How do you implement version control for infrastructure code and can you share any tips or examples

Question

This question is asking how to apply version control principles (which are mostly designed around software) to infrastructure code; for example, Terraform scripts or AWS CloudFormation templates. This question is answered with strategies for handling changes, tracking the configuration of infrastructure, and ensuring consistency between environments (e.g., development, production). Also, it asks for examples and tips of best practices with regard to using these kind of version control systems like Git, in this specific context.

Possible Mistakes:

Incomplete Explanation: Any kind of branching strategies or how to handle different environments are not mentioned.
Lack of examples: Does not give the reader a clear example of how one can structure repository files for infrastructure.
Overlooked tips: Don't forget to avoid mistakes such as commit frequency, automation, or testing infrastructure changes before the merge.

Answer 1

Infrastructure code can be taken care of by using the tools such as Git. It involves using version control and actually managing and tracking changes within configuration files, scripts, and your code. It ensures that each change is documented, rolled back when necessary, and gives opportunities for team collaboration. This is step-by-step approach for implementing it effectively:

• Use a Version Control System (VCS): Tools like Git are essential for tracking changes. Store your infrastructure code in a Git repository, just as you would application code.
• Organize Code Repositories: Structure your repositories according to the needs of your project. This could mean having separate repositories for different environments—such as dev, staging, and prod—or organizing by components, such as network and storage.
• Adopt Branching Strategies: Strategies like GitFlow help manage multiple versions of your infrastructure efficiently by enabling structured workflows. With GitFlow, you can use branches to develop features, fix bugs, and deploy code to specific environments, ensuring a smooth and organized version control process across different stages of development.
• Utilize Infrastructure as Code (IaC) Tools: Write declarative code to provision and manage infrastructure using tools like Terraform, Ansible, or CloudFormation. Keep your IaC scripts in your VCS to maintain version history.
• Commit Often with Meaningful Messages: Make frequent, small commits with clear messages that document why each change was made. This practice makes it easy to track changes and understand their context.

Example:
You are working with Terraform to manage the infrastructure:

All .tf files should go into a Git repository.
Use branches for different environments, like dev or prod.
Use a workflow that involves changes to happen on feature branches, reviews through pull requests, and the merged changes go into the main branch after getting approval.
Tips
Automated Testing: Use Terraform Validate or Ansible Lint in your CI/CD pipeline to catch problems immediately.
Use Tags and Releases: Use tags to tag stable versions of your infrastructure code, so you can roll back easily in case the thing fails.
Some of these practices will end up giving you infrastructure that has version-controlled infrastructure code that's easy to maintain and scale when the project grows.