Manual cloud configuration leads to configuration drift, security gaps, and un-reproducible environments. Infrastructure as Code (IaC) treats servers, networks, and databases as version-controlled software artifacts.
Core Terraform Best Practices
- Remote State Locking: Store `.tfstate` in encrypted S3/GCS buckets with DynamoDB locking to prevent concurrent state corruption.
- Modular Architecture: Build reusable, versioned modules for networking, compute, and database components.
- Automated Drift Detection: Run scheduled CI pipelines that check `terraform plan` against live cloud resources to catch manual console edits.
Implementing GitOps Workflows
GitOps uses Git repositories as the single source of truth for infrastructure. Pull requests trigger automated `terraform plan` reviews, and merging to `main` automatically applies changes through secure CI/CD service accounts.
Key Takeaways
- Store infrastructure code in version-controlled Git repositories.
- Enforce remote state locking and strict modularity.
- Use GitOps pull requests to audit and automate all infrastructure changes.