Konfigurationsschlüssel

Konfigurations, often called configurations, describe the settings and arrangements that determine how a system operates. In computing and information technology, a configuration specifies the selection and parameterization of software components, hardware options, and environment-specific values that guide execution. Configurations can apply to operating systems, applications, networks, and deployed services, and they enable customization, portability, and repeatability.

Configuration data is typically stored separately from program logic to improve portability and maintainability. Common storage formats range from simple key-value files in INI or properties format to structured data in JSON, YAML, or XML. Many systems support environment-based configuration, where values are provided by the runtime environment, and secret management practices protect sensitive information such as credentials.

Configuration management covers the processes and tools used to create, store, track, and apply configurations across environments. Declarative approaches, such as infrastructure as code and configuration as code, describe the desired state rather than step-by-step changes. Tools like Ansible, Puppet, Chef, and Terraform automate provisioning, deployment, and ongoing configuration drift correction.

Common challenges include complexity, dependency management, and cross-environment inconsistencies. Good practices emphasize avoiding hard-coded values, documenting assumptions, versioning configurations, and testing changes in isolated environments before production. The concept is widely used in software development, system administration, cloud computing, and embedded systems.