1suleyman

Posted on Jul 22

💻 What Is Infrastructure as Code? (And How to Choose the Right Tool Like a Pro)

#terraform #devops #beginners #documentation

Hey everyone 👋

If you're stepping into DevOps, cloud engineering, or just trying to build apps the smart way, you've probably heard the term Infrastructure as Code (IaC) thrown around.

I used to think it was something reserved for big enterprise teams or sysadmins with wizard-level powers. But once I started applying it to real projects — even simple ones — I realized IaC is like unlocking cheat codes for cloud infrastructure.

Let me walk you through the real story, the benefits, and how to choose the right IaC tool for your team 👇

🧸 Think of It Like Setting an Alarm (So You Don’t Miss 10PM Every Night)

A few years ago, I had a task:
⏰ Take a database backup every night at 10PM
📤 Upload it to S3 with a timestamp
🗂 Name it properly (like backup-01-01-2024)

Sounds easy, right? Except I had 10 other priorities, and no matter how good your memory is, logging in manually every night isn’t sustainable. That’s when I realized…

🔁 If something is repeatable, it must be automated.

Eventually, I wrote a simple Python script, set it to run via cron, and boom — life changed. I could sleep. I could focus. The backups still happened, automatically.

⚙️ What Is Infrastructure as Code (IaC)?

IaC is just automation for your cloud infrastructure.

Instead of logging into AWS and clicking through dozens of options to spin up an EC2 server, you write code that says:

resource "aws_instance" "my_server" {
  ami           = "ami-xyz"
  instance_type = "t2.micro"
}

Then your IaC tool (like Terraform) builds it for you. No missed steps. No configuration drift. Just click → run → done.

📦 Manual vs Automated (IaC)

🔧 Manual	🤖 IaC
Click through AWS Console	Write once, deploy anytime
Prone to errors	Repeatable & reliable
Hard to track	Version-controlled (Git)
Tedious for multiple environments	One template = Dev, Staging, Prod

🧠 But Which IaC Tool Should You Use?

Here’s where people get stuck.

There are tons of tools: Terraform, CloudFormation, Ansible, Chef, Puppet, SaltStack… 😵‍💫

Let’s break it down:

🛠️ Two Categories of IaC Tools

Category	Tools	Primary Focus
Infrastructure Orchestration	Terraform, CloudFormation	Build cloud resources (servers, networks, etc.)
Configuration Management	Ansible, Chef, Puppet	Set up what's inside (install apps, change settings)

Think of it like this:

Orchestration tools build the house 🏠
Config tools decorate it 🛋️

🧰 How They Work Together

In real-world projects, you’ll often use both:

Terraform creates your EC2 instance
Ansible installs antivirus, deploys your app, and configures it

It’s a perfect tag-team. One sets the stage, the other sets the scene.

🧪 How to Choose the Right IaC Tool

Here are some questions to guide your decision:

🧩 1. Are you AWS-only for the long haul?

✅ Yes? → CloudFormation is a solid pick
It’s native to AWS, has a GUI (Designer), and official AWS support

🧩 2. Do you want multi-cloud or hybrid support?

✅ Yes? → Terraform is your friend
It works with AWS, Azure, GCP, VMware, and more

🧩 3. Do you need official support?

✅ CloudFormation: Backed by AWS
✅ Terraform: Backed by HashiCorp (with enterprise SLAs)

🎯 Real Use Case Comparison

✅ Use Case 1: AWS-Only, Wants GUI, Needs Support

Tool of Choice: CloudFormation

Use the CloudFormation Designer to drag-and-drop resources
Auto-generates code
AWS support team can help debug your templates

✅ Use Case 2: Multi-Cloud with On-Prem + Cloud, Needs Support

Tool of Choice: Terraform

Works across AWS, Azure, GCP, VMware
HashiCorp offers paid support
Modular, scalable, battle-tested

🧠 Final Thoughts

Infrastructure as Code isn’t just a cool trend — it’s how modern infrastructure is built.

By choosing the right tool for your setup, you:

Save time and reduce errors
Collaborate better with your team
Deploy confidently — every time

If you're new to Terraform or CloudFormation, start small. Automate one thing. Then grow. You'll be surprised how quickly you become the infrastructure wizard in your team 🧙‍♂️✨

📩 Want to share your IaC story or need help deciding on a tool?
Let’s connect on LinkedIn or drop a comment below — I love chatting with fellow builders ☁️

DEV Community