Ansible vs StackStorm: What are the differences?

Introduction:

In the world of automation, Ansible and StackStorm are two popular tools used to streamline and simplify IT operations. While both tools aim to achieve similar goals, there are key differences that set them apart.

1. Architecture and Extensibility: Ansible follows a client-server architecture, where the main control node communicates with managed nodes over SSH or APIs. It uses a push model, where changes are pushed to the systems. On the other hand, StackStorm is based on an event-driven architecture. It listens for events and triggers actions based on them, making it highly extensible and suitable for event-driven environments.

2. Community and Ecosystem: Ansible has a massive community and a rich ecosystem of playbooks, modules, and roles available for various tasks. This makes it easier for users to reuse existing code and share best practices. StackStorm, although relatively newer, also has an active community and growing ecosystem, but it may have a narrower range of available integrations compared to Ansible.

3. Workflow Automation vs Configuration Management: Ansible is primarily focused on configuration management and orchestration. It excels in managing and ensuring consistency across infrastructure and application configurations. StackStorm, on the other hand, is more focused on workflow automation and event-driven actions. It can integrate with various tools and systems to automate complex workflows.

4. Language and Learning Curve: Ansible uses a declarative language called YAML for defining playbooks, making it relatively easy to understand and write. The learning curve for Ansible is usually considered smoother for beginners. StackStorm, on the other hand, uses a combination of YAML and Python. While this allows for greater flexibility and complexity, it may require users to have a stronger understanding of Python and scripting.

5. Approach to Idempotency: In Ansible, idempotency is a core principle. It ensures that a particular state or configuration is maintained consistently across multiple runs, reducing the risk of unintended changes. StackStorm, being event-driven, may not inherently enforce idempotency. Actions triggered by events need to be carefully designed to achieve the desired idempotent behavior.

6. Integration with Configuration Management Tools: Ansible seamlessly integrates with various configuration management tools, such as Puppet, Chef, and SaltStack. It can leverage their capabilities for specific tasks. StackStorm, while it may complement configuration management tools, is not specifically built for direct integration with them. It focuses more on workflow automation and event-driven actions rather than managing configuration details directly.

In summary, Ansible is a powerful configuration management and orchestration tool with a large community and extensive ecosystem, focusing on managing infrastructure and application configurations, while StackStorm is an event-driven workflow automation tool, offering greater extensibility and flexibility but with a steeper learning curve, narrower integration options, and a different approach to idempotency.