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16 February 2023

Infrastructure as Code: 8 Reasons Why You Should Implement IaC

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Managing IT infrastructure used to be quite a challenge. The necessary hardware and software had to be manually managed and configured in order for the applications to function, which made the whole process time-consuming and inefficient. 

But things have changed drastically in recent years. The manner in which businesses plan, create, and maintain their IT infrastructure has been transformed and improved by trends like cloud computing. 

The term "infrastructure as code" is one of the key elements of this trend, and that is exactly what we'll be discussing today. 

Infrastructure as Code – short definition 

As I mentioned before, IT infrastructure setup used to be a manual operation. 

Servers had to be physically stacked and racked by technicians. Then the hardware needed to be manually configured to meet the needs and preferences of the operating system and hosting application. Then the software was to be installed on the hardware. The application couldn't be launched until then. Fortunately, with Infrastructure as Code, it's no longer that complicated. 

The technology called Infrastructure as Code (IaC), as its name suggests, allows users to control infrastructure via code. It entails writing code to automatically provision, configure, and manage infrastructure resources like computing instances, storage, and networking components. The objective of IaC is to lessen the risk of errors that can happen while manually configuring resources while also making it simpler to deploy, manage, and upgrade infrastructure. 

IaC can be implemented using a wide range of tools and technologies and can be utilized in a variety of situations, including on-premises environments and public clouds. IaC enables you to automate the deployment of your infrastructure in a dependable, repeatable manner. 

Infrastructure as Code – benefits and challenges solved 

There are many benefits to using Infrastructure as Code (IaC) in managing and deploying infrastructure resources. I created a list of most prominent advantages of incorporating this technique to help you decide whether IaC can bring profit to your company. 

Simplicity and speed 

Speed is the first major advantage that IaC offers. By executing a script, infrastructure as code enables you to swiftly build up your entire infrastructure. That is possible for all environments, including development, production, staging, QA, and more. 

With IaC, you may run pre-configured databases, storage systems, network infrastructure, and many more cloud services in addition to deploying virtual servers. This can considerably speed up the software development process because it is quick and simple to do for development, staging, and production environments. Software engineers can accomplish more in less time by using a code-based approach. 

Automation 

IaC enables users to automate the provisioning, configuration, and management of infrastructure resources, reducing the time and effort required to perform these tasks manually. 

Smart, highly experienced specialists shouldn’t waste their time on completing tasks that you could automate. Instead, their whole attention should be focused on activities that add greater value to the company. By incorporating IaC, you relieve engineers of manual, error-prone activities so they can concentrate on what really matters. 

Improved collaboration and efficiency 

You can deploy your infrastructure architectures in various stages by using infrastructure as code. This increases the efficiency of the entire software development life cycle and boosts the team's production to new heights. 

Users can easily discuss and collaborate on changes by keeping infrastructure configurations in code, as well as boosting infrastructure management's efficacy and efficiency. 

Version control and reduced risk of errors 

In programming, it’s always good to have a backup. After all, it’s better to be safe than sorry. By storing infrastructure configurations in code, users can track changes over time and roll back to previous versions if necessary. This helps to improve collaboration and reduce the risk of errors. 

Reusability 

IaC enables users to create reusable templates for infrastructure resources, which can be easily shared and modified as needed. This can help to reduce the time and effort required to set up and maintain infrastructure. 

Lower costs 

The reduction of infrastructure management expenses is without a doubt one of the key advantages of IaC. You significantly lower your costs by combining IaC with cloud computing. This is due to the fact that you won't need to invest in hardware, pay employees to operate it, or construct or rent physical space to house it. 

Disaster recovery  

Thanks to IaC, you can quickly set up a new environment, e.g., in a different region in case of problems with the existing one 

Secrets management  

Every application contains secrets. To keep them secure, the IaC can generate them in such a way that even the person running the scripts cannot access them, preserving the principle of least privilege. 

More: Mastering Infrastructure Management with Infrastructure as Code: Tools and Examples

Summary 

Infrastructure as Code can streamline and speed up your infrastructure provisioning process, assist with policy compliance and error prevention, maintain consistency across environments, and save your business a ton of time and money. Your engineers will be more effective if they concentrate on tasks with larger stakes. And you can give your clients greater service. 

If you're not currently engaging in IaC, perhaps it's time to do so. Our specialists can help you with that. 



Author
Jan Łapiński
Software Developer