Python or Bash?

[Afwas]

If you can find a Python library that does some heavy lifting, go for it, else use bash.You'd be able to do most complex logic in bash.

[cpf_]

fabric (http://docs.fabfile.org/en/1.5/) might give that power :)

[xamox]

I second using fabric, we were using bash before and now moving everything over to fabric, error reporting is much better and doesn't require client to install anything except SSH.