Infrastructure as code

Infrastructure as Code (IaC) is the process of managing, provisioning, and configuring computing resources through machine-readable definition files, rather than using interactive configuration tools or physical hardware configurations. It's essentially a way to automate the setup, configuration, and management of infrastructure using code.

Historically the management of the infrastructure of cloud server (AWS, Google Cloud, Azure) was handled through their own administration panels. From some years ago (Terraform 2014) there are tools that allow us to handle that infrastructure through code.

Infrastructure as Code has revolutionized the way organizations manage and deploy infrastructure, especially in cloud environments. While it introduces a new set of tools and practices, the benefits of automation, consistency, and reproducibility make it an essential approach for modern IT operations and DevOps teams.

Key Principles of IaC

• Idempotency: One of the primary principles behind IaC. It means that no matter how many times you apply your configuration, the result will always be the same. This ensures consistency across deployments.
• Version Control: IaC configurations should be stored in version control systems (like Git), allowing teams to track changes, review configurations, and roll back if necessary.
• Documentation as Code: The code itself serves as documentation. When infrastructure is defined as code, anyone can look at the code and understand what's being provisioned and configured.
• Automation: Infrastructure changes can be applied automatically, making it easier to manage and scale infrastructure.