Changes

If new SAs at the site read some internal documentation about installing and configuring system software, they dont have any assurance that following the documentation will achieve the desired effects they are looking for. The SA is much better off using a script that has been used all the previous times the software needed to be installed (hence the reasonf for documenting steps in the wiki,and pushing code to an SVN/Git/BZR)

If new SAs at the site read some internal documentation about installing and configuring system software, they dont have any assurance that following the documentation will achieve the desired effects they are looking for. The SA is much better off using a script that has been used all the previous times the software needed to be installed (hence the reasonf for documenting steps in the wiki,and pushing code to an SVN/Git/BZR)

In this way either the script will work as advertised, or it will show breakage somewhere. Using automation, where all systems that install use the same sequence of events as laid out in a careful y laid out policy will help insulate the SA against breakage scenarios.

In this way either the script will work as advertised, or it will show breakage somewhere. Using automation, where all systems that install use the same sequence of events as laid out in a carefully laid out policy will help insulate the SA against breakage scenarios.

The other advantage, though a rather morbid one is, should someone with the majority of this knowledge be hit by a car/truck/boat, the whole project won't come to a standstill.

The other advantage, though a rather morbid one is, should someone with the majority of this knowledge be hit by a car/truck/boat, the whole project won't come to a standstill.

[http://watson-wilson.ca/blog/ent-sysadmin.html] ← very nice visual outline for how things change from doing things the old fashioned one computer at  type way to many systems automation via policies.

[http://watson-wilson.ca/blog/ent-sysadmin.html] ← very nice visual outline for how things change from doing things the old fashioned one computer at  type way to many systems automation via policies.

== Applying Practical Automation ==

== Applying Practical Automation ==