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Automate infrastructure security and compliance across diverse environments
Rudder automates inventory, patching, vulnerability management, and system hardening, offering visual and YAML policy editing for Linux and Windows at scale, with optional subscription for extended features.

Rudder is an infrastructure automation platform aimed at IT operations and SecOps teams that need to maintain a strong security posture. It continuously inventories systems, applies patches, scans for vulnerabilities, and enforces hardening policies. Policies can be built with a visual editor or written in YAML, and the engine runs on a central server that communicates with lightweight agents installed on each managed node.
The solution supports Linux and Windows hosts across cloud, hybrid, and on‑premise environments, scaling to thousands of nodes with a hierarchical data engine and automatic classification. A typical deployment consists of a central server (with optional plugins), optional relay proxies, and agents that check and enforce state every five minutes. Rudder Core provides the core features for free under GPL 3.0/Apache 2.0, while a paid subscription unlocks additional plugins, extended platform support, and professional assistance.
When teams consider Rudder, these hosted platforms usually appear on the same shortlist.
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Automated patch management
Keeps 500+ Linux servers up‑to‑date, reducing exposure to known vulnerabilities.
Compliance reporting for PCI DSS
Provides visual dashboards that demonstrate system hardening and policy adherence.
Hybrid cloud inventory
Offers a unified view of on‑premise and AWS instances for consistent policy enforcement.
Rapid onboarding of new hosts
Agents auto‑classify new machines and apply predefined policies without manual intervention.
Rudder follows an open‑core model: Rudder Core is free and open‑source (GPL 3.0/Apache 2.0). The full Rudder solution adds proprietary plugins and requires a subscription.
No. The subscription adds plugins on top of the existing installation; only the repository URL may need updating.
Linux is supported in the free core. Windows, additional architectures, and extended platform support are available with a subscription.
Core users have a 3‑month upgrade window after a new minor/major release. Subscribers receive 18‑24 months of major‑release maintenance and longer minor‑release windows.
Community support is available via GitHub Discussions and chat channels. Professional support is included with a paid subscription.
Project at a glance
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