Infrastructure as Code(IaC) is the process of managing and provisioning of IT infrastructure through source code instead of through manual processes. Infrastructure includes networks, virtual machines load balancers, connection topology etc.
IaC makes it simpler to change and distribute configurations by generating configuration files that contain your infrastructure specifications. Additionally, it guarantees that you always provision the same environment.
Benefits of IaC
- Cost Reduction: By eliminating the manual component, individuals can redirect their attention to other duties.
- Speed: IaC seeks to provide visibility to assist other teams throughout the company in working quicker and more effectively. This enables for faster execution while setting infrastructure.
- Reduced Risk: Automation eliminates the possibility of human error, such as manual configuration errors, which can reduce downtime and improve reliability.
- Test: Infrastructure as Code enables DevOps teams to test applications in production-like environments early in the development cycle.
- Enhanced Security: When provided with code, all computing, storage, and networking resources are deployed consistently. As a result, security rules may be quickly and reliably implemented throughout the organization
Approaches for writing IaC
- Declarative Approach: The declarative method identifies the target’s ideal configuration, or what the target’s desirable state should be. There are no instructions about how to set up a server. Instead, a list of prerequisites or external software needed to set up the server or infrastructure is defined.
- Imperative Approach: The commands that must be carried out in order to get the intended result are specified by the imperative approach. The imperative focuses on altering the infrastructure to achieve the desired outcome.
Trending IaC Tools
Terraform: Terraform is an open-source infrastructure as code software tool created by HashiCorp. HashiCorp Configuration Language (HCL), a declarative configuration language, and, optionally, JSON are used by users to define and deliver data centre architecture. Terraform lets you use the same workflow to manage multiple providers and handle cross-cloud dependencies. This simplifies management and orchestration for large-scale, multi-cloud infrastructures.
AWS CloudFormation: The Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tool AWS CloudFormation is integrated into the AWS cloud platform and offers you a simple way to quickly and effectively create and manage a group of various connected AWS resources, as well as resources from third parties.
Azure Resource Manager: Azure Resource Manager is the service provided for deploying and managing Azure resources. An Azure-specific IaC tool allows resources to be deployed, maintained, and tracked in a single collective action rather than individually.
