Automating Infrastructure Management: Benefits and Challenges of Ansible and Terraform Implementation Across Sectors

Avinash Pathak

doi:10.32628/CSEIT241051032

Authors

Avinash Pathak Cisco Systems, USA Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32628/CSEIT241051032

Keywords:

Infrastructure as Code, Ansible, Terraform, IT Automation, Cloud Infrastructure Management

Abstract

This article examines the implementation and impact of Infrastructure as Code (IaC) practices using Ansible and Terraform across various industries. Through a mixed-methods approach combining case studies, surveys, and quantitative analysis, we investigate how these tools enable more efficient, scalable, and repeatable infrastructure deployments. Our findings reveal significant benefits, including reduced operational costs (average 30% reduction), improved resource utilization (up to 40% increase), and enhanced disaster recovery capabilities (50% faster recovery times). However, challenges such as skills gaps, security concerns, and legacy system integration persist. The article provides insights into industry-specific applications, highlighting how finance, healthcare, and telecommunications sectors leverage these tools to meet unique demands. We present best practices for successful implementation, emphasizing continuous monitoring, data governance, and cross-functional collaboration. This article contributes to the growing body of literature on IaC and offers practical recommendations for organizations seeking to optimize their infrastructure management strategies in an increasingly digital landscape.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

T. Combe, A. Martin and R. Di Pietro, "To Docker or Not to Docker: A Security Perspective," in IEEE Cloud Computing, vol. 3, no. 5, pp. 54-62, Sept.-Oct. 2016, doi: 10.1109/MCC.2016.100. [Online]. Available: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/7742298 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/MCC.2016.100

K. Morris, "Infrastructure as Code: Managing Servers in the Cloud," O'Reilly Media, Inc., 2016. [Online]. Available: https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/infrastructure-as-code/9781491924334/

L. Bass, I. Weber, and L. Zhu, "DevOps: A Software Architect's Perspective," Addison-Wesley Professional, 2015. [Online]. Available: https://www.informit.com/store/devops-a-software-architects-perspective-9780134049847

A. Rahman, C. Parnin, and L. Williams, "The Seven Sins: Security Smells in Infrastructure as Code Scripts," in 2019 IEEE/ACM 41st International Conference on Software Engineering (ICSE), 2019, pp. 164-175. [Online]. Available: https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1109/ICSE.2019.00033 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/ICSE.2019.00033

J. Schoonenboom and R. B. Johnson, "How to Construct a Mixed Methods Research Design," KZfSS Kölner Zeitschrift für Soziologie und Sozialpsychologie, vol. 69, pp. 107-131, 2017. [Online]. Available: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11577-017-0454-1 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11577-017-0454-1

G. A. Bowen, "Document Analysis as a Qualitative Research Method," Qualitative Research Journal, vol. 9, no. 2, pp. 27-40, 2009. [Online]. Available: https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.3316/QRJ0902027/full/html DOI: https://doi.org/10.3316/QRJ0902027

Red Hat, Inc., "Ansible Documentation," Ansible, 2021. [Online]. Available: https://docs.ansible.com/

HashiCorp, "Terraform Documentation," Terraform by HashiCorp, 2021. [Online]. Available: https://www.terraform.io/docs/index.html

Deloitte, "2024 banking and capital markets outlook," Deloitte Insights, 2020. [Online]. Available: https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/industry/financial-services/financial-services-industry-outlooks/banking-industry-outlook.html

Ericsson, "Ericsson Mobility Report," Ericsson, November 2021. [Online]. Available: https://www.ericsson.com/en/reports-and-papers/mobility-report

C. Ebert, G. Gallardo, J. Hernantes, and N. Serrano, "DevOps," IEEE Software, vol. 33, no. 3, pp. 94-100, 2016. [Online]. Available: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/7458761 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/MS.2016.68

L. E. Lwakatare, T. Karvonen, T. Sauvola, P. Kuvaja, H. H. Olsson, J. Bosch, and M. Oivo, "Towards DevOps in the Embedded Systems Domain: Why is It So Hard?," in 2016 49th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS), 2016, pp. 5437-5446. [Online]. Available: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/7427859 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/HICSS.2016.671

C. Parnin, E. Helms, C. Atlee, H. Boughton, M. Ghattas, A. Glover, J. Holman, J. Micco, B. Murphy, T. Savor, M. Stumm, S. Whitaker, and L. Williams, "The Top 10 Adages in Continuous Deployment," IEEE Software, vol. 34, no. 3, pp. 86-95, 2017. [Online]. Available: https://doi.org/10.1109/MS.2017.86 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/MS.2017.86

M. Wurster, U. Breitenbücher, M. Falkenthal, C. Krieger, F. Leymann, K. Saatkamp, and J. Soldani, "The Essential Deployment Metamodel: A Systematic Review of Deployment Automation Technologies," SICS Software-Intensive Cyber-Physical Systems, vol. 35, pp. 63-75, 2020. [Online]. Available: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00450-019-00412-x DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00450-019-00412-x

N. Forsgren, J. Humble, and G. Kim, "Accelerate: The Science of Lean Software and DevOps: Building and Scaling High Performing Technology Organizations," IT Revolution Press, 2018. [Online]. Available: https://itrevolution.com/book/accelerate/

R. K. Yin, "Case Study Research and Applications: Design and Methods," Sage Publications, 6th edition, 2017. [Online]. Available: https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/case-study-research-and-applications/book250150

G. Kim, J. Humble, P. Debois, and J. Willis, "The DevOps Handbook: How to Create World-Class Agility, Reliability, and Security in Technology Organizations," IT Revolution Press, 2016. [Online]. Available: https://itrevolution.com/book/the-devops-handbook/