30
CLOUD COMPUTING
Simple &
convenient
By Tim Campbell, Product
Marketing Manager, Rackspace
www.rackspace.com
Infrastructure as code seems like
an easy concept, but for optimum
results it’s best left to the experts
Infrastructure as code, or IaC, is one of the foundational
elements of cloud computing. It enables the ‘elasticity’
of the cloud: the ability to spin up, configure and dispose
of hundreds of machines in a matter of minutes with the
push of a button and at no great cost. IaC helps enable
innovation, change and growth. But the speed, convenience
and scope of its capabilities can lead to operational
headaches when not managed by an expert.
How infrastructure as code works
IaC applies the same concepts used to manage application
or code releases toward the management of an operations
environment. Rather than manually making configuration
changes or using one-off scripts to make infrastructure
adjustments, the operations infrastructure is instead
managed using the same rules and strictures that govern
code development — particularly when new server instances
are spun up.
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