As a new engineer, understanding Infrastructure as Code (IAC) is important for several reasons.
First, IAC is a key component of cloud native application development. It is the practice of managing and provisioning infrastructure using code, rather than manual configuration. By understanding how IAC works, you can build, deploy, and manage cloud-native applications more effectively.
Second, IAC allows for greater consistency and reproducibility. By using code to manage and provision infrastructure, it ensures the same configuration is used across different environments and that the infrastructure can be easily recreated if necessary. This makes it easier to handle increasing demand for computing power and storage.
Third, IAC promotes better collaboration and a DevOps culture. By using code to manage and provision infrastructure, it becomes easier for different teams and developers to work together on the same application.
Fourth, IAC allows for better tracking and version control of infrastructure changes. By keeping the infrastructure definition in code, it allows for tracking changes in the same way as code changes and reverting to previous versions if necessary.
In summary, understanding IAC is important because it is a key component of cloud native application development, allows for greater consistency and reproducibility, promotes better collaboration and DevOps culture, and allows for better tracking and version control of infrastructure changes. It is a powerful tool for building and deploying applications in a cloud environment and is essential for any engineer working in the field today.
Learning Materials
Here’s a list to get you started learning about Infrastructure as code (IAC). Note that some of these links may not be free and may require a subscription or payment. I receive no affiliate payments for these links.
Beginner:
- “What is infrastructure as code?” by Microsoft: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/devops/deliver/what-is-infrastructure-as-code
- “Infrastructure as code (IaC) – Beginners Ultimate Guide 2023” by RedBlink: https://redblink.com/infrastructure-as-code/
- “An Introduction to Everything as Code for Beginners” by geekflare https://geekflare.com/everything-as-code/
Intermediate:
- “What is Infrastructure as Code with Terraform?” by Terraform: https://developer.hashicorp.com/terraform/tutorials/aws-get-started/infrastructure-as-code
- “Infrastructure automation with Ansible” by Ansible: https://www.ansible.com/integrations/infrastructure
- “How to Implement Infrastructure as Code with AWS” by freeCodeCamp: https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/how-to-implement-infrastructure-as-code-with-aws/
Advanced:
- “Don’t run all code, run only what’s changed: Optimizing IaC deployment with Cloud Build” by Google: https://cloud.google.com/blog/products/infrastructure-modernization/multi-folder-infrastructure-as-code-optimization
- “Infrastructure as Code: Kubernetes” by Setyven: https://medium.com/style-theory-engineering/infrastructure-as-code-kubernetes-a2f050389f26
- “Cloud-Native Infrastructure as Code” by Akila Weeratunga: https://engineering.99x.io/cloud-native-infrastructure-as-code-36f68fa39282
Videos to Watch
Cloud Native Summit – Five ways to manage your Infrastructure as Code at Scale / Ryan Cartwright
This document provides an overview of the challenges of cloud native engineering and the solutions available, such as remote state management, avoiding manual state changes, using CI tools, and implementing a reliable SAS offering. It also covers the features and security essentials that must be included in a terraform CI platform.
Possible Learning Path
Hands-on experience: Start by setting up a simple Kubernetes cluster and experimenting with different IAC tools such as Terraform, Ansible, and Helm. This can be done by following tutorials and guides and deploying these tools on a cloud platform like AWS, Azure, or GCP.
Theoretical learning: Once you have a basic understanding of IAC, you can begin to explore the underlying concepts and technologies such as configuration management, version control, and automation. This can be done through online resources such as tutorials, courses, and documentation provided by IAC tools, as well as books and blogs on the topic.
Understanding the principles and best practices: IAC is an important aspect of modern infrastructure management, so it’s important to understand the key principles and best practices of IAC, such as versioning, testing, and rollback.
Joining a community: Joining a community of IAC enthusiasts will help you connect with other people who are learning and working with IAC for Kubernetes. This can be done through online forums, meetups, and social media groups.
Practice, practice, practice: As with any new technology, the best way to learn is by doing. The more you practice deploying and using IAC tools in a Kubernetes cluster, the more comfortable and proficient you will become with the technology.
A Note from the Architect
Infrastructure as Code (IaC) is one of the most exciting developments in cloud deployments. It is a way of describing and provisioning infrastructure using code, instead of manual configuration. This makes it easier to manage and maintain over time, as well as enabling faster scaling, testing, and deploying of cloud native solutions.
Version control is essential for modern operations teams, as it allows them to track changes to the infrastructure over time and roll back to a previous version if something goes wrong. Developers should also learn it, as it allows them to collaborate more easily with operations teams and to understand the infrastructure that their code is running on.
IaC helps to ensure quality by allowing for automated provisioning and configuration of infrastructure. It also helps to ensure security, as it enables more controlled and automated access to infrastructure, making it easier to identify and isolate any malicious activity.
In conclusion, IaC is a great way to deploy cloud native solutions, as it makes it easier to manage and maintain over time. Version control is essential for modern operations teams, and developers should also learn it. Writing IaC helps to ensure quality and can help with security by allowing for more controlled and automated access to infrastructure.
