AWS Config vs AWS OpsWorks: What are the differences?

Introduction

In this article, we will discuss the key differences between AWS Config and AWS OpsWorks.

1. Automation and Configuration Management: AWS Config is a fully managed service that provides detailed insights into the resources and configurations in an AWS environment. It continuously monitors and records configuration changes, allowing users to assess their overall compliance and provide audits. On the other hand, AWS OpsWorks is a configuration management service that uses Chef or Puppet to automate application deployment, infrastructure provisioning, and configuration management.

2. Granularity: AWS Config operates at a granular level, allowing users to track configuration changes for individual AWS resources, such as EC2 instances, S3 buckets, IAM roles, etc. It provides a comprehensive inventory of resource configurations over time. In contrast, AWS OpsWorks focuses on managing and automating the deployment and configuration of applications and infrastructure components as software stacks.

3. Management Approach: AWS Config follows a proactive approach, continuously monitoring the resources and configurations to ensure compliance with desired configurations and best practices. Users can set rules and receive notifications whenever a resource goes out of compliance. AWS OpsWorks, on the other hand, is more reactive, providing a way to automate and manage infrastructure and application deployments, responding to changes in real-time.

4. Integration with Other AWS Services: AWS Config integrates with several other AWS services, including AWS CloudTrail, AWS IAM, AWS SNS, AWS Lambda, etc. It leverages these services to provide a comprehensive configuration management solution. In contrast, AWS OpsWorks focuses more on managing the configuration and deployment of applications and infrastructure within AWS, providing its own set of integrated services.

5. Ease of Use: AWS Config is a service that requires setup and configuration to start monitoring and recording resource configurations. It provides a detailed dashboard and API for accessing the recorded configuration data. AWS OpsWorks, on the other hand, provides a simpler setup, allowing users to define and manage stacks, layers, and applications using a user-friendly interface or AWS CLI.

6. Applicability: AWS Config is suitable for users who require detailed visibility and control over their AWS resources' configurations, compliance, and change management. It is particularly useful for organizations that need to meet specific regulatory or security requirements. AWS OpsWorks, on the other hand, is targeted towards users who want to automate and manage the deployment and configuration of their applications and infrastructure within AWS.

In Summary, AWS Config is a configuration management service that provides detailed insights into resource configurations and compliance, while AWS OpsWorks is focused on automating and managing application and infrastructure deployments within AWS.