.. -*- mode: rst -*-

.. _client-index:

The Bcfg2 Client
================

The Bcfg2 client attempts to reconcile the current configuration state
with the configuration passed down from the server using various client
tools. It does not perform any processing of the target configuration
description. We chose this architecture, as opposed to one with a smarter
client, for a few reasons:

* Client failure forces administrators to perform an O(n) reconfiguration
  operation. Simpler code is easier to debug and maintain.
* Minimize the bootstrap size; a complicated client can require more
  aspects of the system to function in order for reconfiguration to work.
* Isolate configuration generation functionality on the server, where
  it can be readily observed. This is the most complicated task that
  Bcfg2 performs.
* The results of the configuration process fit a fairly simple model. We
  wanted to validate it. The result is that Bcfg2 has a programmable
  deployment engine that can be driven by anything that writes a
  compatible configuration description.

.. toctree::
   :maxdepth: 2

   modes
   tools
   metadata
   agent
   debugging
