Infrastructure as Code and Configuration Management

Infrastructure as Code and Configuration Management

Task:

  1. Read more about IaC and Config Management Tools.

  2. Give differences on both with suitable examples.

  3. What are the most common IaC and Config Management Tools?


What is Infrastructure as Code?

  • Infrastructure as code (IAC) is the managing and provisioning of infrastructure through code instead of using a manual process to configure devices or systems.

What is Configuration Management?

  • Configuration as code is the practice of managing configuration files in a repository. Config files establish the parameters and settings for applications, server processing, and operating systems.

Give differences on both with suitable examples.

  • When it comes to the cloud, Infrastructure as Code (IaC) and Configuration Management (CM) are inseparable. With IaC, a descriptive model is used for infrastructure management. To name a few examples of infrastructure: networks, virtual computers, and load balancers. Using an IaC model always results in the same setting. An example is Terraform and AWS CloudFormation.

  • Throughout the lifecycle of a product, Configuration Management (CM) ensures that the performance, functional and physical inputs, requirements, design, and operations of that product remain consistent. An example is Ansible.

What are the most common IaC and Config Management Tools?

  • The most common IaC tools are:

    • Terraform: A popular tool that helps enterprises create and scale configurations.

    • Pulumi - A tool for creating, deploying, and managing infrastructure on any cloud using your favorite languages.

    • AWS CloudFormation: A service provided by AWS for defining infrastructure as code in AWS.

  • The most common CM tools are:

    • Chef - A configuration management tool that automates the deployment, configuration, and management of software.

    • Puppet - A configuration management tool that helps automate the management of infrastructure, applications, and compliance.

    • SaltStack - A tool that automates the configuration and management of software applications, operating systems, and servers.

    • Ansible - A popular configuration management tool that can also be used for infrastructure automation. Ansible uses declarative language to define infrastructure, making it easy to read and understand. Ansible can be used to manage both on-premise and cloud infrastructure.

  • IaC and CM are complementary concepts that help teams automate and manage their IT infrastructure more efficiently. While IaC focuses on the infrastructure layer, CM focuses on the application layer. Some common IaC tools include Terraform, CloudFormation, Ansible, and Pulumi, while common CM tools include Chef, Puppet, SaltStack, and Ansible.


Thank You!