What is Configuration Management in DevOps?
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Quick Answer
Configuration management is the practice of defining and maintaining the desired state of systems (packages, files, services, settings) as code, so environments are consistent, repeatable, and auditable.
Detailed Answer
Instead of manually configuring servers (which causes drift and snowflakes), you declare the target state in tools like Ansible, Puppet, or Chef and let them enforce it idempotently. This gives reproducible environments, easy scaling, version-controlled changes, and a clear audit trail.
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Interview Tip
Use the words idempotent and configuration drift — they are exactly what interviewers listen for here.
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