Final answer:
Changes to Puppet's configuration files are applied when the Puppet agent next runs or the server is restarted, and they should be tested and tracked using version control.
Step-by-step explanation:
After completing Puppet's CLI setup process, changes to the configuration files are typically applied immediately. Puppet is a configuration management tool that helps automate the management of system configurations across a network of computers. When a user makes changes to the Puppet configuration files, such as puppet.conf, these changes are applied when the Puppet agent next runs or when the Puppet server is restarted.
Since configurations are code in Puppet, these changes can trigger updates to the systems being managed. It is important to test any changes in a non-production environment before applying them to avoid unexpected disruptions or service outages. Moreover, version control is often advised to track and manage changes to the configuration code, ensuring a clear audit trail and the ability to revert to previous configurations if necessary.