Overview
Infrastructure tools automate the deployment, configuration, and management of systems and applications. This section covers the essential tools for modern infrastructure management.
What You’ll Learn
- Infrastructure as Code - Terraform for declarative infrastructure provisioning
- Configuration Management - Ansible for automating system configuration
- Containerization - Docker for application packaging and deployment
- Orchestration - Kubernetes for container management at scale
Tool Categories
Infrastructure as Code (IaC)
Terraform - Declarative infrastructure provisioning across cloud providers
- Define infrastructure as code using HCL
- Multi-cloud support (AWS, Azure, GCP, and more)
- State management and dependency resolution
- Plan and apply changes safely
- Module system for reusable infrastructure components
Configuration Management
Ansible - Agentless automation for configuration and deployment
- YAML-based playbooks for task automation
- Idempotent operations ensure consistent state
- No agents required on managed nodes
- Extensive module library for common tasks
- Role-based organization for reusability
Containerization
Docker - Platform for building, shipping, and running containers
- Package applications with dependencies
- Consistent environments from development to production
- Efficient resource utilization via containers
- Image layering and caching for fast builds
- Docker Compose for multi-container applications
Container Orchestration
Kubernetes - Production-grade container orchestration
- Automated deployment and scaling
- Self-healing and rollback capabilities
- Service discovery and load balancing
- Storage orchestration and configuration management
- Declarative configuration with YAML manifests
Learning Approach
Each tool follows the By Example learning path:
- Beginner - Core concepts, basic usage, and common patterns
- Intermediate - Production workflows, best practices, and integration
- Advanced - Complex scenarios, optimization, and advanced patterns
Learn through practical, annotated examples that you can run immediately.
Tool Integration
These tools work together in modern infrastructure:
- Terraform provisions cloud infrastructure (VMs, networks, storage)
- Ansible configures systems and deploys applications
- Docker packages applications as portable containers
- Kubernetes orchestrates containers at scale
Typical workflow: Terraform creates infrastructure → Ansible configures systems → Docker builds images → Kubernetes deploys and manages containers.
When to Use Each Tool
Use Terraform when:
- Provisioning cloud resources (VMs, databases, networks)
- Managing infrastructure across multiple cloud providers
- Need declarative infrastructure definition
- Require state management and drift detection
Use Ansible when:
- Configuring existing systems
- Deploying applications to servers
- Running ad-hoc commands across infrastructure
- Need simple, agentless automation
Use Docker when:
- Packaging applications with dependencies
- Ensuring environment consistency
- Developing locally with production-like setup
- Creating portable, shareable application images
Use Kubernetes when:
- Running containerized applications at scale
- Need automated scaling and self-healing
- Managing complex multi-container applications
- Require service discovery and load balancing
Getting Started
Start with the tool that matches your immediate need:
- Infrastructure provisioning → Terraform
- System configuration → Ansible
- Application packaging → Docker
- Container orchestration → Kubernetes
Each tool includes comprehensive By Example tutorials with practical, runnable code.