11 Config Management architecture

 

Michael Madison

This chapter covers

  • Why configuration at scale is a challenge
  • An overview of Anthos Config Management
  • Examples and case studies of ACM implementations showing the utility and versatility of the solution.

In the world of application development, we always desire more speed and more capability as well as more applications that fulfill more tasks, automate more minutiae, run faster, and operate in locations closer to where they are actually used. The proliferation of smartphones, tablets, and IoT devices, as well as the continued advancement of computers into every part of our daily lives, drives the need for more compute power. Environmental factors, the availability of high-speed internet and other utilities, and government regulations are changing the way companies deploy resources. Depending on the circumstances, this could result in a concentration of compute resources in a few data centers, a move to mostly cloud-based compute, fragmenting to lots of “mini” data centers, or a combination of these solutions.

Organizations rarely decide to reduce the total resources they manage. Although short-term reductions, consolidations, or even eliminations of applications might occur, most companies will be managing more tomorrow than today. This has been the path that application development has followed for the past 40 years or longer.

11.1 What are we trying to solve?

11.1.1 Managing complexity

11.1.2 Transparency and inspection

11.1.3 Remediating and preventing problems

11.1.4 Bringing it together

11.2 Overview of ACM

11.2.1 ACM policy structure

11.2.2 ACM-specific objects

11.2.3 Additional components

11.3 Examples and case studies

11.3.1 Evermore Industries

11.3.2 Village Linen, LLC

11.3.3 Ambiguous Rock Feasting

11.4 Conclusions

Summary