Understanding Infrastructure as Code: Automating Cloud Infrastructure Management

Terms of use

Terms of Use

The use of this site and the content contained therein is governed by the Terms of Use. When you use this site you acknowledge that you have read the Terms of Use and that you accept and will be bound by the terms hereof and such terms as may be modified from time to time.

All text, graphics, audio, design and other works on the site are the copyrighted works of nasscom unless otherwise indicated. All rights reserved.
Content on the site is for personal use only and may be downloaded provided the material is kept intact and there is no violation of the copyrights, trademarks, and other proprietary rights. Any alteration of the material or use of the material contained in the site for any other purpose is a violation of the copyright of nasscom and / or its affiliates or associates or of its third-party information providers. This material cannot be copied, reproduced, republished, uploaded, posted, transmitted or distributed in any way for non-personal use without obtaining the prior permission from nasscom.
The nasscom Members login is for the reference of only registered nasscom Member Companies.
nasscom reserves the right to modify the terms of use of any service without any liability. nasscom reserves the right to take all measures necessary to prevent access to any service or termination of service if the terms of use are not complied with or are contravened or there is any violation of copyright, trademark or other proprietary right.
From time to time nasscom may supplement these terms of use with additional terms pertaining to specific content (additional terms). Such additional terms are hereby incorporated by reference into these Terms of Use.

Disclaimer

The Company information provided on the nasscom web site is as per data collected by companies. nasscom is not liable on the authenticity of such data.
nasscom has exercised due diligence in checking the correctness and authenticity of the information contained in the site, but nasscom or any of its affiliates or associates or employees shall not be in any way responsible for any loss or damage that may arise to any person from any inadvertent error in the information contained in this site. The information from or through this site is provided "as is" and all warranties express or implied of any kind, regarding any matter pertaining to any service or channel, including without limitation the implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement are disclaimed. nasscom and its affiliates and associates shall not be liable, at any time, for any failure of performance, error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operation or transmission, computer virus, communications line failure, theft or destruction or unauthorised access to, alteration of, or use of information contained on the site. No representations, warranties or guarantees whatsoever are made as to the accuracy, adequacy, reliability, completeness, suitability or applicability of the information to a particular situation.
nasscom or its affiliates or associates or its employees do not provide any judgments or warranty in respect of the authenticity or correctness of the content of other services or sites to which links are provided. A link to another service or site is not an endorsement of any products or services on such site or the site.
The content provided is for information purposes alone and does not substitute for specific advice whether investment, legal, taxation or otherwise. nasscom disclaims all liability for damages caused by use of content on the site.
All responsibility and liability for any damages caused by downloading of any data is disclaimed.
nasscom reserves the right to modify, suspend / cancel, or discontinue any or all sections, or service at any time without notice.

For any grievances under the Information Technology Act 2000, please get in touch with Grievance Officer, Mr. Anirban Mandal at data-query@nasscom.in.

New

See all

No notification found.

Understanding Infrastructure as Code: Automating Cloud Infrastructure Management

Divya Bhatia

@DivyaH2O

May 25, 2023

Cloud Computing

123

Understanding Infrastructure as Code: Automating Cloud Infrastructure Management

In today's rapidly evolving technology landscape, the demand for scalable and reliable cloud infrastructure is greater than ever. To meet this demand, a new paradigm has emerged: Infrastructure as Code (IaC). IaC refers to the practice of managing and provisioning cloud infrastructure through code, enabling automation, repeatability, and scalability. In this article, we will delve into the concept of IaC and explore its benefits in automating cloud infrastructure management.

Traditionally, managing cloud infrastructure involved manual and error-prone processes. Infrastructure components were manually provisioned, configured, and managed, leading to inconsistencies and inefficiencies. With the introduction of IaC, infrastructure management is now treated as a software development process. Infrastructure components are defined and configured using code, allowing for automation, version control, and collaboration.

At the core of IaC is the use of declarative or imperative languages to define infrastructure resources and their desired state. Declarative languages, such as YAML or JSON, describe the desired end-state of the infrastructure. Developers define the desired configuration, and the IaC tool takes care of provisioning and managing the resources accordingly. On the other hand, imperative languages, like Python or PowerShell, provide step-by-step instructions for provisioning and configuring infrastructure resources.

One of the key benefits of IaC is automation. With IaC, developers can automate the provisioning, configuration, and deployment of cloud infrastructure. Infrastructure code can be version controlled, allowing teams to collaborate and track changes over time. Automation eliminates manual intervention and reduces the risk of human error, leading to faster and more reliable infrastructure management processes. Developers can define infrastructure blueprints, reusable code templates, and deployment pipelines, ensuring consistency and repeatability across environments.

Scalability is another advantage of IaC. As organizations grow and their infrastructure needs evolve, manual management becomes increasingly challenging. IaC allows for easy scaling by simply adjusting the code that defines the infrastructure. With a few modifications to the infrastructure code, developers can provision additional resources or adjust the capacity of existing resources to meet changing demands. This scalability ensures that organizations can seamlessly handle spikes in traffic or accommodate growth without manual intervention or downtime.

Furthermore, IaC promotes infrastructure consistency. With traditional manual management, inconsistencies can arise due to human error or differences in deployment environments. IaC eliminates these inconsistencies by ensuring that infrastructure is defined, provisioned, and configured identically across all environments. Whether it's development, testing, staging, or production, the same code and configuration are used, resulting in a standardized and predictable infrastructure setup.

Another advantage of IaC is the ability to test infrastructure changes before deployment. By treating infrastructure as code, developers can leverage the same software development practices such as automated testing. Infrastructure code can be tested in simulated environments, allowing for the identification and resolution of potential issues before changes are deployed to production. This approach reduces the risk of unexpected downtime or failures, as changes can be thoroughly validated in advance.

IaC also facilitates easier collaboration and knowledge sharing among teams. Infrastructure code can be stored in version control systems, enabling multiple developers to work on the same codebase simultaneously. Changes can be reviewed, merged, and tracked, fostering transparency and accountability. Furthermore, as infrastructure is defined and managed through code, documentation becomes more accurate and up-to-date, ensuring that knowledge about the infrastructure is readily available to the entire team.

However, embracing IaC requires a shift in mindset and a learning curve. Developers and operations teams need to acquire new skills and adopt best practices for writing infrastructure code. Additionally, choosing the right IaC tool and framework is crucial for successful implementation. Popular IaC tools include Terraform, AWS CloudFormation, Azure Resource Manager, and Google Cloud Deployment Manager, each.

Disclaimer

That the contents of third-party articles/blogs published here on the website, and the interpretation of all information in the article/blogs such as data, maps, numbers, opinions etc. displayed in the article/blogs and views or the opinions expressed within the content are solely of the author's; and do not reflect the opinions and beliefs of NASSCOM or its affiliates in any manner. NASSCOM does not take any liability w.r.t. content in any manner and will not be liable in any manner whatsoever for any kind of liability arising out of any act, error or omission. The contents of third-party article/blogs published, are provided solely as convenience; and the presence of these articles/blogs should not, under any circumstances, be considered as an endorsement of the contents by NASSCOM in any manner; and if you chose to access these articles/blogs , you do so at your own risk.

Divya Bhatia

Divya