In later chapters, we will learn more about using configuration-management tools with Vagrant for provisioning. While talking about Vagrant provisioning, this will be a good introduction to configuration management.

Configuration-management tools include Chef, Ansible, and Salt. We will be focusing on these three tools. Configuration management is essentially another word for provisioning and is used to set a machine to a desired state – this could be installing software or configuring certain settings.

Configuration-management tools often have a special file type or syntax that is used. We will be focusing on the following software:

• Ansible (uses playbooks)
• Chef (uses cookbooks)
• Docker (uses images)
• Puppet (uses manifests)
• Salt (uses states)

Configuration management is often used when a more powerful and flexible option is needed in your development and deployment process. A benefit of using configuration-management tools is the separation of concerns. Essentially, you don't rely on Vagrant to handle too much during the process in case you have any issues or you want the flexibility of being able to change which configuration-management tool you use. This could be a company decision due to budget or security.