FAI (Fully Automatic Installation) vs HCL BigFix
FAI (Fully Automatic Installation)
fai-project.orgHCL BigFix
hcl-software.comSide by side
| Figure | FAI (Fully Automatic Installation) | HCL BigFix |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | — |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Bare Metal Provisioning Software | 8.0 (#9) | 7.8 (#13) |
| Integrations | The maker documents receiving configuration over HTTP, NFS, SVN or Git, and adding SSH public keys from GitHub, GitLab, Debian Salsa or a custom URL in FAI.me. | HCL documentation provides integration guides for ServiceNow Data Flow and BigFix Insights for Vulnerability Remediation. |
| Purpose | FAI automates unattended mass deployment and configuration of Linux systems and software on computers and virtual machines. | HCL BigFix combines endpoint management, security, automation, and digital employee experience capabilities in one platform. |
| Security | FAI packages are signed with Thomas Lange's GPG key, and the project lists Secure Boot support in FAI release 6.5.7. | BigFix digitally signs Fixlets and actions with SHA-256 based signatures, and its documentation says relay and agent communications can be encrypted using TLS. |
| Support | The project directs questions to its mailing list and bugs to the Debian Bug Tracking System, and says commercial support is available worldwide from the author. | The subscription includes Software Subscription and Support, including product updates, new features, content updates, bug fixes, and technical support during the subscription term. |
Plans
In their own words
FAI (Fully Automatic Installation)
FAI (Fully Automatic Installation) automates unattended deployment and configuration of Linux systems and software on physical computers and virtual machines. It is free software under GNU GPL version 2 or later and can scale from a few computers to several thousand. The project lists Debian, Ubuntu, Rocky Linux, AlmaLinux, Linux Mint, RHEL, and SUSE among supported distributions. Installations can use PXE network boot or unattended CD media, retrieving configuration through HTTP, NFS, SVN, or Git. Classes group similar machines, while hooks customize installation stages. FAI can partition disks, create file systems, and configure software RAID or LVM. It automates virtual-machine installation and customized cloud images for OpenStack, KVM, Azure, EC2, and GCE. FAI.me builds custom installation or live media and bootable disk images without local FAI installation, with settings for SSH keys, repositories, packages, scripts, and first-boot actions. Targets include desktops, servers, notebooks, clusters, server farms, and Linux labs or classrooms. The default large CD image includes full Debian XFCE and GNOME packages but fetches many other distribution packages over the network.
HCL BigFix
HCL BigFix combines endpoint management, security, automation, and digital employee experience capabilities in one platform. HCL says it supports more than 120 operating systems and provides near real-time endpoint visibility and control. It patches operating systems and third-party applications, and remediates vulnerabilities. BigFix Compliance enforces security policies and automatically corrects configuration drift, while BigFix Inventory provides visibility into devices, software, licenses, and usage. HCL documentation includes integration guides for ServiceNow Data Flow and BigFix Insights for Vulnerability Remediation. Fixlets and actions use SHA-256-based digital signatures; relay and agent communications can be encrypted with TLS. HCL states that BigFix v11 achieved NIAP certification and SCAP 1.3 validation, and that its embedded FIPS crypto module received FIPS 140-2 certification. Subscription support includes product updates, new features, content updates, bug fixes, and technical support during the term. Licensing depends on managed employee devices or managed virtual servers. Pricing is by tailored quote, and HCL offers a 30-day Endpoint Management trial. BigFix SaaS supports up to 50,000 devices per deployment.