Infrastructure as code(IaC) is a DevOps practice that involves managing and provisioning infrastructure using code instead of manual processes. The goal of IaC is to make infrastructure management more repeatable, scalable, and automated. In IaC, infrastructure is defined using code, typically in a high-level scripting language such as Terraform, CloudFormation, or Ansible. This code can be versioned, tested, and audited in the same way as application code. IaC enables organizations to provision, manage, and update their infrastructure in a consistent, automated, and repeatable manner.
Benefits of using IaC include:
Improved consistency and reliability: By using code to define infrastructure, IaC helps to ensure that infrastructure is deployed consistently across different environments.
Improved collaboration and transparency: IaC allows teams to collaborate on infrastructure changes using the same tools and processes used for code development.
Improved speed and efficiency: By automating infrastructure management, IaC enables organizations to reduce the time and effort required to deploy infrastructure changes.
Improved security: IaC helps to ensure that infrastructure is deployed and configured securely, reducing the risk of configuration drift and unintended changes.
Overall, IaC is a critical aspect of DevOps that helps organizations to manage their infrastructure in a more efficient, automated, and consistent manner. By using IaC, organizations can improve the speed and reliability of their software delivery process, reduce operational overhead, and increase the overall quality of their infrastructure.