Infrastructure as Code (IaC): The complete beginner’s guide explained here

Infrastructure is the bedrock in the cloud computing landscape on which modern software applications thrive. It is the game-changer behind the background, acting as an in-charge for the smooth operations of the software systems and cloud applications, from simple web applications to the dynamic enterprise solutions.

Interestingly, the infrastructure reigns supreme at the crucial elements from the servers, networks, databases, and storage which are the essential computing pillars pivotal for facilitating the optimal performance of applications.

Traditionally, many companies rely on manual processes to manage their infrastructure wherein system administrators were responsible for configuring and maintaining servers and networks. However, with the software development practices evolving from monolithic to agile and scalability methodologies, the inadequacies of manual infrastructure management became increasingly evident to modern enterprises.

As a result, the urgency for improved infrastructure excellence, higher operational observability, rapid software deployment, and securing cloud workloads paved the way for a revolutionary Infrastructure as Code (IaC). Most companies agree that IaC takes infrastructure management one step further by using error-prone manual configuration files.

In this blog on beginner's guide to Infrastructure as Code (IaC), we embark on the journey understanding what is IaC, benefits of IaC, and what problem does IaC solve. Also, we will explore the real life application of this paradigm shift, starting from the very basics and the core idea behind automating infrastructure, which is a strategic move for companies embarking on the efficient and scalable software development journey.

What is Infrastructure as Code?

Infrastructure as Code (IaC) is a practice in software development and operations that includes managing and provisioning computing infrastructure by means of machine-readable definition files or code, instead of the manual configuration of individual hardware devices or systems. Basically, IaC views the infrastructure components including servers, networks, and storage as code, which enables the developers and the operations teams to automate the infrastructure deployment and management process.

Wikipedia defines IaC as Infrastructure as 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.

Through Infrastructure as Code, infrastructure configurations are specified in either declarative or imperative code, which are usually in the languages like YAML, JSON, or domain-specific languages (DSLs). These code definitions outline the infrastructure's ideal state which include, among others, the configuration of servers, the network topology, the security policies, and the other components that would be necessary for the application or service.

The key characteristics of Infrastructure as Code include:

• Automation: IaC automates the way of provisioning and managing of infrastructure, thus, it decreases the amount of manual work and the chances of making a mistake.
• Version control: Infrastructure configurations are regarded as code and stored in version control systems like Git, which makes the tracking of changes and the roll back to the previous configurations whenever needed easier.
• Repeatability and consistency: Through the process of infrastructure as code, SDLC teams can make sure that the deployments are the same in all the environments. The maximum consistency in the SDLC process results in the lowest configuration drift and less probable issues because of the widening gaps between development, testing and production environments.
• Scalability: IaC is a tool that enables the increase or decrease of infrastructure resources according to the demand, thus organizations can easily adjust to the changing requirements without manual intervention.
• Self-Service and devOps integration: Infrastructure as Code is the same with devOps principles because it allows the developers to create and control infrastructure together with application code. This connection leads to the collaboration between development and operations teams and the introduction of the self-service infrastructure provisioning workflows.

The major types of IaC approaches

Infrastructure as Code has a range of techniques varying as per specific circumstances and requirements. Each approach plays a unique goal across an IT infrastructure management journey:

• Imperative approach: Imperative method provides users with explicit commands that describe what should be done and how to do it. Such goals are shooted in a detailed description (Action plan) by a system strictly adhering to specific protocol wherein every step is included to avoid every possibility of deviation.
• Declarative approach: As the name indicates, declarative approach is very specific to well-elaborated user's input defined by particular state or requirements. This works best when aligned with a specific toolkit or platform to identify and enact the stipulated steps predetermined to attain the end-state of the defined goal.

However, in most cases of infrastructure management, the preferable approach to use is declarative style because it provides more flexibility when in charge of the infrastructure tools. Given below are the most crucial differentiating approaches used by developers for IaC tools.

• Scripts: Scripts are a simple implementation of IaC and ideal for small operations wherein simple or one-off tasks are involved. For complex operations, companies should not rely on scripts.
• Configuration management tools: They automate the installation and configuration of servers. Purposely made for detailed tasks, configuration management tools are called software management tools because they were designed to manage software effectively. They are the most commonly used type of IaC, which has instances like Ansible, Chef, etc.
• Provisioning tools: This group of IaC can bring a wide range of benefits for complex tasks. Provisioning tools use automation to build infrastructure components. Developers utilize these technologies to allocate the necessary infrastructure components. The notable examples of provisioning tools are OpenStack Heat and AWS CloudFormation.
• Containers and templating tools: These tools enable you to build templates and pre-configured images that have all the required libraries and components for running an application. The data gets through these tools is easy to manage and requires less maintenance cost by comparison with running a whole server. Despite this, you should mind security issues arising from using containers.

When and how to use IAC?

The Infrastructure as Code (IaC) is a helpful tool which can be applied in different situations of SDLC (Software Development Lifecycle). Given below are some situations reflecting where and how Infrastructure as Code tools, can be effectively utilized:

• Environment provisioning: IaC is used for the provisioning of development, testing, staging, and production environments in a consistent and repeatable manner. It ensures that there is the same configuration for all the settings that minimizes the chances of inconsistencies among the environments which may lead to the bugs or deployment problems.
• Application deployment: Use IaC to auto deploy applications and the components of the infrastructure. The first ones that I recall are establishing servers, configuring networks, deploying middleware, and deploying the application code. IaC works by putting in place deployment pipelines that automatically deploy changes in configurations to your infrastructure whenever new code is pushed into the version control system.
• Scalability and elasticity: Utilize IaC to resize infrastructure resources based on demand from either side through scaling up or scaling down. Put auto-scaling mechanisms into your infrastructure that will automatically add or remove servers, containers, or other resources depending on the changes in load or traffic patterns.
• Disaster recovery and high availability: Use Infrastructure as Code (IAC) together with a strategy based on the creation of redundant and resilient infrastructure configurations that have minimum downtime when failure or disasters happen. Describe failover options, backup strategies and recovery plans in the infrastructure code for business continuity.
• Compliance and security: Apply IaC to ensure that security policies, compliance standards and best practices are uniformly applied across the infrastructure. Define security groups, access controls, encryption settings, and auditing mechanisms in the infrastructure code to make sure that the infrastructure meets the regulatory requirements in data protection.
• Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and cloud migration: If you are going to move to the cloud or provide infrastructure as a service (IaaS) platforms (AWS, Azure or Google Cloud Platform), Infrastructure as Code (IaC) makes the whole process easier by creating infrastructure requirements in code. Formalize or feature your cloud resources, configurations, and dependencies as code for better management and automation.
• Collaboration and documentation: Use IaC as a means of collaboration and documentation within your development and operations teams. Store your infrastructure code in version control systems like Git, enabling team members to review, comment on, and contribute to infrastructure changes. IaC code serves as living documentation that describes the architecture and configuration of your infrastructure, making it easier for new team members to onboard and understand your systems.

Infrastructure as Code is a powerful approach that enables organizations to automate and streamline their infrastructure management processes, improve agility, reduce errors, and enhance collaboration between development and operations teams. By embracing IaC, you can achieve greater consistency, scalability, and reliability in your infrastructure deployments while accelerating the pace of innovation and delivery.

Best Infrastructure as Code tools and platforms

Infrastructure as Code has gained popularity in recent years, leading to the development of various tools and platforms designed to facilitate its implementation. Here are some of the most prominent IaC tools and platforms:

1. Terraform:

Terraform is a widely-used IaC tool that allows you to define and provision infrastructure resources across multiple cloud providers, as well as on-premises environments, using a declarative configuration language. Terraform supports a wide range of providers, including AWS, Azure, Google Cloud Platform, and Kubernetes, making it a versatile choice for managing complex infrastructure deployments.

2. AWS CloudFormation:

AWS CloudFormation is a native infrastructure provisioning tool provided by Amazon Web Services (AWS). It allows you to define AWS resources and their dependencies using JSON or YAML templates, which are then deployed and managed by CloudFormation. CloudFormation integrates seamlessly with other AWS services and provides features like stack updates, rollback capabilities, and drift detection to ensure the consistency and reliability of your AWS infrastructure.

3. Azure Resource Manager (ARM) templates:

Azure Resource Manager is Microsoft's infrastructure provisioning service for Azure cloud resources. ARM Templates are JSON files that define the resources and configurations required for Azure deployments. With ARM Templates, you can automate the provisioning of virtual machines, storage accounts, networking resources, and other Azure services, ensuring consistency and repeatability in your Azure infrastructure deployments.

4. Google Cloud Deployment manager:

Google Cloud Deployment Manager is Google Cloud Platform's (GCP) infrastructure provisioning tool, which allows you to define and deploy Google Cloud resources using YAML or Jinja2 configuration files. Deployment Manager supports the automation of GCP services like Compute Engine, Cloud Storage, BigQuery, and Kubernetes Engine, enabling you to manage your GCP infrastructure as code.

5. Ansible:

Ansible is an open-source automation IaC platform that can be used for infrastructure provisioning, configuration management, application deployment, and orchestration. Ansible uses a simple, human-readable YAML syntax called "playbooks" to define tasks and configurations, making it easy to get started with IaC. Ansible supports a wide range of platforms, including cloud providers, virtualization platforms, and networking devices, making it a flexible choice for managing heterogeneous infrastructure environments.

6. Pulumi:

Pulumi is a modern IaC tools that allows you to define infrastructure using familiar programming languages like JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, and Go. With Pulumi, you can use the full power of programming languages to define infrastructure resources, enabling advanced use cases like loops, conditionals, and abstractions. Pulumi supports multiple cloud providers, including AWS, Azure, Google Cloud Platform, and Kubernetes, making it a versatile choice for cloud-native development.

7. Chef:

Chef is a configuration management tool that can be used for infrastructure automation and application deployment. Chef uses a domain-specific language (DSL) called "recipes" to define infrastructure configurations, which are then applied to nodes using Chef agents. Chef provides features like idempotent configuration management, role-based configuration assignment, and dependency resolution, making it suitable for managing complex infrastructure environments.

8. Puppet:

Puppet is another popular configuration management tool that can be used for infrastructure automation and application deployment. Puppet uses a declarative language called "Puppet DSL" to define infrastructure configurations, which are then enforced on nodes using Puppet agents. Puppet provides features like centralized configuration management, automated node discovery, and reporting capabilities, making it well-suited for large-scale infrastructure deployments.

These are just a few names of the many top tools and platforms available for implementing Infrastructure as Code. When choosing an IaC tool or platform, consider factors such as your organization's specific requirements, the complexity of your infrastructure environment, the level of integration with existing tools and processes, and the level of community support and documentation available for the tool.

Unlock enterprise success with ever-ready IT infrastructure

Say yes to ever-ready IT infrastructure with us. At Kellton, our experts modernize the legacy infrastructure and unlock the maximum enterprise success by implementing the stabilize-optimize-transform approach and help businesses to tap into the value of the IaC investments. This is how we enhance companies’ competitive advantage and unleash competitiveness tomorrow through an ever-ready infrastructure.