Infrastructure-As-Code and Configuration Management are two crucial weapons for developing modern infrastructure with the latter being older than the former. In-fact when I started my DevOps journey more than a decade ago, there was no infrastructure as code or IaC, it was all Configuration management.
Recently, the debate surrounding the relevance of Configuration Management (CM) has gained momentum, with Infrastructure-As-Code (IaC) emerging as a formidable contender. While both approaches share common goals of automation, scalability, and reducing manual errors, they diverge in their methods and philosophies.
In this article, we delve into the realms of Infrastructure-As-Code and Configuration Management to explore the question: Is Configuration Management dead?
What Is Infrastructure-as-Code(IaC)?
Infrastructure as Code is the concept of treating your infrastructure elements as if they were software code. It emphasises creating a Single Source of Truth, ensuring that your infrastructure is version-controlled, traceable, testable, and scalable. By adopting IaC, organisations can model server configurations, parameterize every aspect, define relationships with other servers, and automate package installations. This approach minimises manual intervention, reducing the likelihood of errors that may arise from human oversight.
One fundamental principle of Infrastructure as Code is to tag, branch, and release the code that defines servers. This allows for a structured and organised development lifecycle, encompassing different stages such as development, quality assurance, and production. Continuous testing of the infrastructure ensures that changes are thoroughly validated before being deployed, contributing to a more robust and reliable system.
In the realm of IaC, tools like Terraform and AWS CloudFormation have gained popularity for their ability to create, modify, and version infrastructure efficiently. These tools empower organisations to manage infrastructure in a declarative manner, defining the desired state of the infrastructure and letting the tools handle the execution details.
What Is Configuration Management?
Configuration Management, on the other hand, focuses on automating the configuration of servers and ensuring consistency across the IT environment. An example of a widely used configuration management tool is Ansible. Configuration Management aims to model server configurations, parameterize every aspect, and define relationships with other servers in code.
It’s not limited to server configurations; it extends its reach to various domains within IT like hypervisors, routers, switches etc. For systems, this involves securing them through operating system hardening and regular validation and upgrades. This ensures that servers remain resilient and up-to-date in the face of evolving security threats.
In the context of storage, it automates configurations related to provisioning, scaling, migrations, and decommissioning. The goal is to eliminate manual interventions, reducing the risk of errors and ensuring that storage-related tasks are executed consistently.
In addition, it plays a crucial role in managing environments on demand by automating tasks such as software upgrades, patching, file and folder creation, and user management. By automating these configurations, organisations can achieve repeatability, scalability, and consistency across their infrastructure.
Is Configuration Management Dead?:
While Infrastructure as Code has garnered attention for its modern and declarative approach, Configuration Management remains a trusted ally in IT automation.
The key lies in understanding that these two paradigms are not mutually exclusive; they can complement each other to create a robust and efficient IT infrastructure.
For instance, organisations can leverage Infrastructure as Code for defining the overall structure and architecture of their environments. They can use IaC tools to provision and manage cloud resources, ensuring that the infrastructure is aligned with the desired state.
On the other hand, Configuration Management tools like Ansible can be employed to handle detailed configurations within servers, ensuring consistency and automating routine tasks.
Configuration Management is far from dead; instead, it is evolving to meet the demands of modern IT ecosystems. As organisations increasingly adopt cloud-native architectures and micro-services, the need for automation becomes more critical. Configuration Management, with its emphasis on consistency and repeatability, remains an essential component in achieving these objectives.
Summary:
In conclusion, the question of whether Configuration Management is dead is best answered by recognising its evolving role within the broader spectrum of IT automation.
While Infrastructure as Code introduces a paradigm shift in managing infrastructure, Configuration Management continues to provide valuable tools and practices for ensuring consistency, security, and efficiency.
The synergy between these two approaches holds the key to building resilient, automated, and scalable IT environments in the ever-evolving digital landscape.
Here's a demo on how to use Terraform & Ansible for on-premise ISO 27001 compliant infrastructure
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Thanks & Regards
Kamalika Majumder
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