Which of the following techniques would BEST ensure the setup and desired state of a server are consistently maintained?

Configuration management uses declarative definitions of desired system state and continuously enforces them, automatically detecting and correcting configuration drift. Tools such as Ansible, Puppet, Salt, and Chef are purpose-built to provision, configure, and maintain server state idempotently. This makes configuration management the best choice for ensuring server setup is consistently maintained.

Network automation focuses on automating configuration and operations of network devices such as routers and switches, not server state management.

Test automation validates application behavior through automated test suites but does not manage or enforce server configuration or desired state.

Change control management is a governance and approval process for reviewing proposed changes, not a technical mechanism for enforcing or maintaining consistent server state.