Infrastructure as Code (IaC) is a method of defining and managing infrastructure through code, which can realize the automated deployment and management of servers, networks, storage and other resources. Its core value lies in improving the repeatability of environmental construction, supporting version control, saving time and cost, and promoting team collaboration. Mainstream tools include Terraform (multi-cloud platform), AWS CloudFormation (specially designed for AWS), Ansible (mainly configuration management), Pulumi (supports a common programming language), and Chef/Puppet (focusing on server configuration). The steps to get started with IaC are: select platforms and tools, start practicing with simple resources, learn to use Git for version control, gradually add complex functions, and try modular design. IaC is not only limited to the operation and maintenance field, but has also become an important part of the development and operation and maintenance coordination in the DevOps process.

Infrastructure as Code, or IaC for short, is a method of using code to define and manage infrastructure. It allows servers, networks, and storage of hardware or virtual resources that originally needed to be manually configured, and can be automated deployment and management by writing scripts.

Simply put: what you write is not just program code, but also a complete set of "building instructions" for a server environment.

Why do we need Infrastructure as Code?

In the past, when I set up an operating environment, I had to rely on people to configure servers one by one, install the system, configure the network, and adjust the permissions... It is not only slow, but also prone to errors. Now that IaC is available, we can describe the entire environment in code and then deploy it in one click.

There are several benefits:

• Repeatability : The same code, the environment deployed every time is the same, reducing the problem of "can run on my machine".
• Version control : You can use Git to manage infrastructure changes and know when and what has been changed.
• Save time : Automation replaces manual operation to quickly build a development, testing and production environment.
• Easily collaborative : Team members can share the same infrastructure definition, reducing communication costs.

To give the simplest example: if you want to open three identical servers on the cloud, the traditional way is to click on the console three times; and use IaC, write a template once, and execute it.

What are the common IaC tools?

Currently, there are many mainstream IaC tools, each with different usage methods and applicable scenarios:

• Terraform : supports multi-cloud platform, declarative language (HCL), suitable for unified cross-platform management.
• AWS CloudFormation : Designed specifically for AWS, the template is based on JSON/YAML, and deeply integrates the AWS ecosystem.
• Ansible : Mainly based on configuration management, it can also do infrastructure orchestration, and its characteristics are agentless and easy to use.
• Pulumi : supports writing IaC in common programming languages ??(such as Python and JavaScript), which is suitable for developer-friendly processes.
• Chef / Puppet : Focus on server configuration management and is also part of IaC.

Which tool to choose depends mainly on your technology stack, cloud platform dependency, and team familiarity.

How to start writing an Infrastructure as Code?

If you are a beginner, you can start with the following steps:

1. Choose a platform and tool : for example, use AWS Terraform or local virtual machine Vagrant.
2. Start with a simple resource : try to create a virtual machine or a network with code.
3. Learn version control : Put your IaC file in Git and record every change.
4. Gradually expand the complexity : add details such as automatic installation of software, configuration security groups, etc.
5. Try modular design : encapsulate commonly used resources into modules to improve reusability and maintainability.

For example, Terraform creates an AWS EC2 instance only requires a few lines of HCL code, including the specified image, instance type, and key peer information. After writing, execute terraform apply and create it automatically.

IaC is not just about operation and maintenance

Although IaC first emerged in the field of operation and maintenance, many development teams are now beginning to participate. Especially in the DevOps process, infrastructure is no longer a black box, but is treated as "code" just like application code.

The benefit of this change is that developers can understand the details of environment configuration earlier to avoid discovering the problem of "different environments" when they are online.

Basically that's it. IaC is not complicated, but it is easy to ignore: writing a good IaC is just like writing a good program, and it also requires good structure, annotation and maintenance habits.

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