Puppet is a configuration management tool used to simplify system administration. It relies on a client/server model whereby managed nodes running a Puppet agent process pull down and talk to Puppet master configuration profiles.
Examples of What Can Puppet Automate
Standardize Service Accounts
Many enterprises manage local service accounts on servers. Having a handful of service accounts distributed across various operating systems is common in the modern-day enterprise. These services often lack consistent UIDs (use identifications), SSH keys, group memberships, and other key configuration elements. Puppet has an account module to help deal with this problem. The account module gives organizations an easier way to standardize service accounts across operating systems.
Scheduled Tasks and Cron Jobs
IT personnel use Cron jobs when they want to run regularly scheduled tasks. Keeping track of Cron jobs in a large organization can be challenging. If left unchecked, Cron jobs can wreak havoc on systems, making it hard to trace the problem. Puppet Enterprise gives organizations the ability to manage Cron resources. Admins can see where and why each Cron job exists.
Standardize Network Time Protocol (NTP)
Organizations configure an NTP when installing a server and never touch it again. For this reason, NTP configurations are not always consistent across servers. Discrepancies in time between different servers can result in unexpected system failures that can be hard to track. The Puppet NTP module can help organizations apply consistent NTP settings across all servers.
Organizations looking to automate their operations should try Puppet. Puppet enables IT admins to improve productivity by automating manual, error-prone tasks.