TechDogs-"A Basic Explainer Of Infrastructure As Code (IaC)"

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A Basic Explainer Of Infrastructure As Code (IaC)

By TechDogs Editorial Team

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Overview

Blade Runner – a movie set in dystopian Los Angeles where synthetic humans (called Replicants) were bio-engineered by the evil Tyrell Corporation to work on space colonies. The star of the story was the almost-retired cop Rick Deckard (portrayed excellently by Harrison Ford) who agrees to hunt down rogue Replicants. This movie featured technologies that could predict events and automate work based on those insights. We mean, what kind of future does not have automation?

When it comes to automating large-scale processes, technology always has an answer – even for DevOps. Introducing Infrastructure as Code; a way for developers to align and automate their computing environment with just a few lines of code. The beauty of Infrastructure as Code is its adaptability; it can be leveraged across applications – from resource-hungry websites to operating a network of servers at scale!  

Heck, we bet even Tyrell Corporation uses Infrastructure as Code for the Replicants since they need a certain file structure to be activated quickly each time. Who has time to do that manually? With Infrastructure as Code, every Replicant would have the same exact computing configuration on each instance.

If you want to automate your IT infrastructure too? Hop on and learn about Infrastructure as Code!
TechDogs-"A Basic Explainer Of Infrastructure As Code (IaC)"- Look What Infrastructure IaC Built!
In the Blade Runner franchise, we were introduced to Replicants, or androids, who are on the loose. Naturally, these androids were complex computing systems and managing them would require immense programming. Think of this: 100 million lines of code are required to develop one autonomous car – how many would be required for a living, sentient robot?


This is where Infrastructure as Code (IaC) steps in as a savior – no different than Decker who hunted down the rogue Replicants! IaC is the continuous practice of managing and configuring computing infrastructure, such as servers, storage facilities, databases, networks, web servers, etc., using programming languages and machine-readable code rather than manual configuration. IaC forms an essential component of the software development life cycle (SDLC) and aids in the provisioning of infrastructure via code. It automates the process so that developers do not have to manually deploy applications and services.

In essence, IaC makes it easier to ensure that the same environment is provisioned each time as users can create configuration files containing their infrastructure specifications – even if the system is as complex as a Replicant!

So, run with us as we explore all about Infrastructure as Code!
 

What Is Infrastructure As Code (IaC)?


IaC refers to a method of managing and provisioning data centers, servers and other IT infrastructure components using machine-readable definition files rather than manually configuring or through physical hardware. With the power of IaC, users can easily run a script that manages thousands of machines (virtual and physical). This automates the process of scaling the infrastructure up or down according to the demand, rather than having developers run a hundred different configuration files. #EaseItWithAutomation

First, the infrastructure specifications are defined and written in a file by developers using a programming language. The created files are then uploaded to a code repository or management API. Lastly, an IaC tool performs the crucial steps to create and configure the required computing resources. Voila, your infrastructure is now working for you rather than against you!

The question is: when did we realize we could outsource the manual work to IaC? Read on!
 

Evolution And Origins Of Infrastructure As Code


The evolution of Infrastructure as Code has an interesting history. Let’s go way back to the dawn of modern computing when configuration management tools were first introduced to see how they evolved:

Unix was released in 1976, giving developers a rudimentary form of configuration management for their IT infrastructure.

Then, PXE boot was introduced in 1981, allowing configuration management for whole machines on a basic level.

An important milestone was the release of CFEngine. In 1993, Mark Burgess was pursuing a post-doctorate in theoretical physics. He was faced with the challenging task of maintaining a series of Unix workstations running different versions of Unix. Yes, it was as time-consuming as it sounds! He developed CFEngine to provide automated configuration and maintenance of large-scale computer systems and that’s when it all changed!

A new class of infrastructure configuration management tools were developed due to the slow and unreliable manual provisioning and management of hundreds of different environments. Hence, Chef and Puppet were introduced in 2005 and 2009 respectively and quickly became popular. 

The rise in the adoption of container technologies and the launch of Docker in 2013 increased the complexity again, enabling more complex solutions but introducing fresh challenges for infrastructure scalability.

Kubernetes and Terraform were introduced in 2014. They offered comprehensive infrastructure configuration management using a domain-specific language, like the majority of their predecessors. However, these tools were created for the management of IT operational workflows, unlike their predecessors.

TechDogs-"Evolution And Origins Of Infrastructure As Code"-"A GIF From Blade Runner"
Yes, the memories of manual infrastructure configuration will be forgotten! Even if Infrastructure as Code feels shiny and new at times, it’s actually solving the same old problems with new approaches. Let’s see what we mean!
 

How Does Infrastructure As Code Work?


Infrastructure as Code is bringing automation to IT infrastructure, allowing users to solve age-old problems of efficiency and scalability with a few lines of code. There are two primary approaches to Infrastructure as Code. Here’s what you need to know:
 
  • The imperative method requires users to specify the actions they want a system to take. With this method, programmers can define their entire IT infrastructure, from initial setup to ongoing updates and changes to get rid of manual processes.

  • In the declarative method, users only specify the desired outcome. The declarative methodology is preferred by DevOps teams as it is adaptable, flexible and permits the use of various tools.
There is yet another distinction that can be made in the working of Infrastructure as Code:
 
  • Infrastructure that can be changed after it has been installed is referred to as mutable infrastructure. It can accommodate changes to configuration policies, applications and code as it is dynamic and adaptable.

  • On the other hand, immutable infrastructure is that which cannot be changed once it has been deployed. Only by developing a new version of the infrastructure and deploying it can changes be made.
Both methods and infrastructures have their unique way of automating your business infrastructure. Hence, business leaders and development teams should choose the approach in accordance with their project specifications, equipment and desired outcomes. The best part is that no matter which method you opt for, several benefits are waiting for you.

Oh wait, there the benefits of IaC are waiting in the next section too!
 

Benefits Of Infrastructure As Code


TechDogs-"Benefits Of Infrastructure As Code"-"A Funny Meme About IaC"
You can imagine how challenging it is to manually configure, update, deploy and maintain any IT infrastructure. With Infrastructure as Code, your development teams need to put in the effort just once when they create the configuration files – IaC takes care of the rest! Here’s why that’s advantageous:
 
  • Consistent Configuration

    Repeatability is the core of Infrastructure as Code; the ability to spin up pre-configured environments every time ensures consistency across the board. It also helps eliminate deviations, avoids incompatibility issues and reduces errors, ensuring consistent configurations each time.

  • Decreased Errors And Risk

    The manual process of developing and deploying infrastructure from scratch creates countless possibilities for human error. This can leave development teams bogged down with redundant work, complex troubleshooting, and comprehensive debugging. Infrastructure as Code is less error-prone and ensures that infrastructure is documented in a source code/ repository.

  • Faster Disaster Recovery

    Another benefit of Infrastructure as Code is its security features that help enforce security protocols at the ground level, ensuring that every deployment is as secure as possible. Even if changes are made, it’s simple to update the new coded infrastructure company-wide. As Infrastructure as Code factors in plans for disaster recovery, developers can achieve higher resilience.

  • Faster Deployment

    Using Infrastructure as Code leads to faster execution as it takes just a single command and a few minutes to fully provision new environments. This is useful for small or medium-sized businesses and startups as faster deployment times help prioritize testing and debugging in production environments.

  • Improved Accountability

    In the past, engineering teams were forced to commit huge amounts of time and effort to carefully document every move to facilitate better collaboration. With Infrastructure as Code, all that is replaced by simple and fully traceable changes to the source code repository, including version control support to pinpoint the issue and understand it in a broader context.

  • Increased Operational Efficiency

    Infrastructure as Code increases efficiency and productivity as it’s easy to deploy complex architectures and policies with pre-configured IaC components. This dramatically shortens the development lifecycle, leading to consistent and efficient configurations. Infrastructure as Code also simplifies scaling up/ down environments that aren’t in use, keeping the overall infrastructure lean, efficient and scalable.

  • Cost Savings

    Every single benefit on this list contributes to financial savings! By creating consistency, decreasing risk, strengthening security, speeding up deployment, improving accountability and increasing efficiency, Infrastructure as Code reduces unnecessary costs at every level of the development pipeline.

What’s The Future Of Infrastructure As Code?


TechDogs-"What’s The Future Of Infrastructure As Code?"-"A Meme From Blade Runner"
As we mentioned before, Infrastructure as Code is in a state of consistent evolution, with new solutions being developed to scale the challenges faced by DevOps teams. The biggest obstacle lies in getting everyone in the organization to comprehend IaC so that the strategy can be fully optimized. Unresolved conflicts arise between the operations teams trying to optimize their infrastructure setup and development teams who refrain from making changes to IaC scripts out of concern for "breaking" something. As a result, there are delays, frustrations and unrealized technological potential whenever IaC is involved.

Hence, we expect greater clarity from business leaders about how IaC is an automation tool to help developers and IT administrators in the future. Additionally, the adoption of no-code solutions will encourage developers to look for other automated management tools such as Infrastructure as Code. This is evident from the revenue forecast for IaC, which is expected to reach USD 2.3 billion by 2027, representing a CAGR of 24.0% from a market valuation of USD 800 million in 2022. We’re excited about the automation-friendly future!
 

Conclusion


Infrastructure as Code (IaC) is a novel approach to provisioning IT infrastructure. It makes it possible for automated project deployment using pre-built code and fosters collaboration between development teams. Additionally, it lowers the possibility of human error, facilitates better cost management, increases scalability, raises system reliability and offers consistency in deployment. IaC should form a fundamental component of any company's software development lifecycle. So, what are you waiting for?

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is Infrastructure As Code (IaC)?

 

Infrastructure as Code (IaC) is a method of managing and provisioning IT infrastructure components using machine-readable definition files rather than manual configuration or physical hardware. It allows users to automate the process of scaling infrastructure up or down according to demand, eliminating the need for manual deployment of applications and services.

How Does Infrastructure As Code Work?

 

Infrastructure as Code operates through two primary approaches: imperative and declarative methods. In the imperative method, users specify the actions they want a system to take, while in the declarative method, users only specify the desired outcome. Additionally, infrastructure can be categorized as mutable or immutable, depending on whether it can be changed after deployment. Users can choose the approach and infrastructure type according to project specifications, equipment, and desired outcomes.

What Are the Benefits of Infrastructure As Code?

 

Infrastructure as Code offers numerous benefits, including consistent configuration, decreased errors and risk, faster disaster recovery, faster deployment, improved accountability, increased operational efficiency, and cost savings. It ensures consistency across environments, reduces human error, speeds up deployment times, simplifies scaling, and enhances collaboration between development teams. These benefits contribute to financial savings and make Infrastructure as Code a crucial component of any company's software development lifecycle.

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