Infrastructure as Code (IaC)
Infrastructure as Code automates the provisioning and management of IT infrastructure.
Classification
- ComplexityMedium
- Impact areaTechnical
- Decision typeTechnical
- Organizational maturityAdvanced
Technical context
Principles & goals
Use cases & scenarios
Compromises
- Errors in the code can lead to downtime.
- Improper usage can create security risks.
- Complexity can lead to a knowledge gap.
- Use a version control system.
- Document changes thoroughly.
- Conduct regular reviews.
I/O & resources
- Infrastructure scripts
- Cloud credentials
- Version control system
- Provisioned infrastructure resources
- Provisioning reports
- Change logs
Description
Infrastructure as Code (IaC) is an approach that allows infrastructure to be defined and provisioned through code. This improves efficiency, reduces the likelihood of errors, and facilitates tracking changes.
✔Benefits
- Reduced provisioning time for infrastructure.
- Increased consistency in infrastructure.
- Better traceability of changes.
✖Limitations
- Requires expertise in script creation.
- Can be complex in large environments.
- Maintenance of the scripts is required.
Trade-offs
Metrics
- Provisioning Time
The time taken to provision infrastructure.
- Error Rate
Number of errors during provisioning.
- Cost per Provisioning
The costs associated with provisioning infrastructure.
Examples & implementations
AWS CloudFormation Example
An example of using AWS CloudFormation for automated provisioning of EC2 instances.
Terraform Example
An example of how Terraform can be used to manage infrastructure across different clouds.
Ansible Example
An example of using Ansible for configuring server resources.
Implementation steps
Define infrastructure in code.
Automate provisioning with IaC tools.
Test and validate the infrastructure.
⚠️ Technical debt & bottlenecks
Technical debt
- Outdated scripts without maintenance.
- Lack of modularity in scripts.
- Insufficient commenting of the code.
Known bottlenecks
Misuse examples
- Incorrect configuration of cloud resources.
- Insufficient testing of scripts before provisioning.
- Ignoring security protocols.
Typical traps
- Creating too much complexity.
- Frequent changes without tests.
- Lack of understanding of the code.
Required skills
Architectural drivers
Constraints
- • Compliance standards must be adhered to.
- • Technological frameworks must be considered.
- • Resources must be secured.