DevOps specialists manage more servers and apps than ever before in the present day. Dozens of configuration management (CM) solutions, such as Ansible and Puppet, have been launched to address the increasingly complicated responsibilities. According to GB Advisors, configuration management is a “crucial process,” whereas C2S Consulting Group states that CM is “essential in the DevOps approach to enable continuous integration.”

CM solutions let administrators simultaneously conduct actions on several servers and deploy multiple applications with a single click. But how do you choose the finest tool for your requirements? This article will explain the difference between Ansible and Puppet, allowing you to make informed decisions.

Background

Since 2005, Puppet has been the dominant participant in the CM industry with the most market share. Luke Kanies established the Oregon-based software development business Puppet. It was created in Ruby, is open source, and is compatible with all major operating systems, including Linux, Unix, Mac OS, and Windows. Oracle, Google, and other significant corporations use Puppet to manage their data servers.

Ansible was launched by Ansible Works in 2012, is now owned by Red Hat, and has a far lesser market share than Puppet, which is expected given Puppet’s much longer history. Like Puppet, it is open-source and offers an enterprise edition (Ansible Tower). Unlike Puppet, though, it was written in Python (not Ruby) and is intended to be lightweight and deploy quickly. Since Python comes preinstalled on most Unix and Linux systems, getting Ansible up and running is relatively simple, and its agentless nature further simplifies setup and usage. Additionally, the CLI accepts commands in almost any language.

Ansible vs. Puppet: Setup and Usage

Ansible is commonly regarded as easier to install and use. The Puppet was designed with system administrators in mind and is model-driven. It adheres to a client-server (or agent-master) architecture; you install Puppet Server on one or more servers and then install Puppet Agent on any node you want to control. Puppet employs a proprietary declarative language (domain-specific language, or DSL). The business estimates that installation takes between 10 and 30 minutes, depending on the environment and requirements.

Ansible has a master but no agents running on client computers; all operations are carried out through the SSH protocol. Being agentless is one of the most emphasized characteristics of Ansible’s simplicity. Despite being more complex in certain aspects, Puppet has benefits over Ansible in terms of usability. Before executing a job, syntax problems may be immediately noted with Puppet. This is a significant advantage.

Ansible vs. Puppet: Administration and Scheduling

Ansible vs. Puppet management relies on push and pulls settings. In Puppet, the client retrieves configurations from the server, but in Ansible, configurations are sent to the nodes for rapid deployment. In addition, Puppet settings must be written in Puppet’s language, while Ansible configurations are written in YAML, similar to English.

Every 30 minutes, Puppet Agent verifies that the nodes are in the appropriate condition. This functionality is not included in the accessible version of Ansible; you would need to utilize the commercial edition, Ansible Tower, for this.

Ansible vs. Puppet: Availability

Ansible and Puppet contain backups if a failure, ensuring availability is never compromised. Ansible has a backup node if the current node fails, while Puppet has several masters if the original master fails.

Ansible vs. Puppet: GUI

Puppet’s graphical user interface (GUI) is more developed than that of Ansible. It is used for viewing, managing, and monitoring; you will likely utilise the Ruby-based command-line interface CLI for more sophisticated activities.

Ansible was first presented as a command-line-only utility. Now, the corporate edition has a user interface, although it is not ideal. In actuality, the GUI is occasionally out of sync with the command line and cannot do the same actions.

Ansible vs. Puppet: Cost

As previously stated, Puppet and Ansible’s basic versions are free and open source. As for the cost of the commercial versions, it depends on the degree of assistance you need.

What is the cost of a puppet?

On up to 10 nodes, Puppet Enterprise may be evaluated for free. Standard support costs around $100 per node per year, whereas premium support costs $199 per node per year.

What is Ansible’s cost?

Ansible Tower offers three price tiers: Standard (also known as 8×5 support) is $10,000 per year for up to 100 nodes or $13,000 per year with Ansible Engine. Premium (24×7 support) is $14,000 per year for up to 100 nodes or $17,500 annually with Ansible Engine.

Which Is More Effective, Ansible or Puppet?

Ansible is often used for short, rapid, and temporary deployments, while Puppet is frequently used for more sophisticated or permanent installations. Ansible may be a better solution than Puppet if your machines are often being re-provisioned. If your devices are primarily fixed, Puppet may be a better choice.

Connect with DevOps consulting firm to know more about Ansible and Puppet.