In Search of a Complete and Scalable Systems Administration Suite

Any large IT site consists of many different components, each at various stages of evolution: old, current, next release. They have from the SA perspective, very little in common and their internal SA takes place in disjunct domains. The configuration files are not in a single repository and the native SA tools, if they exist, are different. Their coherency requires bespoke tools and procedures on top.

Popular marketing information creates the belief that an all encompassing System Administration Tool that could reduce the cost of operating this all, does exist.

Over the years a number of promising, and outright recommended, tools were evaluated in SIEP, leading to many disappointments.

A summary of the findings, leading to way of assessing a suite's internal engines and coverage against a given site, is presented.