What is Infrastructure as a Code?
Infrastructure as a code is the process of managing and provisioning computer data centers through machine-readable definition files. Rather than physical hardware configuration or interactive configuration tools.It is also known as IaC.
In simple terms, IaC is the use of software to automate the provisioning and management of IT infrastructure.
This includes both on-premises infrastructure such as servers, networking gear, and storage devices, as well as cloud-based services such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform (GCP).
The main benefit of using IaC is that it enables you to treat your infrastructure in much the same way you would treat any other software development project—that is, by using automation to make repetitive tasks easier and less error-prone.
Also, IaC can help you achieve consistency across your environment by enforcing policies around how resources are deployed and configured.
Version control system like Git for changes to infrastructure; those changes can then be reviewed before being applied changes made easy to rollback when necessary.Benefits: IaaS provides self-service on demand whereas PaaS offers developers a complete platform API accessibility and scalability.
IaCs provide scalability and consistent deployment experience while maintaining flexibility.
How can IaC be leveraged?
IaC can be used to automate a wide variety of tasks related to the provisioning and management of IT infrastructure.
For example, you could use IaC to:
• Provision new servers in your data center or cloud environment
• Configure networking gear such as routers and switches
• Set up storage devices such as SANs and NAS systems
• Deploy applications on servers or in the cloud.
Risks of IaC
Like any other automation tool, IaC can be misused or abused, which can lead to problems such as:
• Configuration drift: When changes are made to infrastructure outside of the IaC process, it can lead to discrepancies between the actual state of the infrastructure and what is defined in the IaC files. This configuration drift can make it difficult to track down problems or ensure that environments are consistent.
• Security issues: If security policies are not implemented in the IaC code, it could allow unauthorized access to sensitive data or systems. Furthermore, if IaC files containing credentials or other sensitive information are stored in an insecure location, they could be compromised by malicious actors.
Avoid risks in IaC
There are many best practices that can help you avoid risks when using IaC, such as:
• Install security policies: When creating IaC definitions, make sure to include appropriate security measures such as least privilege and least access.
• Use a version control system: Store your IaC files in a secure location and use a version control system (VCS) such as Git to track changes. This will help you prevent configuration drift and rollback changes if necessary.
• Review changes before applying them: Before making any change to your infrastructure, review the proposed change with other team members or stakeholders.
This will help ensure that everyone is on the same page and that there are no surprises when the change is actually made.
IaC tools
Yes, there are many IaC tools available, such as:
• AWS CloudFormation
• Azure Resource Manager
• Google Cloud Deployment Manager
• Puppet
• Chef
Best resources to learn IaC
If you're interested in learning more about IaC, there are many resources available, such as:
• The Infrastructure as Code Library
• The Terraform Registry
• AWS Cloud Development Kit
Speed up your IaC journey as a Startup
If you're a startup interested in using IaC, there are a few things you can do to speed up your journey, such as:
• Use managed services: When starting out with IaC, using managed services can help simplify the process and reduce the learning curve. AWS CloudFormation is a good option for this.
• Install CI/CD pipeline: Setting up a continuous integration/continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipeline can help automate many of the tasks involved in managing infrastructure.
• Use templates: Using templates is an easy way to get started with IaC without having to write all the code from scratch.
For example, AWS CloudFormation offers many templates that you can use to provision common resources on AWS.
Talent
If you're interested in hiring talent with IaC experience, there are a few things you can do, such as:
• Use job boards: There are many job boards that specialize in IaC-related positions, such as The Hired Guns and Git Jobs.
• Post on community forums: There are also many online community forums where you can post about open IaC positions, such as the Hashicorp Forum and the AWS CloudFormation Forum.
• Contact companies: Another option is to contact companies that use IaC tools and request information about open positions or ways to get involved.
IaC is a powerful tool that can be used to simplify and automate the provisioning and management of IT infrastructure.
When used, IaC can help you achieve consistency across your environment, enforce policies around how resources are deployed and configured, and avoid common risks such as configuration drift.
