Infrastructure and Code With Terraform - Are there Alternatives?

A 2022 Salesforce report notes that 95 percent of leaders in IT and engineering express that their organizations are prioritizing the automation of workflows. In automation, there are various tools for specific tasks. Terraform is a key player, especially for Infrastructure as Code (IaC) and configuration management. 

With over 1 billion downloads, 2,500 providers, and 10,000 modules, Terraform is a go-to in the IT automation toolkit. 

Today, we focus on Terraform's role in Infrastructure as Code (IaC) and explore if any alternatives match up. 

What is Terraform?  

Terraform is a tool that automates the creation and management of computer infrastructure. Using declarative language, you define what you want, such as servers or databases. 

When you run Terraform, it talks to the cloud or wherever you're setting things up and handles the process automatically. 

The advantage is that you can easily replicate or modify your setup later because Terraform keeps track of configuring things. It's a smart solution for managing tech infrastructure without manual intervention.

Terraform is more than just a setup tool—it has some great features. Terraform Modules are like code building blocks, making organizing and sharing setups easy. 

State Files remember what's already set up, so changes are precise. Backends decide where to store this info, like in Amazon S3. Terraform got a handle on resource dependencies, making sure things happen in the correct order. Variable Management lets you make setups dynamic and flexible. These features together make Terraform a savvy tool for handling intricate tech configurations.

How to Manage Your IaC in Terraform? 

Effectively managing your infrastructure as code in Terraform involves a systematic approach:

1. Scope Your Project

Identify and define the infrastructure components your project requires. Understand the resources needed to support your applications or services.

2. Author Your Configuration

Write the configuration for your infrastructure using Terraform's human-readable language. Clearly articulate the desired end-state of your infrastructure.

3. Initialize Terraform

Run the `Terraform init` command to initialize your Terraform working directory. This step installs the necessary plugins to interact with your chosen providers (cloud platforms or services).

4. Plan Changes

Execute the `terraform plan` command to preview the changes Terraform will make to align your infrastructure with your configuration. This step helps you understand the impact of your changes before applying them.

5. Apply Changes

Use the `terraform apply` command to enact the planned changes. Terraform will modify your infrastructure to match the configuration. Confirm the changes when prompted.

6. Track Infrastructure Changes

Terraform keeps track of changes in a state file, acting as a source of truth for your environment. Regularly commit this state file to version control for a history of changes.

7. Collaborate with Remote State Backends

Utilize Terraform's remote state backends for collaboration. Services like Terraform Cloud provide a secure environment to share states among teammates, preventing conflicts during concurrent changes.

8. Integration with Version Control

Connect Terraform Cloud to version control systems like GitHub or GitLab. This allows Terraform to propose changes automatically when configurations are committed, enabling version-controlled infrastructure management.

Common Use Cases of laC using Terraform

Infrastructure as Code (IaC) with Terraform finds widespread application across various use cases, simplifying the management and provisioning of infrastructure. Here are some common scenarios:

1. Cloud Infrastructure Provisioning

Terraform excels at provisioning cloud infrastructure on platforms like AWS, Azure, and GCP. It streamlines the creation of virtual machines, storage, databases, and networking components.

2. Multi-Cloud Management

Organizations with a multi-cloud strategy leverage Terraform to manage resources across cloud providers. This ensures consistency and avoids vendor lock-in.

3. Application Staging and Testing

Terraform is instrumental in setting up staging and testing environments. It allows for the rapid creation and teardown of settings, enabling efficient development and testing cycles.

4. Container Orchestration

Terraform integrates with container orchestration tools like Kubernetes. It assists in provisioning clusters, nodes, and related resources, providing a streamlined approach to managing containerized applications.

5. Network Infrastructure Configuration

Terraform simplifies the configuration of routers, load balancers, firewalls, and other network components for organizations managing complex network infrastructures. It ensures consistent network setups across environments.

6. Database Deployments

Provisioning and managing databases across different providers can be complex. Terraform simplifies this process, allowing for consistent database deployments and configurations.

7. Compliance and Security Policies

Implementing compliance and security policies consistently across infrastructure is critical. Terraform enables the codification of these policies, ensuring they are applied uniformly.

8. Serverless Architecture Deployment

Terraform supports the deployment of serverless architectures on platforms like AWS Lambda or Azure Functions. It allows for the definition of serverless functions and related resources in code.

9. Hybrid Cloud Deployments

Organizations with a hybrid cloud approach, combining on-premises infrastructure with cloud resources, benefit from Terraform's ability to manage and provision resources in both environments.

10. Immutable Infrastructure

Terraform supports the concept of immutable infrastructure, where infrastructure components are treated as disposable. This ensures consistency, reliability, and easy rollback to previous states.

11. Centralized Environment 

Terraform's centralized setup simplifies resource management, ensuring consistency and collaboration. Especially valuable for large projects, it boosts version control and reliability in infrastructure deployment.

Are There Alternatives?

Pulumi

Pulumi is a modern Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) solution offering a contemporary approach to building, deploying, and managing infrastructure across cloud environments. Pulumi is compatible with familiar programming languages and tools, allowing users to employ the same workflows and language constructs seamlessly across various cloud providers. This flexibility extends to defining and modeling infrastructure using JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, Go, and . NET.

Saltstack 

SaltStack, a compelling alternative to Terraform, excels in overseeing various infrastructures, spanning hybrid, on-premises, and cloud environments. Its configuration management relies on Python, enabling seamless remote command execution. Noteworthy is its flexibility, accommodating both agentless and agent-based setups.

The standout feature of SaltStack lies in its automated detection and response capabilities, revolutionizing the management and monitoring of expansive and intricate environments. This extends to SecOps functionalities, empowering users to swiftly identify and rectify vulnerabilities and misconfigurations. The platform's immediate issue resolution ensures perpetual compliance, regular updates, and robust security for your infrastructure.

Puppet 

Puppet is a handy tool for setting up and managing servers. It does more than that—it's excellent for continuous deployment, ensuring everything complies with rules and handling configurations. It uses a secure setup called Master-Slave with SSL encryption to keep things safe.

In Puppet Enterprise, features like the orchestrator and code manager help speed up processes. This means quickly moving your infrastructure into a continuous delivery setup and setting things up in different data centers. Puppet is your go-to for managing servers and making changes in your business while keeping things consistent and compliant.

Chef 

Chef is a handy tool for managing configurations on many servers. It keeps an eye on things continuously, ensuring servers stick to your rules. It's also good at handling complex systems. Chef plays well with cloud services like Microsoft Azure, Amazon EC2, and Google. 

Cloud Platform makes it easy to set up and configure things automatically. This means you can connect all your IT stuff effortlessly and install new things without doing it manually. Chef is all about making server management and installations straightforward and efficient.

Kubernetes

Kubernetes, an alternative to Terraform, is an open-source tool that excels in automating containerized applications' deployment, management, and scaling. It simplifies how containers communicate and enhances their discovery within applications. The flexibility of Kubernetes ensures a consistent and efficient delivery of applications, supporting various deployment options, including on-premises, hybrid, and public cloud infrastructure. It's a versatile solution for orchestrating containerized applications across different environments.

Wrapping Up 

While Terraform Cloud has historically held a dominant position in the Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) and Continuous Integration (CI) space, time has evolved. Competitors now offer excellent alternatives, surpassing Terraform Cloud in certain aspects. 

The best choice among them depends on your organization's specific needs and priorities. Now, it is time to explore the right IaC for you.  

If you want to make your cloud management user-friendly and efficient, Cubet can choose the right IaC tool for your projects. Explore Cubet for your cloud management services.