Infrastructure as Code (AWS Terraform Project)

Tools
TERRAFORM AND AWS

*WHAT TO DO *
•Write Terraform scripts to deploy AWS EC2, S3, and a Load Balancer.
•Automate provisioning with Ansible.

FUNCTION
The main function of this project is to automate the deployment and configuration of cloud infrastructure on AWS using Infrastructure as Code (IaC).

Primary Purpose / Main Function:
To provision and configure a scalable, cloud-based environment on AWS using Terraform for infrastructure and Ansible for software configuration — all automatically, repeatably, and reliably.

What This Means Practically:
1. Infrastructure Automation:
• Launch EC2 instances
• Create S3 buckets
• Set up a Load Balancer
→ all through code, not clicking in the AWS console.
2. Configuration Management:
• Automatically install and configure software (like Nginx) on EC2 using Ansible.
3. Repeatability & Version Control:
• Since everything is defined in code, you can version it in Git and reuse it.

Why It’s Valuable:
• Mimics real-world DevOps practices
• Reduces human error
• Scales infrastructure easily
• Saves time and effort for developers and sysadmins

*NEW THINGS I LEARNED FROM THIS PROJECTS *

Tools and Technologies
Terraform - Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tool to provision cloud resources on AWS.
Key Concepts: Providers, Resources, Variables, Outputs, State Files
Real-World Use: Used by DevOps engineers to automate cloud setup

Ansible - Configuration management tool for installing software and configuring servers.
Key Concepts: Playbooks, Inventory files, Tasks, Modules (apt, service, etc.)
Real-World Use: Automate post-deployment setup (e.g., install Nginx)

Important Files Created
Main.tf - Defines your AWS resources (EC2, S3, ALB)
provider.tf - Sets your AWS region/provider
variables.tf - Declares configurable variables (e.g., instance type)
outputs.tf - Prints useful outputs like EC2 IP
playbook.yml - Ansible playbook to install/configure software
hosts.ini - Ansible inventory to list EC2 host(s)

How This Project Solves Real-World Industry Problems

1. Problem: Manual and Error-Prone Infrastructure Deployment

In many organizations, infrastructure is still created manually through the AWS console or basic scripting, which is time-consuming, inconsistent, and prone to human error.

Solution: This project uses Terraform, an Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tool, to define infrastructure in reusable, version-controlled code. This allows companies to:

• Automatically provision EC2 instances, S3 buckets, and load balancers
• Create identical environments for dev, test, and production
• Reduce deployment times from hours to minutes

1. Problem: Configuration Drift and Manual Server Setup

Without automation, servers are often configured differently over time, leading to inconsistencies and hard-to-reproduce bugs.

Solution: This project uses Ansible to automate configuration and software installation (e.g., installing Nginx on EC2). This:
•Ensures consistent server setup every time
•Prevents configuration drift
•Saves sysadmin and DevOps time during scaling or recovery

1. Problem: Slow Time-to-Market and Poor DevOps Practices

Companies aiming for continuous integration and deployment (CI/CD) struggle with manual bottlenecks in infrastructure and setup.

Solution: The project showcases modern DevOps practices by:
• Automating environment provisioning and setup
• Making infrastructure changes auditable via Git version control
• Allowing developers to spin up environments on demand

This reduces lead time for deployment, accelerates product delivery, and enables agile workflows.

1. Problem: Scalability and Resilience Challenges

Traditional infrastructure may not scale well with increased user demand or fail gracefully.

Solution: With Terraform managing scalable AWS components like Load Balancers, and EC2 autoscaling (if extended), companies can:
• Balance traffic automatically
• Improve availability and fault tolerance
• Prepare infrastructure for high-traffic events

1. Problem: High Operational Costs and Inefficiency

Hiring large teams to manually manage cloud resources can become expensive and unmanageable.

Solution: This automation:
• Lowers operational overhead
• Reduces the need for manual intervention
• Frees up engineering resources for higher-value tasks