Enterprise Cloud Transformation
We facilitated an institution's successful cloud adoption by implementing enterprise-scale architecture, network configuration, and automation, which improved efficiency, cost savings, and security.
Tags: #aws, #iac, terraform, pulumi
Background
A tech company had been using AWS for some time, but without a dedicated DevOps team to manage the cloud infrastructure. As a result, developers created resources, some of which were provisioned manually and others through Ansible. This led to several critical issues:
1. Network Security: Resources were not consistently created within a private network, leading to potential security vulnerabilities.
2. Access Management: User permissions and access to AWS were poorly managed, often manually. This became a significant issue when employees left the company, as they might retain access to critical resources.
3. Resource Visibility: Resources were created manually, leaving new joiners with no clear understanding of what was running and how it was configured.
4. Reproducibility: It was challenging to reproduce resources quickly and easily, which slowed down the development and deployment processes.
5. Account and Billing Management: AWS account management was chaotic, making it difficult to track which teams used services and control billing effectively.
6. Auditing: The lack of proper account management led to significant auditing issues.
7. Lack of Automation: The absence of automation meant that infrastructure management was time-consuming and error-prone.
Solution
After a detailed analysis of the situation, we introduced the concept of Infrastructure as Code (IaC) to the company. We selected one of their applications that frequently faced management issues as the proof of concept (POC). Over three weeks, we presented two popular IaC solutions: Terraform and Pulumi.
To address the challenges, we developed various modules for key resources, such as VPCs, Subnets, Auto Scaling Groups, Certificate Manager, Load Balancers, Route53, S3, and RDS, and versioned them. These modules were then used to create a standardized platform for the teams. Additionally, we integrated the IaC workflow into their CI pipeline, enabling infrastructure changes to be tested, planned, and applied within minutes. This streamlined process saved the company days of engineering time while ensuring accuracy.
Key Actions
1. POC Development (3 weeks):
We conducted a three-week proof of concept (POC), showcasing both Terraform and Pulumi, focusing on addressing the significant management challenges the company faced. This phase included a thorough analysis of the current setup to ensure that the proposed solutions would effectively meet the company’s needs.
2. Module Creation and Versioning (1 month):
Following the POC, we spent one month creating and versioning modules for various AWS resources, including VPC, Subnets, Auto Scaling Groups, Certificate Manager, Load Balancers, Route53, S3, and RDS. These modules were designed to enable teams to quickly build and manage their infrastructure, ensuring consistency and ease of use.
3. CI Integration:
We integrated the IaC process into the company’s CI pipeline, automating the testing, planning, and application of infrastructure changes. This integration significantly reduced the time required for infrastructure management, streamlining the deployment process and improving overall efficiency.
4. Platform Recreation and Migration (3 months):
Over the course of three months, we recreated the current platform using the newly developed modules and migrated existing resources to the Terraform-managed infrastructure. This phase ensured a smooth transition with minimal disruption to ongoing operations.
5. Training and Best Practices (Ongoing from Start to Finish):
From the start of the POC, we provided ongoing training to the company’s teams on Terraform, covering module creation, management, and best practices. This ensured that the teams were well-equipped to handle the new infrastructure processes. After the company decided to proceed with the Terraform solution, we continued to offer training, focusing on advanced topics, such as integrating Terraform with CI/CD pipelines and troubleshooting common issues.
Usage of the IaC modules
Results
The adoption of Terraform and the modular IaC approach significantly transformed the company’s cloud infrastructure management. By moving away from ad-hoc and manual resource creation, the company established a consistent and repeatable process for deploying and managing infrastructure. This shift allowed them to reproduce entire environments within minutes, which previously took days or weeks. The standardized modules ensured that all resources were created within a secure private network, addressing the critical security gaps that had existed before.
Moreover, integrating IaC into the CI pipeline introduced a new level of automation that dramatically improved efficiency. Infrastructure changes could be tested, planned, and applied seamlessly, reducing the risk of human error and ensuring that all deployments were consistent with best practices. This automation saved the operations and development teams considerable time and allowed them to focus on more strategic tasks, such as optimizing performance and developing new features. The company’s infrastructure management became more transparent, with clear accountability and traceability for every change.
The impact on account and billing management was equally profound. With a clear understanding of which teams used services, the company could implement more effective cost controls, resulting in approximately 40% savings on cloud expenditures. The improved auditing capabilities also ensured compliance and security across all accounts, eliminating the risks associated with unmanaged user permissions and access. By streamlining resource management and reducing the manual effort required, the company also achieved a 30% reduction in engineering time spent on infrastructure tasks. Overall, the company emerged with a more resilient, scalable, and secure cloud environment, positioning itself for continued growth and innovation with a solid infrastructure foundation.