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In previous articles we discussed practices to help organize your teams (agile development), help maintain quality in your product (automated testing), how to manage workflow across multiple teams (DevOps), and now we are going to talk about how cloud-based infrastructure pulls all of this together using Infrastructure as Code (IaC).
Imagine having a single button that takes all your work and publishes it to any infrastructure environment you need. Although this is possible with non-cloud infrastructure, when you leverage the power of cloud hosted applications and infrastructure as code, you unlock the true benefits of this flow.
The concepts that we are going to discuss in this article define ways to fully automate deploying your applications to existing or brand new environments in a consistent manner, automate scaling out or up the infrastructure that you need, distributing your application to multiple regions across the globe, having fully redundant and resilient versions of your infrastructure, and only paying for what you use.
Core Principles
At its core, Infrastructure as Code (IaC) is about automating infrastructure provisioning, configuration, and management. Instead of manually setting up servers, databases, or networks, you write a set of instructions, just like coding an app, that tells the system exactly what to create and how it should work.
This automation means you don’t have to worry about setting things up piece by piece. With IaC, everything happens consistently and reliably, whether you’re provisioning a single resource, or a set of resources to support a multi-tier application. It’s like having a blueprint that not only designs the building but constructs it automatically where and when you need it.
Another key principle of IaC is consistency. The infrastructure you create with code will always behave the same way, no matter how many times you deploy it. This eliminates “configuration drift,” where small, unnoticed changes creep in over time, causing systems to break or behave unpredictably.
IaC also emphasizes version control, meaning your infrastructure setup is stored in a system like Git, just like application code. This allows teams to track changes, roll back if something goes wrong, and collaborate more effectively. It brings transparency and control to infrastructure management. This allows you to see when a change was introduced to your infrastructure and have context to why it was changed without needing to rely on manual runbooks and tickets.
IaC allows you to test the exact infrastructure and code setup in lower environments, so you have no surprises in production. The same setup, configuration, code, and process are used in each environment as you deploy.
Finally, IaC is all about scalability. Whether you’re spinning up resources for a global product launch or scaling down during quieter periods, IaC lets you adapt quickly and efficiently, saving both time and costs.
Scenarios
Infrastructure as Code (IaC) shines in many scenarios where automation and consistency are key. Here are some of the most common ways it’s applied:
Dynamic Scaling in Cloud Environments: Imagine running an online store during a big sale. Traffic spikes, and you need more servers to handle the load—now. IaC makes this seamless by automatically spinning up additional resources when demand increases and scaling them down when traffic eases. This not only keeps your website running smoothly but also saves money by using resources only when needed.
Disaster Recovery and Backup: What happens if a data center goes offline due to an outage? With IaC, you don’t have to scramble to rebuild everything manually. You can automate disaster recovery, creating an exact tested copy of your infrastructure in another location in minutes. IaC ensures that backups are always ready and that you can restore services quickly, minimizing downtime.
Multi-Environment Management: Teams often need separate environments for development (dev), testing (test), and production (prod). Without IaC, setting these up consistently can be a nightmare. IaC lets you define your environment once in code and reuse it across all stages. This means your test environment mirrors production perfectly, making it easier to catch issues early. For example, one of our clients builds out an entire copy of their infrastructure for each branch that is being worked on. This infrastructure is setup via AWS CDK and CloudFormation. The environment is spun up in order to test the code changes and any infrastructure changes via automated testing that executes against the fully isolated and deployed infrastructure in order to validate the change itself before it can be merged into the release pipeline. This allows this organization to have high confidence in the quality of the changeset and limits manual review of code sets before deploying to production. This greatly improves the delivery throughput (Dora metric – change lead time and deployment frequency)
Automated Test Environment Build and Tear Down: Developers frequently need short-lived environments to test new features or fix bugs. With IaC, creating these environments is as simple as running a script. Once testing is done, you can automatically tear down the environment, freeing up resources. This speeds up development and ensures resources aren’t wasted. For example one of our clients has integration tests for an API that run daily. A DevOps pipeline provisions the required Azure infrastructure (storage account, hosting plan, and Azure function), deploys the function application code, performs the integration tests, reports the results, then tears down the environment. This is done without any manual intervention or idle cloud resources.
Cost Optimization: IaC helps you keep an eye on the budget by automating resource management. For example, you can schedule non-essential servers to shut down after work hours or automatically clean up unused resources. It’s like having an efficient assistant ensuring you only pay for what you use. In addition, by having a history of when changes were introduced you can correlate changes to billing trends.
Benefits
IaC automation speeds up deployments, ensures things run smoothly, grows with your needs, fosters better teamwork, and saves money.
Speed and Agility: Automation takes the manual effort out of setting up infrastructure. Tasks that used to take hours or even days, like provisioning servers or configuring networks, can now happen in minutes. This means new environments are ready faster, and your team spends less time waiting and more time innovating.
Consistency: With IaC, every piece of infrastructure is created the same way, every time. Whether you’re deploying to a test environment or rolling out changes in production, there’s no risk of “human error” causing surprises. This consistency ensures everything works as expected and reduces the headaches of debugging unpredictable issues.
Scalability: As your needs grow, IaC makes scaling effortless. Whether it’s adding resources during a big product launch or managing infrastructure across global regions, IaC handles the heavy lifting. It’s just as easy to scale down when things quiet down, so you’re not stuck paying for resources you don’t need.
Collaboration: IaC brings developers and operations teams onto the same page by using code as the common language. Everyone works with the same version-controlled templates, making collaboration smoother and reducing miscommunication. Anyone on the team can track changes or roll back configurations if needed.
Cost Efficiency: Managing infrastructure with IaC doesn’t just save time; it saves money. Automation helps avoid over-provisioning, shuts down unused resources, and keeps everything optimized. You’re not just throwing money at the problem, you’re using resources smartly and efficiently.
Tools
Most of our clients rely on Azure and/or AWS as their cloud providers. In this section, we’ll explore some of the tools that simplify automating and managing your infrastructure in Azure and AWS.
Azure
Azure Resource Manager (ARM) Templates
Azure’s native IaC tool, ARM templates, uses JSON to define the infrastructure and configuration for your Azure services. It’s deeply integrated into the Azure ecosystem, allowing you to provision and manage resources with precision. While powerful, it can feel a bit complex due to the JSON syntax, especially for teams just starting with IaC.
Azure Bicep
If you find JSON a bit hard to work with, Azure Bicep is a simpler, more readable alternative. Bicep is a domain-specific language (DSL) that compiles down to ARM templates but provides a much cleaner and user-friendly syntax. It’s like writing in a more intuitive language that still taps into the full power of Azure’s resource management.
Terraform
While not exclusive to Azure, Terraform is a popular open-source IaC tool that works seamlessly with Azure. It allows you to define infrastructure using HashiCorp Configuration Language (HCL), making it easier to write, manage, and share your infrastructure code. Terraform is especially useful if you’re working with multiple cloud providers and want a consistent way to manage your infrastructure across them.
AWS
AWS CloudFormation
AWS CloudFormation is AWS’s native IaC service, allowing you to model and set up your AWS infrastructure using YAML or JSON templates. CloudFormation is tightly integrated with AWS services, enabling you to manage everything from EC2 instances to databases with a single, unified codebase. Like ARM templates for Azure, it can be a bit verbose, but it’s an excellent choice for AWS-centric environments.
AWS CDK (Cloud Development Kit)
AWS CDK takes a more developer-friendly approach to IaC by letting you define your infrastructure using familiar programming languages like TypeScript, Python, Java, and C#. It abstracts much of the complexity found in CloudFormation templates, making it easier to define complex infrastructures with less code and greater flexibility. AWS CDK also determines the diff from existing infrastructure to the changes that you are implementing so you can see the changes that are being made on each deployment. It also allows you to add safeguards to prevent deletion of important assets – like production databases.
Terraform
Just like on Azure, Terraform also works seamlessly with AWS. It’s a great choice if you want to use a single tool across multiple clouds, as it can manage both AWS and Azure resources from the same codebase. Terraform’s declarative approach and modularity allow for easier collaboration and better infrastructure management.
Challenges and Best Practices
While Infrastructure as Code (IaC) offers immense benefits, it’s not without its challenges. Let’s take a closer look at some of the hurdles teams may face and the best practices to overcome them:
Challenges
Initial Setup Complexity: Getting started with IaC can feel overwhelming, especially for teams new to the concept. Setting up automation tools, defining reusable templates, and integrating IaC into workflows require time and planning. It’s a bit like building the foundation of a house, it’s critical but can be a heavy lift upfront.
Learning Curve for Team Members: Not everyone is familiar with coding infrastructure. For teams transitioning from manual processes or from on-premises to cloud resources, learning IaC tools and cloud concepts can be challenging. Training and hands-on practice are essential to get everyone comfortable and proficient.
Potential Issues with Misconfigured Automation: Automation is powerful, but it’s a double-edged sword. A small mistake in your IaC scripts can propagate quickly, leading to widespread misconfigurations or downtime. Debugging these issues can be time-consuming, especially if proper safeguards are not in place from the start.
Best Practices
Start Small and Iterate: You don’t have to automate everything at once. Begin with small, manageable tasks or projects, and build from there. For example, start by automating a single environment or service, and expand as your team gains confidence and expertise.
Use Modular Templates: Think of IaC like building with LEGO(TM) blocks – create small, reusable pieces of code that can be combined to meet different needs. This approach not only saves time but also reduces the risk of errors, as you’re working with proven components.
Regularly Test Automation Scripts: Treat IaC like any other software: test it thoroughly. Use tools to validate your configurations and run test deployments to ensure scripts work as expected. Regular testing helps catch issues early and ensures your automation stays reliable over time.
Conclusion
While Infrastructure as Code can revolutionize your operations by streamlining processes and enhancing efficiency, successfully navigating its challenges demands expertise and meticulous planning. If you seek assistance in implementing IaC for your organization, reach out to Green Leaf Consulting Group today to guarantee a smooth and successful automation journey.