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configuration-management skill

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This skill helps automate infrastructure configuration using Ansible, Puppet, Chef, and SaltStack, ensuring idempotent deployments and centralized variable

npx playbooks add skill pluginagentmarketplace/custom-plugin-devops --skill configuration-management

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Files (8)

SKILL.md

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---
name: configuration-management
description: Infrastructure configuration with Ansible, Chef, Puppet, and SaltStack for automated server management
sasmp_version: "1.3.0"
bonded_agent: 04-infrastructure-as-code
bond_type: PRIMARY_BOND
---

# Configuration Management Skill

## MANDATORY
- Ansible playbooks and roles
- Inventory management (static and dynamic)
- Idempotent configuration patterns
- Variable management and templating
- Common modules (package, service, file, user)

## OPTIONAL
- Chef cookbooks and recipes
- Puppet manifests and modules
- SaltStack states and pillars
- Configuration drift detection
- Secret management integration

## ADVANCED
- Custom Ansible modules
- Multi-environment orchestration
- Performance optimization for large fleets
- Integration with IaC tools
- Compliance as Code

## Assets
- See `assets/ansible-patterns.yaml` for playbook templates

Overview

This skill provides practical configuration management patterns and tooling for automated server management using Ansible, Chef, Puppet, and SaltStack. It focuses on idempotent, templated configurations, inventory strategies, and common modules to keep infrastructure consistent and reproducible. The goal is predictable CI/CD-ready deployments and scalable fleet management.

How this skill works

The skill inspects and generates configuration artifacts like Ansible playbooks and roles, inventory files (static and dynamic), and templated variables. It emphasizes idempotent tasks using common modules (package, service, file, user) and supports optional content for Chef cookbooks, Puppet manifests, and SaltStack states. Advanced capabilities include custom Ansible modules, multi-environment orchestration, and integration points for IaC and secret management.

When to use it

Automating server provisioning and application deployment across environments
Standardizing configuration across a growing fleet to prevent drift
Building CI/CD pipelines that apply repeatable, idempotent changes
Creating reusable playbooks, roles, or cookbooks for team use
Integrating configuration management with secrets, monitoring, or compliance workflows

Best practices

Design playbooks and roles to be idempotent and testable with small, focused tasks
Use variable files and templating for environment-specific differences, keep secrets out of repo
Prefer role reuse and modular resources to reduce duplication across environments
Maintain separate inventories for environments and use dynamic inventory for cloud fleets
Implement testing (linting, unit tests, runbooks) and drift detection as part of CI

Example use cases

Create an Ansible role to install and configure a web server with idempotent tasks and templates
Build dynamic inventory for autoscaled cloud instances and apply consistent security hardening
Author a multi-environment deployment pipeline that applies different variable sets per stage
Write a custom Ansible module to manage a proprietary service not covered by built-in modules
Integrate configuration runs with secret backends (Vault) and record changes for compliance

FAQ

Does this skill generate full playbooks and roles?

Yes — it provides templates and patterns for Ansible playbooks and roles and can scaffold inventory and variable structures; optional guidance is available for Chef, Puppet, and SaltStack.

How does it handle secrets and sensitive data?

It recommends integrating secret backends (Vault, KMS) and keeping secrets out of code by using templating and encrypted variable mechanisms.