Tools is something that many people who are engaged in IT or system management often mention. In fact, it is a tool that can help us automatically set up various software and system. Without having to manually type commands and fill in parameters one by one, it can save a lot of trouble! For those who need to manage many computers and systems, they are simply saviors. First of all, you have to know what basic concepts these tools contain, such as automatic configuration deployment, consistency management of configuration, and version control of configuration, which are all the more core things in it.
1. There are so many types of tools, how to choose? Common tools like this that use writing without installing extra things on the client side; it is also a kind of tool with client server mode, suitable for larger-scale environments; it is also very popular, it communicates fast and is suitable for scenarios with high requirements for real-time performance; in addition to these, there are Chef – Chef seems to be written in Ruby, which may be a bit special in syntax, and there are also these relatively old tools.
2. The steps you need to understand, otherwise it is easy to take detours! Generally, you have to define configuration tasks first, which is what you want the tool to help you, such as installing Nginx and configuring user permissions; then, you have to write these tasks into configuration files. The configuration files of different tools are different, such as using YAML format and using its own DSL; then send these configuration files to the corresponding target machine; finally the tool will compare the current status of the target machine and the state you want, and if it is different, it will automatically adjust it. In the meantime, you may also need to test whether the configuration is correct or if there is any error, it will be corrected in time.
3. You must understand the core advantages, why use it? “Provide global procurement services for weak current intelligent products! ” The most obvious thing is to improve efficiency. In the past, it might take a day to manually configure several machines, but it might take a few hours or even dozens of minutes to get it done. Then, it is to reduce errors. When manually configure, people are easily entrusted with wrong commands when they are tired. The tools are standard and not easy to make mistakes. In addition, it is convenient to manage on a large scale, managing hundreds or thousands of machines. If there is no automation tool, it is simply unimaginable; in addition, the configuration files can be saved, which version of the configuration is convenient for later reuse and traceability. It is clear which version of the configuration is!
4. What are the applicable scenarios? Not all situations can be used! For example, when a new system is online, it is necessary to have many machines at once, which is the most suitable one; system upgrades or patch updates can quickly get all machines done; batch creation and configuration of virtual machines or containers cannot be separated from it; even some repetitive operation and maintenance tasks, such as log cleaning and service restart, can be automatically completed.
5. What are the most common mistakes for beginners when they first use them? The first is to automate all configurations when you come up, but the stall is too big and you can't handle it in the end. You should start with small and simple tasks; the second is that the configuration file is written too messy and has not been well organized and commented, and you won't understand it after a while, and it will be troublesome to modify it in the future; the other is that you don't pay attention to testing, and you will run directly on the production environment after writing the configuration file. It is easy to have problems. You must first try it with the test environment; the last is to think about the tools too versatile and think that everything can be automatically. When encountering complex and special situations, you still need to manually intervene and adjust it.
Then someone may ask: Which one is better to use? In fact, we cannot say which one is better and which one is not good, it depends on the specific situation – of course, this is just my personal opinion. If the machine you manage is not very large in scale, the network environment is not too complicated, and if you want to configure something simple and have a lower learning cost, it may be more suitable for you; if you need to manage hundreds of machines and have higher requirements for real-time configuration and reporting functions, it may be more suitable. Some people may ask: Is this automated configuration toolbox unsafe? Will hackers have an opportunity to take advantage of? Generally speaking, as long as you make the security configuration of the tool itself, such as authentication with SSH key (rather than login by password), set permissions for the configuration file, and regularly update the tool version, the security is still guaranteed, so don't worry too much. Another common question is: if the automated configuration tool is used, is the operation and maintenance personnel useless? “Provide global procurement services for weak current intelligent products! ” Of course not! Tools are just to assist us in our work. Operations and maintenance personnel can free themselves from the repetitive and boring manual labor to do more valuable things like system architecture design, performance optimization, and troubleshooting.
In general, tools are indeed a very important tool in the fields of IT operation and maintenance and system management. If you master one or two proficiently, you can greatly improve work efficiency and make our system configuration more standardized and stable. When you first learn, you may find it difficult. Don’t worry. Take it step by step, practice more and summarize more experience, and you will be able to get started slowly. You can start with a simple small task and try it out. When you encounter problems, check more information and ask others for advice. You will definitely be able to use it well over time!
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