In just the past couple of decades, there have been three major revolutions when it comes to data centers. As a result of these advances, the hierarchies that traditionally ruled companies are being upended in a way that is handing more responsibility than ever to developers. The productivity and future of companies are being placed squarely on the shoulders of developers. While this can significantly speed up innovation in an increasingly competitive global marketplace, it also created some concerns when it comes to security and governance issues. In this post, we will take a closer look at how The Next Phase of IaC or Infrastructure as Code is changing the role of developers and what can be done to make sure this tool provides maximum security.
Right around the year 2000, technology-heavy hitters including VMware and ZenSource introduced virtualization. This first revolution eliminated the need for physical hardware and all the limitations that accompanied these devices. Suddenly, scaling infrastructure became easier than ever and companies were able to grow at an exponential rate.
Virtualization, in turn, created the space for cloud computing to become a reality. This further allowed businesses to turn away from having to maintain on-premise hardware in order to manage daily tasks. While cloud computing offered a valuable tool, developers were still looking for ways to introduce more automation, increase scalability, improve collaboration among teams, and create an environment that supports productivity across all channels. Ultimately, meeting these needs gave rise to the third data center revolution: Infrastructure as Code (IaC).
Different teams have different priorities. For developers, productivity is often at the top of the list. Because they are the driving force behind innovation, they are working to find better solutions they enjoy having free rein and self-service. Constant oversight, even if it is in the name of governance, can be a hindrance to productivity and creativity. In addition, implementing practices that slow down developers can lead to poor job satisfaction and higher employee turnover rates as unhappy employees move on to greener pastures.
However, businesses still have to find a balance between productivity and compliance and governance. In response to this problem, tech companies are creating new solutions that allow for self-service while also simplifying the governance process. Products like env0 allow users to put certain security measures in place without having to slow down developers. Now, teams are able to manage environments that are governed by company policy and offer complete visibility while also managing costs.
Looking forward, businesses can expect more products and dashboard like env0. These tools will be an important part of the daily workflow and help support productive developers while also protecting security. Businesses will be able to have it all without having to compromise and choose between productivity and security.
While Infrastructure as Code is still revolutionizing data centers, it is still far from a perfect approach. However, in many cases, the benefits far outweigh the risks and the future looks bright and new solutions are created to meet any gaps in service created by IaC. Businesses can feel more confident than ever about adopting IaC or the next phase of IaC and making it a part of their DevOps process.
If you have additional questions about IaC or the next phase of IaC, compliance, governance and best practices when it comes to validating networks, be sure to contact the experts at prancer.
