Expert Talk: Cloud architectures with infrastructure as code

Speed and efficiency are more crucial than ever in IT today. Cloud technologies are therefore very popular - but flexible and repeatable methods are needed to manage their infrastructure accordingly. This is where Infrastructure as Code (IaC) comes in as a key technology that makes it possible to orchestrate complex systems with ease and precision. We explain exactly what this means in a short interview with our expert Julian Schütt.

Why is the topic of "Infrastructure as Code (IaC)" currently on everyone's lips?

With the increasing spread of cloud technologies, fast, reliable and, above all, scalable infrastructure management is becoming ever more important. Consistency and efficiency play a major role here - and this is precisely where IaC can fully exploit its advantages. It not only speeds up the provision of infrastructure resources, but also helps to minimize manual errors. Traceability through versioning is also a major benefit, as the IaC approach enables previous states of the infrastructure to be restored quickly if necessary.

How does IaC work in practice?

A concrete example of IaC support is Terraform. It facilitates the creation of cloud resources by providing an abstraction layer that ensures consistency, quality and scalability. With Terraform code, infrastructures can be built programmatically and reused as required, taking into account standards and best practices through external module catalogs and rules. This also includes the definition of mandatory elements such as cost centers for cost allocation or specifications for the use of certain types of storage.

How complex is it to set up such an environment?

Setting up a complete environment is surprisingly quick with the ready-made packages in Terraform. Supported by the Cloud Adoption Framework, existing resources can be easily integrated into Azure, for example. Terraform is a kind of "starter package" for the cloud that helps to set up the environment according to a predefined structure and clearly defined standards, including authorization concepts and test environments. This approach is cloud-independent and can also be used in a similar way in AWS, for example.

Who is IaC interesting for?

In our consulting practice, we talk to clients at different stages for whom IaC is of interest for various reasons:

• On-premise customers who are unsure whether they want to switch to the cloud -> IaC can be an exciting strategic component

• On-premise customers who want to switch but don't yet know exactly how -> IaC is a good place to start.

• Customers who are already in the cloud and want to grow and optimize further -> Iac enables efficiency gains.

What impact does IaC have on costs?

We have achieved many positive effects on costs in our projects. Infrastructure as Code in Azure is a perfect fit:

• Helping organizations manage their cloud costs more effectively,

• Align cloud spending with business objectives,

• increase the business benefits of the cloud infrastructure and

• thus creating the right framework for a FinOps culture.

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Thanks for the brief insight, Julian. For anyone who would like to learn more about Infrastructure as Code, we recommend our 4-part blog series on the topic.

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