Infrastructure as Code

Infrastructure as Code (IaC) is the practice of managing and provisioning infrastructure through machine-readable code instead of manual configuration. By defining environments in source code, IaC ensures consistent setups across development, testing, and production. 

Using declarative approaches, IaC tools describe the desired state of infrastructure, while imperative approaches specify exact steps to achieve it. Common tools like Terraform, Ansible, and AWS CloudFormation allow teams to automate servers, networks, and virtual machines, reducing human error and configuration drift. With IaC, environments can be version-controlled, tested, and reused, just like application code. 

This approach enables faster application deployment, seamless scaling, and integration into CI/CD pipelines. Organizations adopt IaC to increase efficiency, ensure compliance, and improve disaster recovery by quickly replicating infrastructure. As a cornerstone of DevOps, IaC accelerates delivery cycles and supports high-quality, automated infrastructure management.