Automating Multi-Cloud Deployments: Leveraging Infrastructure as Code (IaC) Tools

Introduction

The global Infrastructure as Code market is expected to increase at a CAGR of 20.3% from $908.7 million in 2023 to $3,304.9 million by 2030.

One key reason for this expansion is that as organisations increase their use of public clouds and release software more frequently, manually establishing infrastructure in cloud management consoles is no longer viable. This is where Infrastructure as Code (IaC) comes in!

Infrastructure as Code is a DevOps framework that allows teams to programmatically control infrastructure resources such as computing, storage, and networking. In other words, IaC can help you define and install infrastructure as part of a continuous delivery process.

In this article, we discuss more about IaC, and how it helps organisations create new deployment cycles and achieve a more prominent status.

Understanding Infrastructure as Code (IaC)

Infrastructure as Code is an approach that uses code rather than manual processes and settings to supply and support computer infrastructure.

Any application platform fundamentally requires many underlying structures, such as Operating systems, DB connections, files, etc. Programmers shall continuously establish, enhance, and manage a distributed application development environment to design, prototype, and deploy applications.

Automating multi-cloud deployments

Multi-cloud automation streamlines the deployment and configuration of IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS products within multiple cloud systems. It captures the primary and most fundamental functions performed to develop and manage structures.

Also, by embracing automation, you can significantly reduce human error, speed up deployment times, and ensure consistency across your entire infrastructure. This approach allows your team to focus on innovation rather than repetitive tasks, ultimately driving your business forward.

For example, Tata Communications excels in simplifying this complex process – their expertise in implementing IaC tools like Terraform enables you to manage resources across multiple cloud providers with ease. From initial setup to ongoing management, Tata Communications provides a comprehensive solution that adapts to your unique needs.

Infrastructure management and monitoring

As Infrastructure as Code (IaC) becomes increasingly prevalent, the need for robust cloud management and monitoring solutions to handle a constantly changing environment is critical. Cloud infrastructure automation provides immediate feedback, ensuring no delays in detecting errors, resolving performance issues, or adapting to changes in IT structures.

Such tools should offer impact analysis to identify bottlenecks, performance degradation, and potential vulnerabilities caused by code updates. By leveraging advanced IaC tools, users can gain insights into infrastructure modifications and their implications.

Effective IaC monitoring includes comprehensive coverage, usage measurement, real-time visualisation, and alerting users to any detected anomalies. Implementing best practices and monitoring tools in IaC enhances security, efficiency, and overall performance in the cloud environment.

Security and compliance in IaC

One of the primary concerns with IaC is the potential for misconfigurations that could lead to security vulnerabilities or non-compliance issues. IaC templates and scripts define the configuration of cloud resources, and a single mistake can result in insecure deployments or violations of security standards and compliance controls. To address this, organisations need to implement IaC security practices that scan IaC code for configuration errors, vulnerabilities, and insecure deployments.

Furthermore, it is crucial to benchmark IaC configuration checks against security best practices and compliance controls. This ensures that the deployed infrastructure adheres to the organisation's security policies and industry-specific regulatory requirements. By alerting and guiding developers and engineers on remediation and secure deployments, organisations can proactively address potential issues before they manifest in the production environment.

Conclusion

Cloud Automation Frameworks and Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools allow you to define and manage your entire infrastructure using code, enabling version control, easy replication, and rapid scaling across multiple cloud environments. By adopting IaC, you're not just automating deployments; you're future-proofing your infrastructure management.

Tata Communications' implementation of Terraform for a non-banking finance company showcases the power of IaC in action. They automated the creation of VPCs, subnets, gateways, and EC2 instances across multiple availability zones in AWS. This approach not only ensured cloud vendor independence and portability but also provided a stable, easily customized deployment process. Register for IZO™ Multi Cloud Connect free trial today.