Managing and provisioning servers, networks, and cloud resources through machine-readable configuration files instead of manual setup.
Infrastructure as code (IaC) treats infrastructure the same way developers treat application code. Instead of clicking through a cloud console to create servers, databases, and firewalls, engineers describe the desired setup in files that can be versioned in Git, reviewed, tested, and applied automatically.
For example, a Terraform file might declare a virtual network, two virtual machines, and a load balancer. Running the tool creates exactly that, and running it again in another region produces an identical copy. Popular tools include Terraform, OpenTofu, AWS CloudFormation, Pulumi, and Ansible. IaC reduces human error, makes environments reproducible, and supports disaster recovery. It does require discipline, since manual changes made outside the code can cause configuration drift.
A culture and set of practices that unite software development and IT operations to deliver software faster and more reliably.
GitOpsA way of managing infrastructure and deployments where the desired system state is stored in Git and automatically applied by software agents.
Platform EngineeringThe practice of building an internal developer platform that gives software teams self-service tools to build, deploy, and run applications.
TerraformA widely used infrastructure as code tool that lets teams define cloud resources in configuration files and create them automatically.
Version ControlA system that records changes to files over time so you can review history, collaborate, and restore earlier versions.
YAMLA human-readable data format that uses indentation to represent structure, widely used for configuration files.
AI is reshaping tech roles, but strong fundamentals still win jobs. Here are the skills employers are prioritising in 2026 and a practical plan to build them.
High availability keeps systems running when parts fail. Here is how redundancy and failover work, what each extra nine of uptime really costs, and how to pick the right target.
AI workloads, data sovereignty and cost pressure are reshaping cloud plans in 2026. Here are the trends that matter and what IT leaders should do about each.