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Ever wish you could snap your fingers and have your infrastructure magically provisioned and configured? While that's a job for a magician, there is a real-world alternative that is (almost) as fast and miraculous -- Infrastructure as Code (IaC).
With 68% of DevOps teams already using IaC, it's clear this magic is real. Yet, IaC tools can be challenging to get to grips with if you are new to these types of applications, and choosing the right one can be the difference between mastery and confusion.
What are infrastructure as code tools?
Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools are software applications that manage and provision IT infrastructure through machine-readable definition files, replacing manual processes. This codified approach enables the automation of infrastructure provisioning, configuration, and management throughout its entire lifecycle.
By abstracting infrastructure into code, IaC offers several advantages:
- Automation: Eliminates manual intervention, reducing human error and accelerating deployment times.
- Consistency: Ensures identical environments across development, testing, and production, minimizing configuration drift.
- Scalability: Facilitates the effortless scaling of resources to match demand.
- Collaboration: Provides a shared, version-controlled repository of infrastructure configurations for enhanced teamwork.
Declarative vs imperative IaC
Declarative IaC focuses on the 'what' (desired state), while imperative IaC describes the 'how' (specific steps). Declarative IaC excels in managing complex infrastructure, while imperative IaC provides control over individual actions. Here's a quick comparison between declarative and imperative IaC.
| Feature | Declarative IaC | Imperative IaC |
| Focus | Defines the desired end state of the infrastructure. | Specifies the step-by-step actions to achieve the desired state. |
| Tool Examples | Terraform, AWS CloudFormation | Ansible, Chef |
| Idempotency | High: Re-running the configuration consistently results in the same infrastructure state. | Lower: Requires careful management of state and order of operations to ensure consistency. |
| Configuration | Usually more concise and readable. | Often more verbose and detailed. |
| Flexibility | Offers greater flexibility in how the desired state is achieved. | Provides more granular control over the exact steps taken during provisioning. |
| Use Cases | Ideal for managing large and complex infrastructure where a consistent state is crucial. | Well-suited for ad-hoc tasks, configuration management, and scenarios requiring precise control over the provisioning process. |
Types of Infrastructure as Code Tools
Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools encompass several categories, each catering to specific aspects of infrastructure management:
- Configuration Management Tools: These tools specialize in automating the configuration of software and systems on existing infrastructure. They maintain consistency across environments, ensuring desired configurations are enforced and maintained.
- Provisioning Tools: Provisioning tools handle the initial creation of infrastructure resources, such as virtual machines, networks, and storage. They automate resource allocation, freeing engineers from manual setup tasks.
- Orchestration Tools: Coordinate complex workflows and dependencies between different infrastructure components. They manage the order and timing of operations to ensure a smooth and reliable deployment process.
- Server Templating Tools: Server templates streamline the creation of standardized server configurations. By defining a baseline template, these tools ensure consistency across multiple servers, saving time and minimizing errors in manual setups.
Benefits of infrastructure as code tools
Increased Speed and Efficiency
IaC automates the provisioning and configuration of infrastructure, drastically reducing manual effort and accelerating deployment times. This agility enables faster response to changing business needs.
Improved Consistency and Reliability
IaC ensures infrastructure is provisioned consistently across environments, minimizing configuration drift and reducing the risk of human errors. This consistency translates to more reliable and predictable system behavior.
Enhanced Collaboration
IaC enables version control and collaboration on infrastructure configurations, facilitating better communication and teamwork between development, operations, and security teams.
Scalability and Cost Optimization
IaC simplifies scaling infrastructure resources up or down to match demand, ensuring optimal resource utilization and cost efficiency.
Disaster Recovery
IaC configurations serve as documentation and blueprints, allowing faster and more reliable recovery in case of system failures or outages.
Key features to look for in an infrastructure as code tool
1. Declarative Language Support
A robust declarative language allows you to define the desired state of your infrastructure without specifying the exact steps to achieve it. It simplifies code, enhances readability, and minimizes errors. Look for tools that support popular declarative languages like HashiCorp Configuration Language (HCL), YAML, or domain-specific languages tailored for infrastructure.
For example, Control Plane caters to different preferences by offering APIs and CLIs for those who prefer imperative commands alongside a user-friendly YAML specification for a more declarative approach.
2. Modularity and Reusability
Creating and reusing modules or components promotes code maintainability and consistency across different environments. This feature streamlines infrastructure management, reduces redundancy, and accelerates deployment.
3. State Management
Effective state management is crucial for tracking the actual state of your deployed infrastructure. Choose tools with robust mechanisms for storing, querying, and reconciling state information to prevent configuration drift and ensure accurate deployments.
4. Integration with CI/CD Pipelines
Seamless integration with CI/CD pipelines enables automated infrastructure provisioning as part of your software delivery process. This feature accelerates release cycles, improves collaboration, and ensures consistent environments throughout the development lifecycle.
5. Cloud-Agnostic or Multi-Cloud Support
Depending on your infrastructure strategy, consider either cloud-agnostic tools (supporting multiple cloud providers) or offer robust support for your chosen cloud platform. This flexibility allows you to adopt the best tool for your needs and avoid vendor lock-in.
For example, many SaaS providers offer great solutions like Internal Developer Platforms (IDPs), yet they often push customers into their proprietary model, increasing the risk of vendor lock-in. In contrast, you can consider more flexible platforms like Control Plane, which adopts and provides open source IaC through Terraform and Pulumi. In this instance, you can do everything through the Control Plane CLI.
Top 10 Infrastructure as Code Tools10 top infrastructure as code tools
1. AWS CloudFormation
AWS CloudFormation is a native AWS service for modeling and provisioning resources in the AWS cloud using declarative templates.
Main Features:
- Infrastructure-as-code templates (JSON or YAML)
- Change sets for previewing changes
- Rollback capabilities
- Integration with other AWS services
Best For: Teams that are heavily invested in the AWS ecosystem and seek a seamless way to manage their cloud infrastructure.
Pricing: Pay-as-you-go based on the AWS resources provisioned through CloudFormation.
2. Control Plane
While not strictly an IaC tool, Control Plane integrates with established IaC tools you already know and love, like Terraform and Pulumi. Control Plane is a virtual cloud platform that delivers instant cloud-native maturity without extensive time and financial investment.
Control Plane optimizes a declarative approach and familiar tools for developers, reducing complexity and streamlining IaC workflows. With Control Plane, you get the freedom to compute anywhere and the flexibility to mix and match any combination of backing services -- so you can protect your investment in existing tools and avoid vendor lock-in.
Main Features:
- Multi-cloud support
- Unified cluster management
- Cloud cost optimization tools
- GitOps-based workflows
- Built-in observability
Best For: Organizations looking for a unified solution to manage Kubernetes across multiple cloud providers or hybrid environments, emphasizing cost-efficiency and developer experience.
Pricing: A more accessible and lower-cost option compared to others on the market. Contact for full pricing details.
3. Pulumi
Pulumi is an open source IaC tool that enables infrastructure provisioning using familiar programming languages (e.g., Python, TypeScript) and supports multiple cloud providers.
Main Features:
- Infrastructure as code in your preferred language
- Cloud-agnostic
- Strong support for modern architectures (e.g., serverless, containers)
- Integrates with existing CI/CD pipelines
Best For: Teams comfortable with general-purpose programming languages and who want to leverage their existing skills for infrastructure management.
Pricing: Free for individual use, with enterprise plans offering additional features and support.
4. Terraform
Terraform is a popular open source IaC tool known for its declarative approach and cloud-agnostic capabilities, plus Terraform's IAM is built in.
Main Features:
- Infrastructure as code in HashiCorp Configuration Language (HCL)
- Extensive provider ecosystem
- State management
- Strong community support
Best For: Teams seeking a versatile and widely adopted IaC tool for managing infrastructure across diverse environments.
Pricing: Free for the core open source tool, with paid enterprise options for collaboration and governance features.
5. Puppet
Puppet is a mature configuration management tool with a declarative approach to managing infrastructure and applications.
Main Features:
- Agent-based architecture
- Comprehensive resource abstraction layer
- Reporting and compliance capabilities
- Large module library
Best For: Enterprises with large, complex infrastructures that need strong configuration management and compliance features.
Pricing: Free for up to ten nodes, with paid plans for larger environments.
6. Chef
Chef is a configuration management tool using a Ruby-based DSL to define infrastructure and application configurations.
Main Features:
- Chef server for centralized management
- Cookbooks for reusable configurations
- Flexible architecture
Best For: Organizations with strong DevOps cultures and Ruby expertise who prefer a flexible and customizable configuration management solution.
Pricing: Various plans are available, including a free tier and paid options with additional features.
7. Crossplane
Crossplane is an open source framework for building cloud-native applications and infrastructure. Crossplane is less of a direct IaC tool and more of a framework for extending Kubernetes.
Main Features:
- Kubernetes-native
- Extends Kubernetes APIs
- Allows for the creation of custom resources
- Supports GitOps workflows
Best For: Teams already using Kubernetes workloads who want to extend their capabilities for managing infrastructure and applications.
Pricing: Open source, community supported.
8. Ansible
Ansible is an agentless IT automation engine for provisioning, configuration management, and application deployment.
Main Features:
- Simple YAML syntax
- Large collection of modules
- Push-based architecture
- Integration with various tools
Best For: Teams who prefer an agentless approach and need a flexible automation tool for diverse IT tasks.
Pricing: Free for the core open source tool, with paid enterprise options for additional features and support.
9. Azure Resource Manager
Azure Resource Manager is a Microsoft native service for managing Azure resources using declarative templates.
Main Features:
- JSON-based templates
- Role-based access control
- Resource groups for organization
- Integration with other Azure services
Best For: Organizations heavily invested in the Microsoft Azure ecosystem.
Pricing: Pay-as-you-go based on the Azure resources provisioned.
10. Google Cloud Deployment Manager
Google Cloud Deployment Manager is Google Cloud's infrastructure deployment service that automates the creation and management of Google Cloud resources.
Main Features:
- YAML or Python-based templates
- Preview and deployment features
- Integration with other Google Cloud services
Best For: Organizations using Google Cloud Platform and requiring a native IaC solution.
Pricing: Pay-as-you-go based on the Google Cloud resources provisioned.
Level Up Your Infrastructure: The Next Step
So there you have it, the top ten popular IaC tools to supercharge your infrastructure management. Whether you're a cloud-native startup or an established enterprise, there's a solution here to fit your needs.
If you're truly looking to unlock the full potential of cloud-native development, explore Control Plane. The Control Plane platform provides all the security controls, observability, scaling, and cost optimization your organization needs to run cost-effective microservices.
Control Plane provides a flexible and scalable IaC platform that enables Ops teams to manage infrastructure across different environments. It virtualizes the different clouds, giving developers a singular virtual cloud. For Dev teams, Control Plane simplifies IaC tasks, reduces complexity, and integrates with familiar tools like Terraform and Pulumi.
Try it and see how it can elevate your infrastructure game to new heights.
