Rex
Topic: Software
From HandWiki - Reading time: 2 min
| Developer(s) | Jan Gehring, Ferenc Erki |
|---|---|
| Initial release | 5 November 2010 |
| Written in | Perl |
| Operating system | Linux, Unix-like, Windows |
| Type | Configuration management |
| License | Apache |
| Website | rexify |
(R)?ex or simply Rex is an open source remote execution, configuration management and software deployment tool. It combines Perl and Secure Shell (SSH) for a portable, centralistic approach to its problem domain.
Rex is an acronym for "Remote Execution".
History
Rex originated from the need of a flexible, parallel remote execution application with software deployment and configuration management capabilities. Unsatisfied with available implementations in 2010, the author of Rex, Jan Gehring, decided to implement a Perl-based tool to cope with his requirements.
Design
Rex is a stand-alone application executing either a single command or so-called tasks. Tasks are specified on the command line and are defined in Rexfiles. A Rexfile takes a similar role for remote execution as a Makefile does for application installation. It is defined via a small DSL, but is essentially a Perl script. Therefore, it can contain arbitrary Perl as well.
For code reuse, configuration instructions are placed in modules which can be included by a Rexfile. A template system for configuration files is available.[1]
For Rex to be able to work, the managed targets must provide a running SSH server and a Perl 5 interpreter.
Rex serves a variety of applications. Examples are user & group, cron, filesystem, kernel module, process and virtual machine management.[2]
Public recognition
Rex is discussed on conferences and in related press releases. [3] [4]
It was voted under the Best Open Source solutions 2013 by Initiative Mittelstand.[5]
See also
- Comparison of open-source configuration management software
- Infrastructure as code (IaC)
- Infrastructure as Code Tools
References
- ↑ "Using Modules and Templates". http://www.rexify.org/docs/guides/using_modules_and_templates.html. Retrieved April 25, 2018.
- ↑ "Rex API documentation". Archived from the original on February 5, 2014. https://archive.today/20140205104239/http://www.rexify.org/api/index.html. Retrieved February 5, 2014.
- ↑ "Rex - Deployment and Configuration Management". YAPC::Europe 2013 “Future Perl”. http://act.yapc.eu/ye2013/talk/4910. Retrieved February 5, 2014.
- ↑ "King of Computers: Managing Computers with Rex". Admin Magazine. http://www.admin-magazine.com/Articles/Rex. Retrieved February 5, 2014.
- ↑ "IT-Bestenliste, Open Source, (R)?ex". Initiative Mittelstand. Archived from the original on December 15, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131215080554/http://www.open-source-bestenliste.de/produkt/2560-rex.html. Retrieved January 28, 2014.
External links
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