When it comes to IT, we spend more time putting out fires than preventing them in the first place. Whether it’s a server failing, a patch that breaks an app, or an audit looming… we always have this feeling that we’ve never really got our infrastructure under control.
This is where Maintenance in Operational Condition (MOC) comes in, which is all about making sure machines run continuously over time. In fact, this concept isn’t a million miles from Maintenance in Security Condition (MSC).
But in reality, unless you have the right tools, MOC and MSC can easily end up turning messy, with:
- self-made scripts
- procedures laid down in shared files (if at all)
- patches installed manually overnight.
Every single change you make then becomes a risk: Will this break anything? Is this really the right version? Has it been deployed everywhere?
Luckily, it doesn’t have to be that way. There is a solution out there.
Lay the foundations first ‒ with configuration management
To take back control of both operations and security, configuration management is the tool of choice for ops teams. The idea is simple: instead of managing machines manually, you use the power of automation to define their settings:
A web server needs to have a certain package, a certain config file, a certain active service…
A user extension needs to be patched and secured, with the right authorisations.
And once the target settings have been defined, they are then applied at all times ‒ automatically.
Whatever the tool, what matters most is how it’s programmed:
- Declarative: Tell it what you want it to do, not how to do it.
- Repeatable: Deploy the same configuration on 10, 100, or 1000 machines, as needed.
- Controlled: Make sure you always know where your configuration has been applied and whether it is drifting.
With this foundation in place, your MOC can move from pure chaos to one that you can depend on.
Automate your MOC and MSC: make manual efforts a thing of the past
Once you’ve got your configuration management sorted, you can sit back and relax, as you’ll find you no longer need to step in so often.
Here are some examples:
- If a security configuration hasn’t been applied correctly on a system, no problem ‒ it is remedied automatically.
- If a config file has been modified manually, no problem ‒ it is restored automatically.
- If you’ve got a new server being deployed, no problem ‒ it is configured automatically as soon as you classify it into a machine group.
That’s the beauty of automation. This doesn’t mean you won’t need to take any manual action at all. It just becomes the exception, not the rule.
What does that mean for you?
- Fewer errors
- Less time taken up on tasks
- Less relying on people with the infrastructure expertise
- And most importantly: less time configuring and patching systems.
Strengthen your security posture: introducing security by design
MSC is often seen as a layer to be added on further down the line.
Classic mistake.
With well-thought-out configuration management, security is incorporated from the outset:
- SSH access is configured
- Services you don’t need are disabled
- Benchmarks (like CIS or ANSSI) or internal security policies are applied
- Compliance is continuously verified, the list goes on…
These configurations and actions are designed to reduce your infrastructure vulnerabilities to a minimum from the very first day.
It also helps you to be prepared for audits. No more worrying: you know what’s in place, where, and why. No more panicking: you can demonstrate that drift is automatically rectified.
Deploy, patch, monitor: your single coherent ecosystem
Configuration management alone is not enough. It’s just one piece of the puzzle.
- Provisioning: If a new machine is detected, the right configurations are applied there and then.
- Managing vulnerabilities: If a CVE is detected, the systems in question are identified straight away and can be rectified quickly.
- Patching: If any of your systems are found to be outdated, they are identified and patch campaigns are run to keep them up to date at all times.
All of this becomes one seamless cycle: it is no longer about reacting, but staying ahead of the game.
Take a look at how Afnic relies on Rudder to keep its infrastructure dependable and secure: from configuration automation and continuous remediation to ISO 27001 compliance.
Track, test, trust
With a proper configuration tool, you finally get the clarity you’ve been longing for.
Who changed what? When? And why? You have crystal-clear logs and reports to tell you. Plus, alerts if anything goes awry.
And when it comes to audits, you can prove that your infrastructure is in a state of continuous operation.
Then, MOC and MSC aren’t just nice-to-haves… they’re a part and parcel of your day-to-day business.
Get your MOC and MSC under control ‒ and reap the rewards
Switching from reactive to proactive MOC and MSC driven by configuration management means switching:
- From chaos to control
- From a manual mess to automated assurance
- From time-consuming, low-value tasks to actions that make a real impact for your IT infrastructure.
And crucially, it means freeing up your ops teams to do what they do best: keep the systems running and the surprises to a minimum.
