What is Infrastructure as Code and Why It’s Transforming DevOps

Infrastructure as Code (IaC) is the practice of managing and provisioning infrastructure using code instead of manual processes. Traditionally, setting up servers, networks, and environments required manual configuration, which was time-consuming, error-prone, and difficult to reproduce. IaC solves this by allowing developers and engineers to define infrastructure in a consistent, automated, and version-controlled way. At its core, IaC treats infrastructure just like software. This means you can write, test, version, and reuse infrastructure configurations. Tools like Terraform enable this by using a declarative approach, where you define what you want, and the tool determines how to achieve it. One key concept in IaC is the difference between declarative and imperative approaches. Imperative tools require step-by-step instructions to achieve a desired state. Declarative tools, like Terraform, allow you to define the desired end state, and the system figures out the steps needed to rea