5 Configuration Management and Reusable Automation Free Online FlashCards

What is configuration management?

Configuration management describes, applies, and checks system settings such as packages, files, services, and users.

What does declarative configuration specify?

It states the desired result, leaving the automation tool to determine the actions needed to reach it.

What does an imperative script focus on?

An imperative script focuses on a sequence of commands, rather than simply declaring the intended result.

What is idempotence in configuration automation?

Applying the same configuration again should leave the system in the desired state without repeating unnecessary changes.

Why should automation be tested before repeated or production use?

Not every task or module is automatically idempotent, so automation should be tested before repeated or production use.

In an Ansible package task, what does state: present declare?

It declares that the package should be present; an idempotent task makes no change if the package is already installed.

What is a configuration template?

A template is a reusable text pattern whose variable values generate configuration suited to different hosts or environments.

How do Ansible templates vary generated configuration by environment?

Ansible templates use Jinja2 expressions, with variables supplying environment-specific values.

Why validate a rendered configuration file?

A syntactically valid template can still generate an invalid service configuration, so validate the rendered file.

How do Ansible roles and Terraform modules support reuse?

Ansible roles organize reusable automation; Terraform modules group resources that can be called with different inputs.

What does version control provide for configuration?

It records changes over time, enabling teams to compare revisions, identify who changed a setting, collaborate, and restore earlier versions.

What are key safeguards in a configuration change workflow?

Review the diff for unintended changes, unsafe values, or secrets; then run checks and tests before merging and deploying in a controlled way.