DevNet Associate (DEVASC) v1.0Infrastructure and AutomationMedium
A network administrator is designing an automated workflow to deploy configuration changes across multiple Cisco IOS XE devices. The solution requires push-based configuration and the ability to define the desired state of devices. Which automation tool, known for its agentless architecture and use of YAML playbooks, is best suited for this task?
- ASaltStack
- BChef
- CPuppet
- DAnsible
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: D. Ansible
Ansible is an automation engine that excels at configuration management, application deployment, and orchestration. It is agentless, relying on SSH for communication with managed nodes, and uses YAML-based playbooks to define desired states and tasks, making it ideal for push-based network configuration.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. SaltStack uses a master-minion architecture and Python-based 'states' and 'formulas', but Ansible's agentless nature is a key differentiator for this scenario.
- B. Chef uses a client-server architecture with agents and Ruby-based 'cookbooks'.
- C. Puppet uses a client-server architecture with agents and its own DSL (Puppet DSL).
Ansible
Ansible is an open-source automation engine for configuration management, application deployment, and task automation. It is agentless and uses YAML for defining playbooks.
- Agentless architecture (uses SSH).
- Uses YAML for playbooks.
- Idempotent operations.
- Strong support for network automation.
Memory trick: Automation tools manage configurations, some agentless, some agent-based.