Question

Difficulty: EasyCapabilities of Configuration Management Mechanisms (Puppet, Chef, Ansible)

A network administrator needs to select a configuration management tool to automate Cisco router configurations. The organization mandates an agentless architecture that executes playbooks over standard SSH or NETCONF connections without installing software on target devices. Which tool satisfies this requirement?

  1. AnsibleAnswer
  2. B
    Puppet
  3. C
    Chef
  4. D
    SaltStack in standard Minion mode

Answer

Ansible meets the requirement because it operates using an agentless architecture and executes playbooks over SSH or NETCONF.
Ansible uses an agentless architecture that does not require host agent software. It pushes configurations to network devices over standard management protocols such as SSH or NETCONF using structured YAML playbooks.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify key requirements from the scenario.
The requirement calls for an agentless configuration tool that uses SSH/NETCONF transport and playbooks.
Network appliances often cannot support third-party agent daemons natively.
2
Evaluate candidate configuration management tools.
Ansible is agentless and uses YAML playbooks over SSH/NETCONF, whereas Puppet and Chef primarily rely on client agents.
Comparing tool architectures identifies Ansible as the match for agentless requirements.

Key Concept

Agentless vs Agent-Based Configuration Management Architecture
Estimated Time:45s
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