If you're not sure why Software Configuration Management Tools are important, then here's why. Sometimes the frequent introduction of a large number of changes during the development process puts developers in an ambiguous and complicated situation, making the wrong choice between various modified versions of a software product, thereby delivering previous or different versions.

This behavior will produce various wrong results, such as successfully passing the software test, finding fewer defects, etc., while the required version may produce opposite results. To avoid this situation, software configuration management is required. And hence, in this top tools list, we have curated a list of Top 25 Software Configuration Management (SCM) Tools.

In the context of software engineering, the term "software configuration management (SCM)" refers to the activity of systematically monitoring and controlling changes or modifications, and is often introduced during the development of software products.

1. Server Configuration Monitor - Solarwinds

The server configuration monitor is one of the software configuration management tools to detect and compare configuration changes to servers, applications, and databases.

You can configure the application and server in real-time i.e. SolarWinds provides server configuration monitors to detect unauthorized configuration changes on servers and applications and helps in the configuration of Windows and Linux Baseline servers and applications.

It improves the visibility and responsibility of the team and reduces the troubleshooting time.

Key Features:

• It has the function of discovering differences between configurations.

• SolarWinds Server Configuration Monitor provides alerts and reports of baseline deviations in near real-time.

• Improves change auditing function by monitoring script output.

• It can track changes that take place in and on servers and applications.

2. Bamboo Configuration Management

Bamboo is Atlassian's famous continuous delivery tool, which provides good support for version management and regular delivery. It is based on the Java programming language and is essentially cross-platform.

The advantage of Bamboo is that it provides users (developers, administrators, testers, etc.) a common shared space to share work and information containing sensitive data.

It provides efficient support for linking automatic build, test, and release into a unified workflow. Companies like Walmart, Target, Kaseya Limited, Zendesk Inc. have been using Bamboo for configuration management operations.

Bamboo has been found to work with almost all popular languages and technologies. It provides continuous delivery operations from source code to implement that reaches the customer.

Key Features:

• Bamboo provides a dedicated proxy feature that allows users to run critical builds and patches immediately without waiting.

• Bamboo supports Dev + Ops, which means everything from integration to deployment to delivery.

• By using Bamboo, you can get a better and improved IC/CD.

• Bamboo is a technology stack because it applies to any language and other great technologies like AWS, Docker, etc.

• Bamboo provides a dedicated proxy function that users can use to critically review and build immediately without waiting.
  
  
  

3. IBM Rational Team Concert

IBM Rational Team Concert (RTC) is a software extension to the team association tool developed and designed by the IBM Rational Software brand.

It uses change and configuration management (CCM) applications to provide functionality for consolidated development project tasks, including replica planning, process definition, control, defect tracking, source control, build, and schema automation.

Rational Team Concert makes it more efficient to exchange information directly in your work environment. The software has a client version and a web version.

It enables the collective environment used by software development teams to control all aspects of their work, such as proposals, distribution, source code management, build management, and schematics.

Using IBM RTC, you can easily create Rational Team Concert project areas and activities so that the project team can effectively adopt the best practices of agile development, transformation, and release management.

Key Features:

• Support software reuse and component-based development

• Improve productivity

• This IBM tool provides a highly scalable platform

• Ability to integrate with other products

• Customize the dashboard to understand the meeting status.

  
  

4. CFEngine Configuration Tool

CFEngine was launched in 1993 and is a leading configuration management tool that can provide automated maintenance and configuration for large-scale IT systems, including unified management of systems, servers, mobile devices, and networks.

Provided as an open-source tool and commercial software, it is considered the perfect choice for process and task management, configuration, and patch management. It has high scalability, security, cost-effectiveness, and high availability.

Developers looking for faster configuration management in large and small deployments often choose this tool. It helps to automatically implement updates and changes to nodes as needed. Orange, Linked In, PayPal, Locaweb, and other organizations have been enjoying the benefits of CFEngine.

Key Features:

• It enables you to automatically deploy updates and changes to every node of the infrastructure.

• This is the best configuration management tool to help you define the necessary health and configuration of your IT infrastructure.

• It uses autonomous agents that are running on all nodes of its infrastructure.

5. Puppet Configuration Tool

Puppet configuration tool is an open-source platform used by IT administrators to register system components, constantly discovering information and creating dependency catalogs.

It is written in Ruby and records data in its declarative language, reminiscent of JSON.

It is scalable enough to meet the needs of businesses and organizations large and small.

Founded in 2005, Puppet has been loved by many organizations around the world, including Google, Red Hat, Siemens, Harvard Law School, Cisco, Cognizant, etc.

A strong user base contributes to its source code. Puppet is mainly used for large infrastructures with good documentation and community support. It is based on Ruby and utilizes a flexible domain scripting language, which can be easily run on any platform that supports Ruby.

Key Features:

• The main components of the doll are the puppet server, the console of the puppet company, the puppet agent, and the puppetdb.

• This best configuration management tool helps you use your favorite version control system to manage infrastructure like code.

• This SCM tool allows you to fully control and view your software delivery process.

• Automatically configured in your IT infrastructure

• It enables you to make quick changes or fix urgent problems as well as model-based automated management.

6. Saltstack Configuration Tool

SaltStack is a popular configuration management tool that runs on a decentralized model based on the Python language. It is based on the open-source project originally released in 2011 and provides push and SSH methods for efficient customer communication.

It provides convenience for a group of clients and uses configuration templates to easily manage environmental parameters.

SaltStack makes it easy to define security software states and implement them across the entire IT infrastructure.

It provides easy integration with security processes and helps in continuous compliance. It is tightly integrated with ServiceNow and is suitable for IT Service Management (ITSM) for medium and large organizations. Lyft, Linked In, Trivago, Robinhood, Hulu are some of the many companies that use SaltStack.

Key Features:

• The introspection feature provided by Salt allows you to easily see what's going on inside Salt.

• Salt Cloud integrates with various cloud providers, such as Google Cloud, Amazon Web Services, etc.

• Saltstack has DSL features, so it does not require any logic or state.

• It is simple and easy to use because you can run the entire setup process.

7. Rudder Tool

The rudder is an open-source cross-platform configuration management tool that provides effective system compliance. And the concept of associated configuration management and continuous auditing.

Originating from Europe, Rudder has been used to meet production infrastructure requirements and maintain them appropriately. It can display high-level summaries or broadcast non-compliance issues at a detailed level.

Key Features:

• Provide an automatic inventory of hardware and software.

• The web interface feature helps you manage nodes and define environmental policies.

• It allows you to dynamically generate host policies.

• This software configuration management tool allows you to automate simple management tasks such as installation or configuration

8. Red Hat Ansible Configuration Tool

Using Ansible is one of the easiest ways to automate the application and IT infrastructure.

It helps to mitigate communication between the IT army and is easy to use.

Ansible is an ideal open-source, SCM Jenkins configuration tool based on thrust for automation engines.

Key Features:

• The Ansible tool provides a simple IT automation solution. Help you avoid repetitive tasks and free up more strategic work for the development team.

9. ConfigHub

ConfigHub helps teams manage, protect, and deliver configurations across the stack. This tool allows you to store, manage, and distribute software configurations for a single application or distributed system.

Key Features:

• When config is included with code, changes are almost always made by the developer, and the same changes must be applied in multiple places.

• There is no disk data that can be used, searched, or filtered.

• ConfigHub eliminates duplication of files and key values ​​by using context. Zero duplication means fewer errors and a lot of time savings.

• ConfigHub has developed world-class support for dynamic configuration contexts, separating application instances from their required configuration data, leading the way in generating host-independent system topologies.

10. Chef

Chef is an open-source cloud configuration management and deployment application. It aims to support the orchestration of servers in the cloud or a departmental data center.

Chef allows DevOps to quickly spin off tens or hundreds of server instances, instead of sysadmins tormenting management programs designed on a single standalone server.

Chef allows programmers and system administrators to collaborate. Rather than having developers create applications and waiting for Ops staff to understand how to deploy software, Chef serves the community altogether.

Chef enables the core goal of the DevOps movement, an effective and automated workflow, to move the process to a continuous delivery model with a naughty release cycle.

Key Features:

• It provides libraries for building infrastructure for easy deployment.

• It is one of the most popular SMC tools that provide support and packages for configuring infrastructure in code.

11. ButterCMS

Butter CMS is a content management system that can provide secure and scalable content management solutions for markets, e-commerce, SaaS, and other industries. The monthly payment option is priced at $49, and the annual subscription is priced at $40/month.

ButterCMS is an API-based CMS and blog engine. As a headless content management system, it can be integrated into existing applications with any technology stack, whether it is programming languages, coding frameworks, libraries, tools, and architectures.

Key Features:

• It comprises a media library that is associated with content CDN modeling.

• It works with every technology stack

• Infrastructure: Multi-sites and encompassing environments

• Build-in SEO

12. AWS OpsWorks

AWS OpsWorks service can automate the deployment, configuration, and operation of distributed applications.

It automatically performs different tasks, such as package installation, database configuration, software configuration, server expansion, etc. Scale applications based on time or load, and take action based on resource status and granted permissions.

AWS OpsWorks is a configuration management service that provides managed Chef and Puppet instances. OpsWorks Stacks provides the flexibility to define application architecture and resource settings.

Key Features:

• The intuitive interface allows you to quickly find what you want to do and other functions in OpsWorks.

• It provides libraries for building infrastructure for easy deployment.

• It is one of the most popular SMC tools that provide support and packages for configuring infrastructure in code.

• Create consistently sharable, reusable components called recipes that are used to automate your infrastructure.

13. Docker

The Docker engine is the core of this tool, responsible for managing the implementation of containers and applications. Docker hub is responsible for maintaining and managing application repositories. Users can easily and simply share, send and run it anywhere.

Docker was launched in 2013 as one of the competing technologies, providing excellent configuration management and container virtualization capabilities.

Key Features:

• Easily scalable.

• Application Isolation.

• Reduced infrastructure.

• Increased and Improved productivity.

• Faster configuration.

14. SVN: SubVersion

SVN is open-source and one of the most widely used software configuration management tools. It manages files and directories and introduces changes over time.

You can revert to the previous version to study and analyze the changes. It communicates the changes implemented in the file, along with the advantage of being able to undo the changes.

Key Features:

• Imparts the changes, implemented in the file along with the advantage of undoing the changes.

• Easy to install and manage.

• Works on multiple networks.

• Easy point-to-point switching.

15. IBM Rational Clearcase

An IBM product originally developed by Atria Software and licensed under the IBM EULA. It is an enterprise management application that supports work and builds management, file, and directory management throughout the development life cycle.

It helps to manage parallel development and to support design data management of electronic design deliverables.

Also offers the benefits of software and hardware development. It can integrate with other development tools and frameworks such as Visual Studio, Eclipse.

Key Features:

• Manage parallel development.

• Ability to integrate with frameworks with other development tools such as Visual Studio, Eclipse, etc.

• Allows you to manage your edit bug cycle in an effective way

• Ability to store binary files and large repositories of files.

16. Concurrent Version System (CVS)

CVS is a version control system and an important part of Source Configuration Management (SCM). Using it, you can record the history of source files and documents. Its function is similar to that of the freeware RCS, PRCS, and Aegis package.

CVS is a production-quality system widely used throughout the world, including many free software projects.

If for geographic or political reasons, multiple developers or teams want to maintain their file versions, the CVS vendor branch can import a version from another team (even if they don't use CVS), and then, if necessary, CVS can combine the supplier branch changes with the latest files.

The CVS server runs on most variants of Unix, and clients for Windows NT / 95, OS / 2, and VMS can also be used. CVS will also run on local repositories on Windows 95 / NT in what is sometimes called server mode.

Key Features:

• Project lifecycle automation, configurable item identification

• Cost-effective quality output, reliable stability, the system will continue to run and run.

• Simplifies your organization's change management process.

• Useful for project management, auditing, and debugging in known and reliable conditions.

• Seamless integration with the version control system, testing, bug tracking tools, and more.

17. Borland StarTeam

Borland StarTeam is an SCM tool along with SDLC software applications licensed based on designated and concurrent end-user licenses.

It has a revision control system used for software development on projects with teams distributed in several locations and also a client server-based application supported by a relational database to absorb and maintain all changes during development and version management and quarterly. It has the benefits of live and dynamic backup.

The multilingual tools interconnect to provide better footage for project traceability as well as saving requirements, project work, change requests, and discussions.

Key Features:

• It can meet all kinds of workflow requirements, from simple to complex

• Advantages of live and dynamic backups.

• It not only stores requirements, project tasks, change requests, and discussions, but links them together to give you a more accurate picture of your project's tracking.

• Works on multiple networks.

• Imparts the changes, implemented in the file along with the advantage of undoing the changes.

• Easy to install and manage.

18. JUJU Configuration Tool

Juju is a service orchestration management tool that can promote software integration, deployment and scalability, and has a wide and fast range of servers in the Cloud.

It focuses on reducing the operational burden of modern software by providing services such as faster deployment and execution of operational routines across a wide range of public and private cloud services. Juju provides features such as configuration, expansion, rapid deployment, and integration.

Juju is well suited for running multiple PaaS on a single platform. It has multimode deployment. JaaS, or Juju as a Service, has always been an effective solution for running and configuring infrastructure in the cloud. It is scalable and flexible and is very suitable for companies running CMS.

Key Features:

• This software configuration management tool provides software configuration functions.

• You can use this tool for multiple PaaS on one platform.

• It supports instant integration and expansion.

• Kubernetes cluster deployment role.

• It can help you solve most of the complex problems related to service scale by using charm.

19. Hyscale tool

HyScale comes to standardize the delivery of container-based applications. It enables your team to focus on applications, while the platform handles the complexity of delivering them to Kubernetes.

Key Features:

• This configuration management software can be easily integrated with existing CI pipelines or imported into existing shells.

• It deploys Kubernetes with one click.

• A seamless interface between developers and DevOps/IT

• Export the generated YAML file without blocking.

20. PowerShell DSC

Desired State Configuration (DSC) is a key PowerShell feature that can help automate Windows, Linux, and other configurations.

It provides a set of PowerShell language extensions, a procedure called declarative scripting, and other cmdlets. DSC is a new management platform in Windows PowerShell that is used to deploy and manage configuration data and the environment in which services run.

PowerShell DSC mainly involves three components: resources, settings, and local configuration manager. DSC configuration is a script that performs some special functions. PowerShell DSC is an infrastructure-as-code technology that creates managed object format files and configures Windows-related computers.

Key Features:

• Network file transfer.

• Constrained run spaces.

• Error handlings,

• Background Job.

• Schedule Job

• Tab expansion

21. Octopus Deploy

Founded in 2012, Octopus Deploy has been an automated enabler for the deployment of complex applications, whether on-premises or in the cloud.

It is a modern configuration management tool suitable for version management, automated deployment, and runbook automation. Contacting software teams, managers, and operations teams can help break down the department’s information silos.

It is used by many companies around the world such as Microsoft, Xero, NASA, Disney, Starbucks, Olo, Craft base, etc. Octopus Deploy has attracted much attention because of its main advantages. Provide repeatable and accurate implementations, simplifying complex implementations.

Provide effective support for platforms such as ASP.NET, Java, NodeJS, and other scripting languages.

Key Features:

• Provide a reliable and repeatable implementation

• The octopus can promote release into the environment.

• Complex implementation becomes easy.

• This software configuration management tool provides world-class platform support, such as ASP.NET, Node.js, Java, and many other scripting languages ​​and platforms.

22. TeamCity Configuration tool

Launched in 2006, TeamCity is JetBrains' experienced continuous integration and build management tool. Run unlimited builds and provide up to 100 setup jobs.

It is scalable and customizable and can provide higher code quality for any project. It seeks to deliver high-quality software in a faster way, including all types of development practices and workflows. Even if the build is not running, TeamCity can ensure that the continuous integration server remains stable and running normally.

It enables users to quickly find build status, understand the basic reason for activation, download current build materials, and more. It is called a "smart CI server" because it extends support for integration without installing plugins or modifying build scripts.

Key Features:

• It can help you keep the CI server healthy and stable even when there is no compilation and execution

• Scalability and customization

• Real-time construction progress report

• Project-level cloud configuration file

• This software configuration management tool provides better code quality for any project.

• Full VCS integration

23. Alibaba Application Configuration Management

Alibaba Application Configuration Management Also known as ACM, Alibaba enables you to centrally manage application configuration and enhance the service capabilities of big data, DevOps, and microservices. Alibaba also provides multi-level caching and guarantees 99.99% server availability.

Key Features:

• Separate sensitive data from application code and operating environment.

• Provides real-time configuration for your environment.

• Provides multi-tier caching services to ensure 99.99% server availability.

• Supports full lifecycle configuration push logs. Support release management

staging, and production environment.

Cost

Open-source

25. Desktop Central

Desktop Central SCM also includes an auto-completion feature, which allows you to type just one letter, and the software will complete it for you automatically. This feature can be very useful when working with large files, such as configurations or source codes. The tool can be used for development, staging, and production environments and is built on top of PostgreSQL databases.

The tool has many features that have been designed to make it easy to use. The most important one is its user interface, which includes a series of buttons that allow you to perform different tasks. The tool helps developers to work with multiple SCM tools using a single repository while still being able to use the same code base across different repositories

Key Features

• The software inventory feature enables users to create, update and maintain a complete database of their software inventory.

• It allows users to track changes made to their deployed code base over time by comparing it against previous versions.

• Users can also view changes made by other groups within their organization

Cost

$104/Month

Features and Advantages Of SCM

1. Enable Change Control Processes

Since the software configuration management tool is version-controlled and text-aware, we can make changes to the code. Changes can be made as a merge request and submitted for review.

2. Enforcement

With this feature, the user can make sure that the system is configured in the required state by running the required function every day.

3. Version Control Friendly

Users are allowed to choose the work versions on their own, the work versions in which they are comfortable.

Conclusion

Organizations look for open source and more effective tools, they can be beneficial to their organization because they have less staff strength and financial status.

They are based on the most widely used programming languages ​​such as Java and .net. and support multi-functional and multi-operating system platforms. These tools are compatible with cloud adoption and 24/7 support.

If companies want the benefits of expansion, they can choose the enterprise version. These tools have multiple functions, granularity and orchestration, idempotency, interoperability, and minimal learning curve.

FAQs

What are SCM Tools?

In the context of software engineering, the term "software configuration management (SCM)" refers to the activity of systematically monitoring and controlling changes or modifications, and is often introduced during the development of software products.

It is an important part of the larger configuration management area and is independent of the development process.

Which SCM tools does Jenkins support?

AccuRev, CVS, Subversion, Git, Mercurial, Perforce, ClearCase, RTC, and can run projects based on Apache Ant, Apache Maven, and sbt, and can also run arbitrary shell scripts and commands in batches through Windows.

What are the SCM tools in DevOps?

The top 3 tools in DevOps are listed below:-

• Team Foundation Server (TFS)

• GitLab

• Helix Core Version Control

What is the main aim of any SCM tool?

Generally, the main aim of any SCM tool is to control and track changes in a particular software.

In Software Configuration Management (SCM) which doesn't even relate to the domain?Risk

Risk management is termed to be not related to Software Configuration Management (SCM)Risk management is termed to be not related to Software Configuration Management (SCM)