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AWS OpsWorks vs Puppet Labs: What are the differences?
Introduction:
Key Differences between AWS OpsWorks and Puppet Labs
Deployment: One key difference between AWS OpsWorks and Puppet Labs is the deployment process. AWS OpsWorks relies on a stack-based approach for deployment where you define infrastructure as a set of layers within a stack, while Puppet Labs follows a node-based approach where you manage individual servers directly.
Integration: Another difference lies in the integration capabilities of the two platforms. AWS OpsWorks integrates seamlessly with other AWS services, making it easier to incorporate additional resources from the AWS ecosystem. On the other hand, Puppet Labs offers more flexibility in terms of integration with various third-party tools and services.
Management Complexity: AWS OpsWorks abstracts much of the underlying infrastructure management, offering a more simplified and streamlined experience for users. Puppet Labs, on the other hand, provides more granular control over configuration management, allowing for deep customization but potentially adding complexity to the management process.
Scalability: When it comes to scalability, AWS OpsWorks provides built-in auto-scaling capabilities that can automatically adjust the number of instances in a layer based on traffic patterns. Puppet Labs, while scalable, requires additional configuration and setup to achieve the same level of dynamic scaling.
Cost: In terms of cost, AWS OpsWorks pricing is based on usage and resources consumed, making it more predictable for users with fluctuating workloads. Puppet Labs, on the other hand, offers both open-source and commercial versions, with potential licensing costs depending on the scale and requirements of the deployment.
Support: AWS OpsWorks offers integrated support from AWS, providing users with direct access to AWS experts and resources for troubleshooting and assistance. Puppet Labs, while offering community support through forums and documentation, also provides commercial support options for users requiring dedicated assistance.
In Summary, the key differences between AWS OpsWorks and Puppet Labs lie in their deployment approach, integration capabilities, management complexity, scalability options, cost structure, and support offerings.
Personal Dotfiles management
Given that they are all “configuration management” tools - meaning they are designed to deploy, configure and manage servers - what would be the simplest - and yet robust - solution to manage personal dotfiles - for n00bs.
Ideally, I reckon, it should:
- be containerized (Docker?)
- be versionable (Git)
- ensure idempotency
- allow full automation (tests, CI/CD, etc.)
- be fully recoverable (Linux/ macOS)
- be easier to setup/manage (as much as possible)
Does it make sense?
I recommend whatever you are most comfortable with/whatever might already be installed in the system. Note that, for personal dotfiles, it does not need to be containerized or have full automation/testing. It just needs to handle multiple OS and platform and be idempotent. Git will handle the heavy lifting. Note that you'll have to separate out certain files like the private SSH keys and write your CM so that it will pull it from another store or assist in manually importing them.
I personally use Ansible since it is a serverless design and is in Python, which I prefer to Ruby. Saltstack was too new when I started to port my dotfile management scripts from shell into a configuration management tool. I think any of the above is fine.
You should check out SaltStack. It's a lot more powerful than Puppet, Chef, & Ansible. If not Salt, then I would go Ansible. But stay away from Puppet & Chef. 10+ year user of Puppet, and 2+ year user of Chef.
Chef is a definite no-go for me. I learned it the hard way (ie. got a few tasks in a prod system) and it took quite a lot to grasp it on an acceptable level. Ansible in turn is much more straightforward and much easier to test.
I'm just getting started using Vagrant to help automate setting up local VMs to set up a Kubernetes cluster (development and experimentation only). (Yes, I do know about minikube)
I'm looking for a tool to help install software packages, setup users, etc..., on these VMs. I'm also fairly new to Ansible, Chef, and Puppet. What's a good one to start with to learn? I might decide to try all 3 at some point for my own curiosity.
The most important factors for me are simplicity, ease of use, shortest learning curve.
I have been working with Puppet and Ansible. The reason why I prefer ansible is the distribution of it. Ansible is more lightweight and therefore more popular. This leads to situations, where you can get fully packaged applications for ansible (e.g. confluent) supported by the vendor, but only incomplete packages for Puppet.
The only advantage I would see with Puppet if someone wants to use Foreman. This is still better supported with Puppet.
If you are just starting out, might as well learn Kubernetes There's a lot of tools that come with Kube that make it easier to use and most importantly: you become cloud-agnostic. We use Ansible because it's a lot simpler than Chef or Puppet and if you use Docker Compose for your deployments you can re-use them with Kubernetes later when you migrate
Pros of AWS OpsWorks
- Devops32
- Cloud management19
Pros of Puppet Labs
- Devops52
- Automate it44
- Reusable components26
- Dynamic and idempotent server configuration21
- Great community18
- Very scalable12
- Cloud management12
- Easy to maintain10
- Free tier9
- Works with Amazon EC26
- Declarative4
- Ruby4
- Works with Azure3
- Works with OpenStack3
- Nginx2
- Ease of use1
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Cons of AWS OpsWorks
Cons of Puppet Labs
- Steep learning curve3
- Customs types idempotence1