Basic concepts
CTFreak allows you to create, schedule and execute different types of tasks:
Local command task to run a command directly on the host server on which CTFreak is installed.
Command task to run the same command on several servers (aka nodes) through SSH.
Bash script task to run the same bash script on several unix servers through SSH.
Powershell script task to run the same powershell script on several windows servers through SSH.
Ansible playbook task to run an ansible playbook targeting several servers through SSH.
SQL script task to run the same SQL script on several databases.
SQL report task to generate reports with charts and tables from SQL queries.
HTTP Request task to call API endpoints (webhook, ping, …).
Workflow task to execute other tasks, sequentially or concurrently.
Based on these task types, you can then address different use cases such as:
- Setting up a self-hosted CI/CD pipeline (for devops)
- Update thousands of linux servers concurrently (for sysadmin)
- Manage distributed computing workflows (for data engineers)
- Quickly generate sales reports for your CEO from your e-commerce platform
- Create parameterized tasks so that business users can run them with restricted options
Now that you’ve got the big picture, let’s get practical.