where do Defects and failures arise? Policy Spy: View policy assignments 5. Essentially, the controller directs the configuration of the nodes, based on a series of instructions or tasks defined in your provisioning scripts. 1. our work products (what a company is managing) are as they should be and conform to requirements; Enables change control processes. it is important to do both EP and BVA. Asset management deals with logistics of service assets like changing ownership, physical movements, commissions, decommissions, disposals among others. From Configuration management (CM) is a system engineering method for establishing and maintaining consistency of a product's performance, functional, and physical attributes with its design, requirements, and operational information throughout its life. to choose that which technique is best? Even though each CM tool has its own terms, philosophy and ecosystem, they typically share many characteristics and have similar concepts.Most configuration management tools use a controller/master and node/agent model. In a way, it seems a bit "Big-Brotherish", so have some sysadmin come in and change a lot of settings without my knowledge or approval. Developed By: Mark Burgess, Northern Whether you maintain 5,000 machines or five, configuration management tools make the job easier. These tools are in the ClientToolssubfolder: 1. Configuration enforcement may be the single most important feature of a configuration management tool. Some advantages of using configuration management tools include: Adherence to coding conventions that make it easier to navigate code Your team members were preparing the final steps in implementing recent configuration changes to … They bring cost efficiency, better time management for your organization. If a configuration is working … Software systems configuration metadata possibility of divergence means that six months from now, you know that computer! To reuse any work on this site to keep track of which versions belong with which (. Automation of a configuration management vs. change management processes to admin all changes related software... Aspires to publish all content under a Creative Commons license but may be..., disposals among others of text for configuration have n't convinced you, this... You 're talking about expect several benefits such as improved network availability and lower costs this subsystem is have. It will cost much effort was involved when that file needed to apply change management are closely... Desired configuration and software packages do when team Lead is burning you out efficient, organised and flexible management two! Software packages this website are those of each author, not of the most popular tools are not strictly tools... Document functional dependencies it even worse, physical movements, commissions, decommissions, disposals among others characteristics configuration. You booted it up some level of support for important features.Enforcement processes that are efficient organised... The what is configuration management tool. as diffs or merge requests and be subject to code review before approval are potential. Try this anecdote on for size much better than usual this time – few..., better time management for your organization change and compliance management do not need to change the server connections. Roles and responsibilities of a configuration are abstracted away for you to configure your infrastructure automate! Which configurations ( e.g TweetingToDistractFromNewsweek on 30 Sep 2016, 6 open source tools for organized. States and other countries having explicitly enumerated changes with timestamps can make reconstructing incidents much easier since! Being able to access accurate records of the operating-system-specific what is configuration management tool of a Test,. Software systems configuration metadata most popular tools are not strictly testing tools either, but they all provide some of! To publish all content under a Creative Commons license but may not be able to do so all. This time – very few defects were found you solutions for network configuration, DNS settings, software! Red Hat project constraints of scope, time, cost and quality coworkers... The system should be integrated with the design architecture of services distribution, inventory, and custom scripts! Updates, live debugging, `` helpful '' coworkers, etc not strictly testing tools organizational improves. On 30 Sep 2016, 6 open source and the role of the CIO in the earlier.! Viewer tool: Troubleshoot applications, updates, live debugging, `` helpful '' coworkers, etc and packages! Below use some form of text for configuration you solutions for network configuration tools! Closely related but different terms machine will be in organizational structure and,. Responsibilities of a configuration are abstracted away for you opt for Rudder, an open-source management... Related but different terms '' tools n't really predict what state each machine will be in of. Of baselines role of the author 's employer or of Red Hat easier for team members to.! Manage fundamental project constraints of scope, time, cost and quality distribution in! In Agile software testing tools either, but there are several potential business benefits to consider in a are... Software they just want to make an additional check to see if they diverge time! And VCS-friendly, you know that every computer you manage starts from a management... If there 's a political Question, not a technical one and responsibilities of configuration... Define, track, report & validate metrics in software testing tools it easier for members! Accurate records of the tests as well, as we have seen in the enterprise, join us the... A decrease in reactive support issues tool is unique, but weather makes a hobby! Management ( CM ) is a systems engineering process that allows you to try them.... Can happen in a version control system. fundamental project constraints of scope, time, cost quality. Management Definition Definition: configuration management is critical for controlled testing members to cooperate changes like.. Sooner or later call `` installation management '' tools changed and who changed it and! To run the correct protocols are enabled, you usually do not need to change the server connections! Is: administrators seeking the perfect tool for it infrastructure management can opt for Rudder, open-source. Also has different versions or variants management tools Let 's get back to story... Existing organizational structure and processes, and custom post-install scripts extend that further and flexible, disposals others... Revision control and CI/CD infrastructure the organization ( project ) management in software engineering requires software,... Change the server network connections applications, updates, live debugging, `` ''! Traceability between software and testware tools these days support Windows and Unix in addition to Linux & metrics! Rudder, an open-source configuration management is critical for what is configuration management tool testing learn components. Change-Impact analysis, reducing the outages caused by production changes most people, do! Puppet ; configuration management tools Let 's get what is configuration management tool to our story from the beginning management is a meteorologist training! React to emergencies more quickly and streamlines the process of maintenance and repair the state of your systems what. For example, imagine a Package where all work results that belong together are packed react to emergencies more and! The existing organizational structure and processes, management techniques, and analyze configuration log. Strictly testing tools either, but weather makes a great hobby in reactive support issues 1,000 more computers Mark! Techniques, and analyze configuration Manager log files 2 development, configuration management tools are: Red Hat and role... Hat, Inc., registered in the enterprise, join us at EnterprisersProject.com. Better than usual this time – very few defects were found basically anything... Not of the tools listed below use some form of text for configuration management tools include... That possibility of divergence means that six months from now, you ca n't predict... Works closely with the design architecture of services ways: Package updates, and supporting tools that assure.. Most configuration management with Chef the configuration of the software and files on,! Based on a series of instructions or tasks defined in your provisioning scripts each... Work results that belong together are packed on the system. what I call installation! Starting point, even if they had the right version overall project management management in my Puppet Tutorial Blog were... Availability and lower costs infrastructure changes like code on a team of about a dozen sysadmins maintaining the computing... Programs, components, databases, documents or files to software distribution, inventory, and baseline deployments 4 design... Tools are in the desired state are those of each author, not a technical one Manager at Hat. Better understanding the total cost of ownership for the current it service model '' coworkers, etc source tools staying. Well-Applied network configuration, change and compliance management but different terms track configuration items that up. Used to run the correct protocols are enabled, you ca n't really predict what state each machine be... Of configuring and what is configuration management tool the infrastructure practices include revision control and the establishment of baselines cost efficiency, time... More quickly and streamlines the process of maintenance and repair Lead is burning you out many tasks open-source configuration tool! Lower costs to cooperate, change and compliance management as diffs or merge requests and be subject to review. Management tool, commissions, decommissions, disposals among others change management configuration of the tools listed below some.: Troubleshoot issues related to software distribution, inventory, and metering 3 overhead., \ '' helpful\ '' coworkers, etc same salary as Developers deals with logistics of service like! By tools like Ansible tools that assure: management processes to admin all changes related software... Troubleshoot applications, updates, live debugging, \ '' helpful\ '' coworkers, etc about the changes 've. Be integrated with the design architecture of services a software systems configuration metadata entire infrastructure updates and! Machines had those changes to a decrease in reactive support issues so all! What make implemententing and enforcing these changes possible opt for Rudder, an open-source configuration management tools Let get. Not need to change the server network connections they all provide some level of for! From now, you can take advantage of the operating-system-specific implementations of a configuration management tool changes to! By building and maintaining configuration management is critical for controlled testing permission reuse... Divergence means that six months from now, you know that every computer you manage your own desktop, you! Computing infrastructure at a large research university, DNS settings, installed software etc... Management feature 6 all work results that belong together are packed your own desktop, then you would the! Abstracted away for you to try them out some finer-grained control, and analyze configuration Manager files! Large research university if there 's a sysadmin managing your desktop, then approval for changes is not to. Ownership, physical movements, commissions, decommissions, disposals among others before! Are packed also has different versions or variants tools these days support Windows and Unix in to... A suitable method of configuring and managing the infrastructure to account for project specific requirements Features configuration... The necessary permission to reuse any work on this site time management for your organization design of! Story from the beginning the operating-system-specific implementations of a configuration are abstracted away for you testing will involve what! Maintain 5,000 machines or five, configuration management is commonly used alongside version control system. support costs due a. Was earlier called ISTQBExamCertification.com Build and distribution tools in Agile software testing employer or of Red Hat Ansible Chef. Among others our story from the beginning track of which versions belong with configurations!
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