Chef is a commercial configuration utility, offering automated server management for both localized enterprise-scale, as well as, cloud-based networks. The system was originally written, and developed, in Ruby and Erling by Adam Jacob. The systems was first launched in 2009.
The system´s automation model is compliant with localized client/server topologies utilizing; RHEL/CentOS, GNU/Linux, Oracle Linux, AT&T Unix, MS Windows, FreeBSD, Mac OS X, IBM AIX illumos; in addition to de-coupled server platforms. On the cloud-side; Chef also applies equally to large-scale public networks such as; Internap, Amazon EC2, Google Cloud Platform, OpenStack, SoftLayer, Microsoft Azure and Rackspace.
As a general structure, Chef is similar to Puppet, since it utilizes a stored files/call model in order to execute its overall process-chain. In Chef Users develop ´menus´ of stored elements that are, in turn, driven across a network as required.
Chef´s essential value points apply to:
- Simplified automation – Chef automation simplifies and corrects failure scenarios by clearly establishing, identifying, and storing necessary resources discretely
- Dependability – Chef offers maturity and extended quality assurance and well-understood stability
- Automated resource validation – Chef´s intuitive configuration engine validates and trims all resource elements to ensure network accuracy and stability in real-time.
- Wide-acceptance – Chef is considered to be one of the four-horsemen of systems configuration in company with Puppet, Ansible and Otter
Each of these configurators offer varying levels of operational value, and depend on the specific requirements of each OS, or overarching network infrastructure. Regardless, however, Chef, Puppet and Ansible consulting services are readily available across the Dev Ops community, thereby creating a host of opportunities for enterprise´s to get what they need quickly, and with a minimum of cost and effort.