Infrastructure as Code

Infrastructure as Code (IaC) is a common practice in modern IT operations, involving the management and provisioning of computing infrastructure using code, as opposed to manual hardware configuration using either a command-line tool or GUI interface to carry out the task.  Manual hardware configuration is prone to inconsistent implementations and mistakes. By utilizing code to automate infrastructure setup organizations can ensure repeatability and consistency in their environments.

Importance in Modern Infrastructure Management

The rise of IaC goes hand-in-hand with the rise of distributed computing and microservices in enterprise environments. In a microservices environment we frequently need to create servers, provision them, update them and tear them down. Being able to do so in a consistent and reliable manner is vital for maintaining system stability and integrity as IT environments grow in complexity and scale.

Comparing IaC to Traditional Infrastructure Setups

Traditional infrastructure management involves manual setup and configuration by system administrators. While the build process can be documented it has always been prone to inconsistencies and errors. It is also  time consuming and labor intensive, hindering an organizations’ ability to respond quickly to changing demands. As microservices-style architecture became commonplace a new approach was needed. 

IaC introduces a model that defines the desired state of the infrastructure upfront. An IaC approach supports rapid scalability and effective service delivery. 

A good way to think about IaC is that it is applying software engineering practices to infrastructure. As Sarah Wells observes in “Enabling Microservices Success”

“Because the infrastructure configuration is code, it is held in source control, making it easy to see what has changed and who made that change, and to go back to the state at a particular point of time if necessary—for example, if something went wrong.

Because the process of making a change is automated, you can make sure that you create an audit log that shows the changes and who applied them: great for security.”