[relativkreativ]

I would start with small shell scripts (or the Windows equivalent).

Do you need to add users and set their initial password often? Note the commands needed, put them in a shell script and create a user with your script next time. Then make your script accept parameters and handle errors.

Automation has two main benefits: Simplifying repetitive tasks and reducing errors - and this can be achieved even with the simplest shell script.

For popular tools, you can take a look and Puppet and/or Chef, tools for provisioning servers and managing configurations.