[ale] Linux configuration management (validation)?

[Beddingfield, Allen]

If you are using RHEL, then definitely look into Red Hat's "Satellite Server".  We are primarily a SUSE shop, with a few RHEL systems, so we use SUSE Manager, which is their re-roll of that same product.  You don't have to do any programming, and minimal scripting is required.  You can point-and-click patch your systems from one web console, etc...
I manage almost 300 systems with SUSE's version of it (based on the Spacewalk upstream) and couldn't be happier.
There are a few downsides:
1.  It is slow and bloated.  I have allocated 32GB of RAM and 12 vCPUs, and there is still a noticeable lag between operations with the gui.  The good news is that the lag is not significantly different between a few systems and a few hundred being managed.
2.  It does take some tweaking of settings to get it initially working well.

Just my $0.02 worth.
Allen B.

--
Allen Beddingfield
Systems Engineer
The University of Alabama
________________________________
From: ale-bounces at ale.org [ale-bounces at ale.org] on behalf of Raj Wurttemberg [rajaw at c64.us]
Sent: Tuesday, October 14, 2014 5:56 AM
To: Atlanta Linux Enthusiasts
Subject: [ale] Linux configuration management (validation)?

Our Linux server environment has grown from 10 RHEL servers to over 150 RHEL systems in a few short months. I need an easy way to confirm that they all have the same settings (sshd, time zone, routes, selinux, etc…) for security purposes.   At the moment I have a simple bash script (lots of sed and awk!) that prepares a server for use but I would like something that would be easier to manage and to be able to turn over to someone else to manage eventually.

Any suggestions?

Kind regards,
Raj Wurttemberg
rajaw at c64.us