LInfrastructure-as-Code (IaC) is gaining popularity within the DevOps approach. These are mechanisms that allow you to manage a virtual infrastructure using code. Since its creation by Amazon in 2006 (with Amazon Web Services), Infrastructure-as-Code has evolved to become an attractive solution for companies in many ways. CIOs and CTOs are increasingly convinced of the benefits of this type of IT infrastructure. For good reason, Infrastructure-as-Code offers them unprecedented opportunities. So what exactly is it? What are its benefits and risks? Is IaC right for your organization?

Definition and operation of theInfrastructure-as-Code

Infrastructure-as-Code is now a key concept in the DevOps approach. Developers benefit from it, but it is also a boon for companies. Infrastructure-as-Code and how it works are at the heart of many organizations' thinking right now.

Also known as SDI (software-defined infrastructure), software-defined infrastructure or programmable infrastructure, IaC is the automation of infrastructure management through a descriptive model: code. This computer code unifies the deployment of "infrastructure" environments and enables the provision of development environments. It is part of the DevOps approach, which already aims to bring together development and operations. Infrastructure-as-Code is based on modern Cloud Computing techniques (virtualization, software-defined resource management, etc.). The company then manages the hardware without manual access to the devices, allowing it to react precisely to changes, evolutions and updates.

There are 3 types of Infra-as-code:
  • imperative Infrastructure-as-Code consists in declaring resources with a formal and ordered list of instructions to obtain the desired result;
  • the functional IaC aims at declaring the resources so that their final configuration corresponds to the objective, without defined order;
  • the environment-based approachThe environment-based approach, the most elaborate, differs in that resources are declared to ensure that their configuration and final state are consistent with their environment: resource creation becomes intelligent in addition to being automated.

     

Deploying theInfrastructure-as-Code in your organization: benefits and risks

The benefits of IaC

With Infrastructure-as-Code, the entire service production chain gains in fluidity and agilitywhich offers concrete benefits to the company: saving time savings, savings financial savings, risk reduction, speed speed of execution and better collaboration within the company.

But that's not all, since the advantages of IaC are numerous :

  • rapid and seamless deployment;
  • improved reliability through automation;
  • time saved by the teams to focus on the project;
  • considerable cost reduction, especially on the largest projects;
  • possible return in case of deployment error or anomaly;
  • better collaboration within the team and globally in the company.

The risks of Infrastructure-as-Code

Despite its undeniable benefits Infrastructure-as-Code is not without its shortcomings. The qualification and validation process must be adapted for the following reasons :

  • error replication because the initial code is not completed and not pre-validated;
  • risk of poor planning;
  • risk of a lack of skills and expertise in-house;
  • risk of delay due to the time required for team training;
  • risk of configuration deviation due to human intervention;
  • risk of accidental destruction of an important resource.

It is therefore crucial to weigh the assets and risks before of before choosing theIaC in your organization.

The interest of theInfrastructure-as-Code...

... in a DevOps approach

The massive adoption of IaC is linked to its excellent integration with the DevOps the DevOps movement: this workflow allows for the complete automation of application deployment. Thus, infrastructure-as-code software, made available by providers cloud (Cloud Formation, Azure ARM...) or in Open Source (Terraform...), can easily be combined with popular tools such as Puppet, Vault or Ansible. The other major point that brings IaC and DevOps together is the speed of setting up test environments. Mounting and destroying resources as soon as the project's source code is updated is a great common advantage here.

Discover the 10 essential DevOps tools

... in a Cloud Computing approach

In the framework of the cloud public or private cloud IaC is also interesting. Indeed, some services cloud like Microsoft Azure have their own IaC tool, Azure Resource Manager.

Companies can use the latter to:

  • define their virtual infrastructure;
  • define their application dependencies within models and duplicate them;
  • organize the resources to be deployed and remove them in a single action.

The essentials of Cloud Computing

Technical and organizational requirements for deploying Infrastructure-as-Code

Technical requirements

Certain technical prerequisites are essential for a successful transition to infrastructure-as-code. The most important ones are:

  • Advanced and proven DevOps maturity in the organization ;
  • a set of agile best practices already in place before moving to IaC.

Organizational requirements

To ensure the success of IaC, it is essential to haveexperts who are familiar with the solutions and tools involved. Administrators also need to develop skills in software development and new deployment methods for Infrastructure-as-Code. IaaC also requires an adapted business operation, more in line with the acceleration of processes. This is important to avoid creating a two-speed environment. The real involvement of management is necessary here, and this from the very first phases of the project.

Infrastructure-as-Code is worth a look, but its apparent simplicity does not make it so easily accessible: expertise is the key to its successful successful deployment. Let's move forward together in the realization of your projects related to infrastructure and architecture(to discover our dedicated offer, click here).

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