Infrastructure As Code (IaC) for the NON-Developer!

Infrastructure as Code (IaC) is an important practice for managing and provisioning infrastructure through code. This article delves into the concept of IaC, and how IaC can be effectively utilized by non-developers to streamline infrastructure management, enhance collaboration, and increase operational efficiency.

Understanding Infrastructure as Code (IaC) and Configuration as Code (CAC)

Definitions and Distinctions

• Infrastructure as Code (IaC): Refers to managing and provisioning computing infrastructure through machine-readable definition files, rather than physical hardware configuration or interactive configuration tools.
• Configuration as Code (CAC): Focuses on managing system configurations in a declarative manner using code. While IaC deals with the provisioning of infrastructure, CAC ensures that the system configurations are maintained as specified.

Despite the nuanced differences, IaC and CAC are often used together to provide a comprehensive approach to infrastructure management.

The core principles of IaC and CAC are rooted in practices traditionally used by developers but are equally applicable to system administrators:

• Source Control: Using version control systems like Git to manage and track changes to code, ensuring a single source of truth.
• Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD): Automating the integration and deployment process to streamline updates and ensure consistency.

Implementing IaC: Approaches and Tools

Imperative vs. Declarative

• Imperative Approach: This is procedural, where scripts are written to execute commands in a specific order. This approach is common in traditional scripting languages like PowerShell.
• Declarative Approach: This is functional, where the desired state of the system is specified, and the system determines how to achieve that state. This approach is used in tools that generate manifest files in markup languages like YAML or JSON.

Essential Tools for IaC

Several tools facilitate the implementation of IaC, each with its unique features and use cases:

• Puppet: Uses a master-agent model and is written in its domain-specific language. It’s ideal for managing infrastructure configurations.
• Chef: Employs a Ruby-based domain-specific language and uses concepts like cookbooks and recipes to manage configurations.
• Ansible: An agentless automation tool that uses YAML for configuration. It simplifies automation across IT environments.
• SaltStack (Salt): A Python-based tool that supports remote execution and configuration management.
• Terraform: Developed by HashiCorp, Terraform is used for provisioning infrastructure across various cloud platforms using its HashiCorp Configuration Language (HCL).

Preventing Configuration Drift

Configuration drift occurs when the configuration of infrastructure deviates from the defined standards over time. Using tools like Puppet and Chef, which ensure that the system states conform to specified configurations, helps prevent drift. This is crucial for maintaining consistency and reliability in IT environments.

Collaborative Practices: Bridging the Gap Between Developers and Sysadmins

Embracing Developer Practices

For system administrators to effectively use IaC, adopting certain developer practices is essential:

• Using Version Control: Storing scripts and configurations in repositories like GitHub or Azure DevOps ensures version control and collaboration.
• Automating Pipelines: Implementing CI/CD pipelines automates the deployment process, making it more efficient and reliable.

For example, you can use Terraform to deploy resources in Azure. By storing Terraform scripts in a version control repository and using Azure DevOps to automate the pipeline, infrastructure can be provisioned and managed consistently. The process involved:

1. Pushing Code to the Repository: Ensuring all changes are tracked and versioned.
2. Configuring Build and Release Pipelines: Automating the deployment process.
3. Creating Artifacts: Packaging the infrastructure definitions.
4. Deploying and Testing: Applying the configurations to the cloud environment and verifying the results.

Conclusion: The Power of IaC for Non-Developers

Infrastructure as Code is not just for developers. System administrators and IT operations professionals can leverage IaC to automate and streamline infrastructure management, reduce errors, and enhance collaboration with development teams. By adopting tools like Terraform, Puppet, and Ansible, and embracing practices like version control and CI/CD, non-developers can achieve greater efficiency and consistency in their infrastructure management tasks.