Why should I use Infrastructure-as-code on AWS?

In AWS, efficient and reliable infrastructure management is paramount. As cloud adoption scales, manual configuration becomes increasingly unwieldy and error-prone. That’s where Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) comes into play, revolutionizing how we provision and manage our AWS environments.

At Lambert Labs, as an AWS Partner, we’ve witnessed firsthand the transformative power of IaC within the AWS ecosystem. If you’re contemplating whether it’s the right move for your AWS infrastructure, let’s explore the key benefits that make IaC an indispensable tool for modern AWS operations.

What is Infrastructure-as-Code on AWS?

Essentially, IaC on AWS involves managing and provisioning your AWS infrastructure through machine-readable definition files, rather than manual configuration via the AWS Management Console. Think of it as writing code to define your desired AWS infrastructure state. Tools like AWS CloudFormation, AWS Cloud Development Kit, and Terraform (specifically configured for AWS) enable you to specify your infrastructure and automate its deployment within the AWS cloud.

Key Benefits of IaC on AWS

• Consistency and Reliability:
  • Manual configuration within AWS can lead to inconsistencies and configuration drift. IaC ensures your AWS infrastructure is deployed consistently across different AWS accounts and regions, minimizing the risk of unexpected issues.
  • By defining your AWS infrastructure in code, you can leverage version control, allowing you to track changes and roll back to previous states within your AWS environment if needed.

• Increased Speed and Efficiency in Deployments:
  • Automating AWS infrastructure provisioning significantly reduces the time required to deploy resources. Instead of spending hours navigating the AWS Management Console, you can deploy complex AWS infrastructure stacks with a single command.
  • This speed and efficiency is critical for rapid development cycles and continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines within AWS environments.

• Improved Collaboration:
  • IaC promotes collaboration by enabling teams to share and review infrastructure configurations. Code reviews and version control systems like Git facilitate teamwork and ensure that changes are thoroughly vetted before deployment within your AWS projects.
  • This collaborative approach can reduce silos and improve knowledge sharing within your organization, specifically regarding AWS infrastructure.

• Cost Reduction:
  • IaC also enables you to easily replicate AWS environments, allowing you to spin up and tear down resources on demand, optimizing your AWS spending.

• Enhanced Security:
  • IaC allows you to enforce AWS security best practices through code. You can define security policies and configurations, ensuring that your AWS infrastructure meets compliance requirements.
  • This approach reduces the risk of misconfigurations that could lead to security vulnerabilities within your AWS setup.

Choosing the right tool depends on your team’s expertise and project requirements. Terraform’s flexibility and community support make it a strong choice, while CDK’s programming language support can streamline development. CloudFormation remains a solid option for those deeply invested in the AWS ecosystem.

Orchestration in IaC

In the context of IaC, orchestration refers to the automated management and coordination of complex infrastructure deployments and operations. It involves defining the sequence of steps, dependencies, and configurations required to provision and maintain your AWS resources. Effective orchestration ensures that your infrastructure is deployed in the correct order, with all dependencies met, and that changes are applied consistently and reliably.

Terraform and CDK inherently provide strong orchestration capabilities. They manage the dependencies between resources, determine the correct order of operations, and handle the complexities of creating, updating, and deleting resources in a coordinated manner. This significantly reduces the need for manual scripting and custom logic.

CloudFormation, while powerful, requires more manual effort for complex orchestration scenarios. Although features like CloudFormation StackSets and nested stacks help, users often find themselves writing custom scripts or using additional tools to manage complex dependencies and deployment workflows.

IaC for Compliance

IaC plays a crucial role in helping organizations achieve and maintain compliance with various regulatory standards (e.g., HIPAA, PCI DSS, SOC 2). By codifying infrastructure, you can ensure that security controls and configurations are consistently applied across your AWS environment. This reduces the risk of human error and misconfigurations, which are common causes of compliance violations.

Here’s how IaC aids in compliance:

• Auditability: IaC provides a clear and auditable record of your infrastructure setup and changes. Version control systems track who made changes and when, simplifying the audit process.
• Consistency: IaC ensures that the same configurations are applied to every resource, eliminating inconsistencies that can lead to compliance gaps.
• Enforcement of Security Policies: You can define security policies (e.g., encryption settings, access controls) in your IaC code, ensuring they are automatically enforced.
• Faster Remediation: If a compliance violation occurs, IaC enables you to quickly and consistently remediate the issue by updating the code and redeploying the affected resources.
• Documentation: IaC serves as living documentation of your infrastructure, making it easier to demonstrate compliance to auditors.

Challenges and Mitigation

While IaC offers numerous benefits, it’s essential to acknowledge potential challenges.

• Configuration Drift:
  • Manual changes outside of IaC can lead to discrepancies between the defined state and the actual infrastructure.
  • Mitigation: Implement strict access controls, enforce IaC for all changes, and regularly reconcile infrastructure with the IaC definitions. Use tools that can detect drift.
• Complexity:
  • Complex infrastructure definitions can become difficult to manage and understand.
  • Mitigation: Modularize your IaC code, use clear naming conventions, and document your infrastructure where appropriate, e.g. architecture diagrams.
• Learning Curve:
  • Learning IaC tools and best practices can require significant time and effort.
  • Mitigation: Invest in training, leverage community resources, and start with simple infrastructure deployments.
• State Management:
  • Terraform, for example, requires careful state management. State corruption or loss can cause issues.
  • Mitigation: Use remote state storage (e.g., Amazon S3, Amazon DynamoDB), and implement robust backup and recovery processes. Alternatively, use a SaaS solution, e.g. Terraform Cloud.
• Scaling to Larger Teams:
  • Multiple engineers deploying changes simultaneously can lead to conflicts and resource overwrites. One engineer might inadvertently destroy resources created by another.
  • Mitigation: Implement a robust CI/CD pipeline with automated testing and approvals. Use locking mechanisms (e.g., Terraform state locking) to prevent concurrent deployments. You may also wish to create separate AWS accounts for individual engineers.
• Cost Management:
  • Programmatically creating numerous AWS resources can lead to unexpected costs. Providing developers with individual AWS accounts can exacerbate this if resources are not properly managed (e.g., forgetting to tear down resources).
  • Mitigation: Implement cost monitoring and alerting using AWS Cost Explorer and Amazon CloudWatch. Use resource tagging to track costs. Implement budget alarms and cost allocation tags. Enforce resource lifecycle management policies (e.g., automated resource deletion after a specific time). Use AWS Organizations Service Control Policies (SCPs) to limit resource creation and enforce cost-saving measures.

Practical Examples within AWS

Imagine you need to deploy a complex web application on AWS. With IaC using CloudFormation, CDK, or Terraform, you can define your infrastructure and deploy it with a single command. This approach could be used for multi region deployments for enhanced reliability and performance. It ensures the application remains available even if one region experiences an outage (high availability). Additionally, deploying resources closer to users in different geographic locations can reduce latency and improve their experience. Multi-region deployments can also help address data residency requirements, ensuring data is stored within specific geographic boundaries. 

Another example is using IaC to create identical development, staging, and production environments within AWS. This consistency ensures your application behaves the same way across all environments, reducing the likelihood of production issues on AWS. It gives your team the opportunity to thoroughly test your infrastructure deployments before releasing them into production.

Conclusion

At Lambert Labs, we believe that IaC is essential for any organization looking to leverage the full potential of AWS. It offers numerous benefits, including increased consistency, speed, and security within the AWS cloud. By embracing IaC, you can streamline your AWS infrastructure management and focus on what matters most: building and deploying great applications on AWS.

If you’re interested in learning more about how IaC can benefit your organization within the AWS ecosystem, or if you need assistance implementing IaC practices on AWS, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at Lambert Labs. We’re here to help you navigate the complexities of modern AWS infrastructure.