Configuration management
Configuration management is the systematic definition, control, tracking, and application of software and infrastructure settings to maintain specified states throughout their lifecycles.
100 SQL Server Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Configuration management is the practice of maintaining systems in a known, consistent, and compliant state throughout their lifecycle.
- How it is used
- Maintains SQL Server and operating-system configuration in a known, compliant state throughout the application lifecycle.
- How deep it goes
- Explains build-time automation, periodic evaluation, drift correction, and resource test/set methods, but does not detail every resource.
- Examples
- Uses an enabled xp_cmdshell vulnerability, a 30-minute evaluation interval, and PowerShell DSC SQL installation listings.
- What you can do after
- Operate/configure SQL Server installations with automated desired-state enforcement and correction of post-deployment drift.
Read how 100 SQL Server Mistakes and How to Avoid Them explains configuration management →
Acing the CCNA Exam: Volume 2 Advanced Networking and Security
Configuration management is the systematic process of defining, applying, tracking, and enforcing the configurations of devices or other infrastructure.
- How it is used
- Scales network configuration by standardizing, deploying, tracking, and enforcing device settings through automation.
- How deep it goes
- Explains standards, templates, centralized servers, configuration drift, and enforcement, then compares major automation architectures.
- Examples
- Uses DNS, NTP, routing, QoS, AAA, security, logging, monitoring, and Puppet service declarations as configuration examples.
- What you can do after
- Operate/configure it by applying standardized device states, automating changes, and enforcing consistency with infrastructure-as-code tools.
Infrastructure as Code, Patterns and Practices: With examples in Python and Terraform
The practice of maintaining systems in a defined configuration state across their lifecycle.
- How it is used
- Maintains desired server and resource states while supporting infrastructure testing, updates, security, and operational tuning.
- How deep it goes
- Defines fleet configuration, gives refactoring and recovery procedures, and defers detailed guidance for individual tools.
- Examples
- Uses 10,000-server package updates, modular refactoring, and package-version reversion as operational examples.
- What you can do after
- Operate configuration tools to enforce fleet-wide package states, refactor automation, and recover servers through forward changes.
Related concepts
- immutable collectioncontrasts with · An immutable collection is a collection whose membership and contents cannot be changed after creation.
- driftaddresses · Drift is a change over time in a system’s behavior, state, data, or configuration relative to a reference or expected baseline.
- environment variableuses · An environment variable is a named value supplied through an operating-system or process environment and made available to programs for runtime configuration or information.
- SQL Server instanceconfigures · A SQL Server instance is an independently configured and running installation of SQL Server that hosts databases, provides database services, and accepts connections.
- feature flaguses · A feature flag is a configuration control that conditionally enables, disables, or selects a software feature or behavior.
These guides are generated from the text of Manning books by Manning's knowledge graph and link to the sections they draw on. The full books are available on liveBook and at manning.com.