Microsoft Desired State Configuration

What Microsoft Desired State Configuration is

Microsoft Desired State Configuration is a free, open-source tool for defining and managing system configuration on Linux, macOS, and Windows. It uses a self-hosted deployment model, so the software runs within the organization’s own hosting setup. Policy as code lets teams describe the desired configuration state. Drift detection identifies systems that move away from that state, while patch management helps keep software aligned with intended requirements. Compliance reporting provides information about configuration and compliance status. The tool’s capabilities focus on applying configuration rules and monitoring whether systems continue to match them. Its cross-platform support is relevant to environments using more than one of the listed operating systems. Because the product is open source and free, no license charge is listed, but hosting remains the user’s responsibility. Microsoft documents the tool in its PowerShell Desired State Configuration overview. It is intended for configuration governance rather than a hosted management service.