TLDR: Configuration automation refers to the use of tools and scripts to automatically manage and apply configurations to systems, software, or environments. It eliminates manual intervention, ensuring consistency, accuracy, and repeatability across deployments. Widely adopted in DevOps practices, tools like Ansible, Chef, and Puppet enable teams to define configurations as code, supporting scalable and efficient infrastructure management.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Configuration_management
Configuration automation employs Infrastructure as Code (IaC) principles, allowing configurations to be described declaratively or procedurally in code. For instance, an Ansible playbook or Puppet manifest can define the desired state of servers, applications, and networking components. These configurations are version-controlled, enabling traceability and facilitating collaboration among teams. By automating repetitive configuration tasks, organizations reduce the risk of errors and prevent configuration drift.
https://www.redhat.com/en/topics/automation/what-is-configuration-management
Beyond efficiency, configuration automation enhances reliability and agility in dynamic environments, such as cloud-native and containerized infrastructures. Automated configurations ensure rapid scaling, quick recovery from failures, and consistent deployments across environments. Integration with CI/CD pipelines further accelerates delivery timelines, making configuration automation a cornerstone of modern IT operations and software delivery.
Build Tools – see also Package managers