Chef for Agentless IT Automation: Maximum Control, Zero Overhead
Proven Automation, Now Available in Agentless Mode
Chef in Agentless Mode
The Chef platform empowers organizations with the flexibility to choose the right approach for their unique needs, such as network devices, cloud resources and edge systems, where installing agents isn’t preferred.
Whether it’s configuration changes, maintaining continuous compliance or conducting rapid, agentless assessments, the Chef solution enables you to efficiently manage and secure your infrastructure at scale with automation, consistency and compliance.
Why Choose Agentless Automation?
The Chef platform provides agent-based and agentless automation, enabling you to select the best-fit approach based on your operational requirements. Here is a comparison between both modes to help you choose according to your organization's needs.
- No agent installation needed - executes over existing SSH protocols.
- Offers broad, high-level visibility across infrastructure without system-level access.
- Executes tasks remotely over standard protocols like SSH without requiring a persistent connection.
- Hybrid cloud setups, network automation and managing highly dynamic infrastructure.
- Leverages existing security frameworks and protocols - less intrusive but dependent on external enforcement.
- Requires installing an agent on each node - ideal for long-term control and stability.
- Provides real-time, deep-level insights into system state and health.
- Requires agent rollout for each node. Agents register with the Chef Infra Server and maintain a persistent connection.
- High-security environments, sensitive workloads and continuous enforcement of policies.
- Direct endpoint monitoring and enforcement - provides granular control and immediate response to threats.
When Would an Agentless Approach Make Sense?
Some environments are better suited for an agentless approach. Whether due to security restrictions, lightweight infrastructure or the need for rapid, on-demand actions, an agentless approach extends automation capabilities to a broader range of devices:
Network Appliances
- Routers
- Switches
- Firewalls
IOT Management
- IP Phones
- Sensors/Monitors
Vendor Appliances
- IPS/IDS
- Backup Suite
- Virtualization
Edge Devices
- Terminals
- IADs
- PBX
How To Use Agentless Chef To Manage Network Devices
Learn More.Benefits of Using Progress Chef in Agentless Mode
Leveraging the Chef solution with an agentless execution provides an alternative for organizations looking to extend automation to systems where installing agents with the same Chef trust may not be preferred.
Remote Execution
Use existing communication channels and protocols to run commands and apply configurations efficiently instead of relying on an agent.
Faster Time to Value
Skip the need for agent installation and scan and manage nodes instantly.
Optimized Resource Utilization
Reduces CPU and memory usage, making it ideal for lightweight compliance checks and cloud environments.
Secure and Efficient
Utilizes SSH for remote execution, maintaining a minimal system footprint and reducing the attack surface.
Scalability
Managing the agents on many devices does not involve overhead, making it suitable for scaling the deployment across many devices.
Reduce costs
Minimize administrative overhead by removing the need for agent deployment and maintenance across nodes.
Finding the Right Balance
The Chef platform empowers organizations with the flexibility to choose the right approach for their unique needs - whether it’s configuration changes, maintaining continuous compliance or conducting rapid, agentless assessments.
Explore how Chef Agentless can fit into your infrastructure strategy and enhance your automation capabilities:
Manage Every Infrastructure Endpoint. Experience Chef in Agentless mode
- Manage the state of remote systems, routers, switches, and cloud targets seamlessly.
- Skip platform issues and works even without native Infra Client builds.
- Control nodes from any server, workstation, or pipeline using Chef compatible YAML and Ruby recipes.
- Push updates instantly over SSH with no friction and no lag.
- Access 80+ built-in Infra resources (for non-Windows systems), with ongoing enhancements in Chef Infra Client 19 to expand support for more built-in resources.
- Stay compliant by running remote scans and audits before issues escalate.
- Get full visibility and control with real time insights through Chef Automate.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Chef enable Agentless automation?
Chef in agentless mode allows you to manage infrastructure without installing a Chef agent on each node. Instead, Chef connects to target systems over SSH to apply configurations, run compliance audits or carry out any other agentless job remotely.
When should I use an agentless approach over an agent-based approach?
An agentless approach is ideal for environments where installing agents isn’t preferred, or in some cases, not possible. These can be network devices, edge systems, or hybrid workloads. It’s especially useful for ad hoc automation, compliance checks, and managing remote systems without persistent connections.
Can I use both agent-based and agentless approaches together?
Yes. Chef supports a hybrid model where you can use agent-based automation for systems requiring continuous enforcement, and agentless execution for flexible, on-demand operations, offering you the best of both worlds.