IT automation is evolving at a rapid pace and organizations are seeking reliable, secure and innovative solutions to manage their infrastructure at scale. Among the available tools, the Progress Chef platform has long been a leader in the DevOps space, enabling enterprises to automate complex environments with confidence.
From its initial beginnings as a configuration management tool, the Chef solution has evolved into a licensed platform that provides not just configuration but compliance, application delivery and DevOps workflow orchestration.
However, some spin-offs of the solution, such as CINC, a downstream distribution of the open-source Chef platform, have provided alternative options for some users. For enterprise IT leaders, it's critical to understand why downstream distributions cannot replace Chef Enterprise, especially when considering the requirements for support, security and ongoing innovation.
For enterprises, the stability and reliability of automation platforms are non-negotiable. The Chef solution offers a higher level of accountability and long-term commitment that community-driven projects cannot match.
The Chef platform offers tangible and intangible benefits that enterprises can leverage, particularly in terms of structured support, clear roadmaps, transparent governance and cost savings.
As an open-core company and advocate of open-source software, we understand the value that downstream distributions like CINC bring to small teams, hobbyists and individual contributors. The official CINC site states that the software offers no formal support or guarantees. Instead, it recommends contacting the Chef team at Progress if warranties or support are needed.
The involvement of a company like Progress also brings regulatory compliance, rigorous quality assurance with access to technical support. These factors are essential for organizations operating in regulated industries or those with strict internal policies regarding vendor management and risk mitigation.
Security threats evolve constantly and enterprises must respond swiftly to new vulnerabilities. Progress has made significant investments to facilitate timely security updates for the Chef solution. This includes contracting with specialized vendors to provide security fixes for core components such as PostgreSQL, OpenSearch and Ruby. As a result, the Chef Server can rapidly integrate and distribute critical patches as soon as they become available.
It is important to note that since the last open-source release, Chef Server and CINC server have nuanced differences. The contractual agreements that Progress has with a vendor for security fixes specific to Ruby, PostgreSQL and OpenSearch mean that these patches cannot be distributed to the open-source community or included in CINC. This divergence can expose users of downstream versions such as CINC to potential security risks that enterprises cannot afford.
From an innovation point of view, the new Chef 360 platform is more than just a configuration management software—it is an integrated platform, built with the latest technologies and a modular architecture to improve maintainability and scalability for modern enterprises. This forward-thinking design allows organizations to adapt quickly to changing business requirements and technology landscapes, making ongoing management more efficient and sustainable.
Key features of Chef 360 platform include centralized policy management, job orchestration, compliance automation and integrated analytics. These empower organizations to automate at scale, enforce robust security policies and achieve end-to-end visibility across their environments.
Further distinguishing itself from downstream distribution alternatives like CINC, Chef 360 platform introduces advanced enterprise capabilities such as the upcoming Declarative State Management (DSM), a modern evolution for Chef Server. Notably, DSM will be available earlier to enterprise-licensed users, offering them early access to enhanced performance, reliability and operational flexibility.
Additionally, Chef 360 incorporates Chef Courier, a state-of-the-art orchestration solution that streamlines complex workflows and automates multi-step processes across heterogeneous environments. These orchestration capabilities enable enterprises to coordinate infrastructure changes, application deployments and compliance tasks with unprecedented ease and precision. Collectively, these innovations make the Chef 360 platform the solution of choice for organizations seeking a future-ready, enterprise-grade automation platform that goes far beyond what CINC can offer.
Progress is actively investing in AI to enhance Chef and related automation solutions. This AI strategy is poised to transform how enterprises manage infrastructure, enabling predictive automation, intelligent remediation and advanced analytics. With the resources and vision that Progress has access to, Chef users can expect innovative features like the upcoming Chef AIOps that keep them ahead of the curve with capabilities that are not feasible in distributions like CINC.
A significant upcoming change for Chef users is the modification of the End User License Agreement (EULA). Soon, Chef Server nodes using CINC clients will be counted towards Chef licensing. This change reflects the reality that, from a support and maintenance perspective, all nodes managed via Chef Server require enterprise-grade security and compliance. Enterprises should plan accordingly to maintain compliance and budgeting for licensing, as this change will impact cost structures and compliance obligations.
Here are some benefits of Enterprise Chef over any downstream distributions of Chef:
Downstream Distributions vs Chef Comparison Table
| Feature | Other DownStream Distributions | Progress Chef |
| Service-Level Agreement (SLA) | ❌ None | ✅ Available with enterprise subscription |
| Business Continuity Guarantees | ❌ None | ✅ Guaranteed through support contracts |
| Support Model | ❌Community-only, best effort | ✅ 24/7 enterprise support, certified experts |
| Professional Services | ❌ None | ✅ Available with enterprise subscription |
| Node Management | ❌ None | ✅ Available with enterprise subscription |
| Completely Managed SaaS Solution - Chef SaaS | ❌ None | ✅ Available with enterprise subscription |
| Job Orchestration | ❌ None | ✅ Available with enterprise subscription |
| Agentless Automation | ❌ None | ✅ Available at Scale |
| AI Features - Cookbook modernization | ❌ None | ✅ Available with enterprise subscription |
| AI Features - intent to Infra automation and more | ❌ None | ✅ Available with enterprise subscription |
While downstream distributions, such as CINC, offer a valuable option for those seeking automation at no cost, they are not a replacement for the Chef platform in enterprise environments. The advantages of having a listed company like Progress behind the Chef solution include timely and contractually backed security fixes, as well as in-depth enterprise features through Chef 360. A forward-looking AI strategy that shows how Chef remains the trusted choice for organizations where reliability, security and innovation are paramount. As the landscape of IT automation continues to evolve, enterprises must prioritize solutions that offer robust support, rapid response to vulnerabilities and a clear path toward the future.
Here are the reasons for enterprises to consider the Chef solution over any downstream distribution: