Infrastructure as a Code Explained

What is infrastructure as code?

Infrastructure as code is a way to manage computer systems and networks using programming instructions. Instead of manually configuring devices, we write code that outlines how we want our infrastructure to look and work. This code can be saved in files and version-controlled, like software code. By running this code, it automatically sets up and configures our infrastructure based on the instructions provided. 

This makes setting up and managing computer systems faster, more reliable, and more consistent. Tech companies choose it as it aligns with DevOps principles that encourage collaboration and integration between development and operations teams.

What is the goal of infrastructure as a code?

Infrastructure as code solves the problem of developers and infrastructure teams working separately. In the past, developers needed their environments, causing duplication of infrastructure and manual updates that led to errors and disruptions.

With infrastructure as code, changes are made by writing code, which is reviewed, approved, and tested. This approach brings developers and infrastructure teams together, creating a unified and collaborative environment. It ensures consistency, saves time, and reduces errors in managing infrastructure.

Benefits of infrastructure as a code

Here are just some of the benefits CGS-team sees as a startup development partner:

• Speed and Efficiency
  Automated provisioning and management processes are much faster and more efficient than manual methods. Infrastructure can be deployed quickly with just a few commands, saving time and effort.
• Consistency
  Infrastructure as Code ensures consistency by allowing you to spin up pre-configured environments every time. This eliminates variations and discrepancies, maintaining uniformity across the board.
• Decreased Risk
  Manual development and deployment processes are prone to human errors, leading to complex troubleshooting and debugging. Using Infrastructure as Code significantly reduces the risk of errors as infrastructure can be created from a reliable and tested code base.
• Faster Deployment
  Infrastructure as Code enables rapid deployment with a single command. With pre-configured templates and automation, provisioning environments takes only a few minutes, accelerating the overall deployment process.

Read this article to explore more about deployment practices.

History

1. First Generation: Simplifying Host Provisioning 
   The first wave of infrastructure as code tools, like Chef, Puppet, and Ansible, focused on making it easier to provision and manage individual machines. These tools automated software installation, directory creation, and running system services. They dealt with concepts like files, packages, users, groups, and permissions.
2. Second Generation: Embracing the Cloud 
   As cloud computing became more prevalent, infrastructure as code shifted its focus to configuring managed services provided by cloud providers. Tools like CloudFormation, Terraform, and Azure Resource Manager emerged to manage resources at a higher level of abstraction, simplifying the setup and management of cloud-based infrastructure.
3. Third Generation: Power of Programming Language
   The third generation of infrastructure as code tools, such as AWS CDK, Pulumi, and SST, leveraged the flexibility of general-purpose programming languages to define infrastructure. These tools embraced imperative programming paradigms and offered higher-level abstractions, allowing developers to describe infrastructure using familiar coding concepts.
4. Fourth Generation: Seamless Integration of Infrastructure and Application
   The latest generation of infrastructure as code tools, including Wing, Dark, Eventual, Ampt, and Klotho, aims to blur the lines between infrastructure and application code. They promote the idea that infrastructure should be derived from the application code, eliminating the need for separate definitions. This approach simplifies the management and deployment of infrastructure and applications, fostering greater integration and efficiency.
   

Infrastructure as a code tool

There are many tools on the market, but here is a list of the most popular and robust:

• HashiCorp Terraform
• Pulumi
• Spacelift
• AWS CloudFormation
• Puppet
• Chef (Progress Chef)
• Crossplane
• Brainboard

How does infrastructure as code work?

Example IaC workflow looks like this:

1. A developer changes a YAML configuration file using their preferred management platform, such as Terraform, to specify the desired modifications.
2. The developer commits these changes to a separate branch in the Git repository.
3. A pull request is created, allowing code review and collaboration with other team members using the repository's built-in features.
4. Once the changes are approved, they are merged into the repository's main branch.
5. The configuration platform, like Bitbucket Pipelines, can manually or automatically trigger the deployment process.
6. Terraform communicates with the Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) API, executing commands to align the infrastructure with the desired configuration.
7. Developers can effectively implement Infrastructure as Code (IaC) by following this workflow and fulfilling these dependencies. This approach automates infrastructure management, promotes collaboration among team members, and ensures consistent configurations throughout the development process.

Infrastructure as Code (IaC) Best Practices

1. Embrace Immutability
   Follow the practice of immutability, where each component is built according to specific specifications and is not modified after deployment. This prevents configuration drift and ensures consistency, security, and easier tracking of changes.
2. Implement Version Control
   Apply version control to your IaC configuration files like any other code. This enables tracking, managing, and restoring changes, enhancing traceability and visibility. Use version control systems like Git, GitHub, or Azure DevOps to manage your IaC files.
3. Secure Secrets
   Avoid hard-coding secrets in your IaC code, as it poses a security risk. Store secrets in a secure secrets store instead of version control systems. Scan your code for exposed credentials using techniques like regular expression scanning, keyword detection, and entropy-based scanning to identify and mitigate potential security vulnerabilities.

Future trends

• Cloud-Native
  Cloud-native Infrastructure as Code (IAC) is a rising trend that organizations are adopting to leverage cloud benefits effectively. It involves utilizing cloud-native technologies like Kubernetes and Docker to manage infrastructure and automating deployment and management processes for enhanced efficiency, scalability, and security.
• Multi-cloud
  Multi-cloud environments enable organizations to utilize multiple cloud providers, such as AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud, rather than relying on a single provider. This approach allows organizations to ensure high availability and disaster recovery and leverage the unique features offered by each provider.
• Self-Service
  Self-service IAC empowers developers to provision and manage their own infrastructure independently, reducing dependency on IT operations. This autonomy increases agility, accelerates development speed, and allows developers to better understand the infrastructure they use.
• IAC for Security
  IAC plays a vital role in automating the deployment and maintenance of security controls, reducing the risk of security breaches. It enables organizations to configure security tools according to best practices, automatically deploy security updates and patches, and detect/respond to security incidents promptly.
• Artificial Intelligence for IAC
  The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) in IAC can enhance security risk detection, improve infrastructure configuration recommendations, and automate provisioning and management processes. AI and ML can analyze configurations, identify vulnerabilities, and provide insights for optimizing security.
• ChatOps for IAC
  ChatOps brings collaboration and communication to the forefront of infrastructure management by utilizing chatbots and messaging platforms. It enables real-time communication, automates repetitive tasks, and integrates with other tools for a comprehensive view of the infrastructure, enhancing transparency, efficiency, and decision-making.

Final words

Ok, so today, we discovered some interesting highlights:

• Infrastructure as Code (IaC) simplifies infrastructure management by automating setup and configuration using code. It fosters collaboration and consistency between developers and infrastructure teams. 
• Popular IaC tools like Terraform and Pulumi streamline the deployment process. 
• The future trends include cloud-native IaC, multi-cloud environments, self-service IaC, IaC for security, AI integration, and ChatOps. 
• IaC enhances efficiency, reliability, and agility in managing infrastructure.

Also, we discovered the goals, history, and best practices of IaC.