What is infrastructure as code?

Answer

Infrastructure as code (IaC) is the practice of defining and provisioning infrastructure, such as servers, networks, and databases, through machine-readable configuration files rather than manual setup. Declarative tools like Terraform and AWS CloudFormation describe the desired end state, while imperative tools specify the steps to reach it. IaC makes infrastructure versionable, repeatable, reviewable, and testable, reducing configuration drift and manual error. It is a foundation of modern DevOps and reliable cloud operations.