One of the earliest full-featured configuration management systems out there, CFEngine has gone through several iterations and maintained relevance as OS have gone from the local data center to the cloud. At the heart of the infrastructure automation framework, CFEngine is also a modeling and monitoring compliance engine, capable of sitting on a small footprint. As recommended by CFEngine, steps toward identifying an initial desired state include: 1) model the desired state of your environment; 2) simulate configuration changes before committing them; 3) confirm the desired state and set for automatic self-healing; 4) collect reports on the differences between actual and desired states. CFEngine has a library of reusable data-driven models that will help users model their desired states. These infrastructure patterns are designed to be reusable across the Enterprise.