Infrastructure as Code: IaC Lifecycle & Workflows

1. Introduction

Infrastructure as Code (IaC) is a methodology that allows you to manage and provision computing infrastructure through machine-readable definition files, rather than through physical hardware configuration or interactive configuration tools.

This lesson will explore the lifecycle of IaC and the various workflows involved in deploying and managing infrastructure effectively.

2. IaC Lifecycle

Phases of IaC Lifecycle

Planning: Identify requirements and design infrastructure.
Development: Write code using an IaC tool (e.g., Terraform, CloudFormation).
Testing: Validate the code to ensure it meets requirements.
Deployment: Apply the infrastructure code to create or modify resources.
Monitoring: Monitor the deployed infrastructure for performance and issues.
Maintenance: Update and manage infrastructure as needed.

Note: Each phase may require different tooling and collaboration from various teams within an organization.

3. IaC Workflows

Common IaC Workflows

Version Control: Store IaC code in a version control system (e.g., Git).
Continuous Integration: Automatically test and validate changes to IaC code.
Continuous Deployment: Automatically apply validated IaC changes to infrastructure.
Collaboration: Use pull requests and code reviews to manage changes to IaC code.

Example Workflow Using Terraform


# Initialize Terraform
terraform init

# Validate the configuration files
terraform validate

# Plan the changes to be applied
terraform plan

# Apply the changes to the infrastructure
terraform apply

Flowchart of IaC Workflow


graph TD;
    A[Start] --> B[Version Control];
    B --> C[Continuous Integration];
    C --> D[Continuous Deployment];
    D --> E[Monitoring];
    E --> F[Feedback];
    F --> B;

4. Best Practices

Key Best Practices

Use version control for all IaC scripts.
Modularize your code for reusability.
Implement automated testing for validation.
Document your infrastructure setup clearly.
Use environment variables to manage configurations.

Tip: Regularly review and refactor your IaC code to improve performance and manageability.

5. FAQ

What is Infrastructure as Code (IaC)?

Infrastructure as Code (IaC) is the practice of managing and provisioning computing infrastructure through code instead of physical hardware configuration.

What tools are commonly used for IaC?

Common tools include Terraform, AWS CloudFormation, Ansible, and Azure Resource Manager (ARM).

How does IaC improve deployment speed?

IaC automates the provisioning of infrastructure, allowing for faster deployments and reducing the possibility of human error.