What is Infrastructure as Code?
To start with, let’s look at some definitions.
Infrastructure as Code (also known as IaC) is a software engineering approach that allows the automation and management of IT infrastructure through code and not manual processes such as physical hardware configuration. It consists of writing code that defines the infrastructure (servers, networks, and storage) in a declarative way. Such code is then used to provision, configure, and manage the whole infrastructure.
Several technologies can be used to implement IaC – good examples are Terraform, AWS CloudFormation, and Ansible.
Why is Infrastructure as Code useful?
IaC is used by IT teams to manage infrastructure more efficiently. It can be utilized to use version control systems to track changes and automate the deployment and configuration of infrastructure.
The key benefits of using Infrastructure as Code include the:
Speed and efficiency
IaC allows teams to deploy infrastructure quickly and effectively by reducing the time and work needed for manual infrastructure setup and management.
Consistency
It makes it easier for teams to ensure the infrastructure is consistent across different environments and deployments.
Fewer errors
Using IaC reduces the risk of errors and improves the reliability of the infrastructure.
Reusability
IaC can be reused across different projects, facilitating the deployment of infrastructure for new projects and making the configuration much easier and quicker.
Collaboration
IaC code can be stored in version control systems, allowing multiple team members to collaborate on the code and making the changes tracking process much more manageable.
Scalability
IaC allows it to scale infrastructure according to needs, making it much more responsive to changing business needs and the company’s growth.
Cost-effectiveness
It helps reduce infrastructure costs by optimizing resource usage and minimizing the need for manual intervention.
Compliance
IaC tools can help teams ensure that the infrastructure is consistent and compliant with security and regulatory requirements.
Differences between IaaS and IaC
In IT infrastructure management, Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and IaC are two very distinct concepts. While IaC involves writing code to automate processes related to IT infrastructure management, IaaS is a cloud computing model providing virtualized computing resources over the internet. Examples of those resources are storage and networking, which can all be used by customers to build and run their applications and services. Along with Software as a Service (SaaS) and Platform as a Service (PaaS), IaaS is a cloud computing service used on pay-per-use bases.
While IaaS provides the underlying infrastructure resources, IaC delivers a way to automate the management of these resources through code. Their main differences are their responsibility – with IaaS, customers are responsible for managing the infrastructure themselves, while with IaC the infrastructure is managed through code, and the responsibility lies with the development team. Both IaaS and IaC can be used together to create efficient, scalable, and cost-effective infrastructure solutions.
