Managing server infrastructures (i.e. everything below the application stack) is a lot of work. There is hardware to install, operating systems to set up, IP addresses to assign and backup the manage; at the same time, there are more to manage as the business grows. This talk will present several Python-based tools (namely cloud-init, curtin, MAAS, and Ansible) can help manage the infrastructure (even if the fleet is too small to justify huge investment in automation), and take a look at how they work under the hood.
[Slides](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1FY0xbFmV-vi_Y_q5X0pS_xPrM9Em_3r6p49SN8hygiw/edit?usp=sharing)
Links for the tools that were mentioned:
* [MAAS](https://maas.io) - self-service, remote installation of Windows, CentOS and Ubuntu
* [cloud-init](https://cloud-init.io) - the standard for customising cloud instances
* [curtin](https://curtin.readthedocs.io/en/stable/) - the curt installer. It is blunt, brief, snappish, snippety and unceremonious. Its goal is to install an operating system as quick as possible.
* [Ansible](https://www.ansible.com) - simple, agentless IT automation
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Alternative Toolings:
* Similar to MAAS
* [Netbox](https://github.com/digitalocean/netbox) (for IP Address Management)
* [Clobber](https://cobbler.github.io/)
* [Spacewalk](https://spacewalkproject.github.io/)
* [Foreman](http://theforeman.org/)
* [Razor](https://github.com/puppetlabs/razor-server)
* [Digital Rebar](https://rebar.digital/)
* Similar to Ansible, cloud-init, curtin
* [Chef](https://www.chef.io/)
* [Puppet](https://puppet.com/)
* [SaltStack](https://www.saltstack.com/)
* [Capistrano](https://capistranorb.com/)
* [Docker](https://www.docker.com/) (for setting up Application environment)
