What are the differences between Terraform and Ansible?
Terraform is an open-source tool developed by HashiCorp that allows users to manage cloud services through a language named HashiCorp Configuration Language (HCL). Currently, Terraform supports 200 providers, including public cloud, private cloud, and SaaS providers.
There is also a paid product called Terraform Enterprise which provides support and extra governance.
Click here for Enterprise Pricing
Ansible is also an open-source product owned by IBM (RedHat) and is an IT automation and orchestration platform which was primarily used for Linux server admin, but is now being used heavily for network automation and windows management.
The main difference between Terraform and Ansible is that Terraform is a tool designed to provision Cloud infrastructure whilst Ansible was originally developed to manage Linux servers. Over time both tools have had some crossover with Ansible being able to provision Cloud infrastructure and Terraform being able to manage more than just cloud devices.
Ansible takes an imperative approach, you have a task and you tell Ansible to run that task against a list of devices. The disadvantage is that it is very cumbersome to tear down tasks, whereas this is a great feature of Terraform, where it uses a state file you can just say remove this infrastructure and Terraform removes it. Ansible does have support for AWS Cloud Formation and Ansible Automation Platform
To learn more check out my post – What is Ansible?
As with Terraform there is also a paid product called the Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform. Click here for Pricing
Both products are open source and free to use, however if you want to have the option of tighter security and support both have paid options.
PacketPushers Podcast:
Terraform vs Ansible For Network Automation
Whilst Terraform and Ansible share many similarities, both tools can deploy code and infrastructure in complex network environments.
However, they are very different tools in the way they operate.
Terraform operates in a declarative nature, you declare the state you want your infrastructure to be (via the Terraform file) and then let Terraform worry about how to make and push those changes. Terraform is an Infrastructure as Code tool, built for the cloud but slowly gaining traction with network automation.
With Ansible you have to define how to make each of the changes with different tasks in your playbook. In order to use Ansible, you need to know how you want to configure something so you can make Ansible do it.
Terraform vs Ansible at a glance
| ANSIBLE | TERRAFORM |
|---|---|
| Stateless. Push out the intent of a playbook. Ansible has no view of what has gone before. | Stateful. Keeps a state and looks to ensure the config matches the state. Is aware of all previous changes. |
| Very much focused on infrastructure automation. | More focused on cloud automation. |
| Modules are written in Python. | Providers are written in Go |
| Playbooks are written in YAML. | Terraform config file is written in HCL Hashicorp configuration language. |
| Ansible is owned and developed by IBM (RedHat) | Terraform is owned and developed by Hashicorp |
| Ansible uses SSH to connect to devices | Terraform does not use SSH directly and expects a plugin or provider. |
So, Terraform vs Ansible, which one is best for Network Automation?
Ansible is probably at this moment in time the best solution for network automation however Terraform has an ACI module which could be really helpful if you are spinning up large DC infrastructure which you need to replicate.
PacketPushers – Heavy Networking – Videos
Cloud networking with Terraform
Which is better Ansible or Terraform?
Ansible and Terraform are both popular tools in the DevOps and Infrastructure as Code (IaC) space, but they serve different purposes and have different strengths.
Ansible is a configuration management tool that is primarily used for automating the deployment and management of software applications and network infrastructure. It allows you to define the desired state of your systems, and provides a way to manage configurations and applications across a large number of servers or network devices.
Terraform, on the other hand, is a tool for building, changing, and versioning infrastructure safely and efficiently. It is used to define and manage cloud infrastructure resources across multiple cloud providers, and allows you to provision, configure, and manage resources such as virtual machines, networks, storage, and more.
In many cases, Ansible and Terraform can be used together to achieve the desired outcome. For example, Terraform can be used to provision the cloud infrastructure and Ansible can be used to configure the software and systems running on that infrastructure.
So, whether Ansible or Terraform is better depends on what you want to accomplish. If you need to manage configurations and automate the deployment of software applications, Ansible is a good choice. If you need to provision and manage cloud infrastructure resources, Terraform is a better fit. If you need both, you may want to consider using both tools together to achieve your goals.
Can I use Terraform instead of Ansible?
Terraform and Ansible are both tools used for managing infrastructure, but they serve different purposes and have different strengths. While it is possible to use Terraform instead of Ansible for some tasks, there are some areas where Terraform may not be the best fit.
Terraform is primarily designed for provisioning and managing cloud infrastructure resources. It provides a declarative way to define infrastructure as code, allowing you to manage resources such as virtual machines, networks, storage, and more across multiple cloud providers.
On the other hand, Ansible is a configuration management tool that is used to automate the deployment and management of software applications and systems. It allows you to define and enforce the desired state of your systems, and provides a way to manage configurations and applications across a large number of servers.
While Terraform can manage infrastructure resources, it may not be the best tool for managing the configuration of the software running on those resources. Ansible, with its ability to manage configurations and automate deployments, may be better suited for this task.
That being said, there are cases where Terraform may be used in place of Ansible. For example, if you only need to provision and manage infrastructure resources, and do not need to manage software configurations, then Terraform may be a good fit.
In summary, while Terraform and Ansible can both be used for managing infrastructure, they serve different purposes and have different strengths. Whether you should use Terraform instead of Ansible depends on your specific use case and requirements.
What is the disadvantage of Ansible?
Ansible is a popular configuration management tool used for automating deployments and managing configurations across a large number of servers or network devices. While Ansible has many advantages, it also has some disadvantages.
Here are some potential disadvantages of using Ansible:
Steep learning curve: Ansible has a large number of concepts and modules to learn, which can make it challenging for beginners to get started with the tool. It may take some time to understand the various components of Ansible and how they work together.
Limited scalability: While Ansible is great for managing configurations across a small to medium-sized infrastructure, it may not be the best fit for very large or complex infrastructures. This is because Ansible runs tasks sequentially, which can lead to slow performance and limited scalability for large infrastructures.
Limited error handling: Ansible can be limited in its ability to handle errors or exceptions that may occur during the execution of tasks. When an error occurs, Ansible may simply stop executing the playbook, which can make it difficult to troubleshoot and debug issues. Also Ansible playbooks are written in YAML which can be very problematic to troubleshoot when the file gets bigger and it’s reliance on white space.
Reliance on SSH: Ansible relies heavily on SSH for communication with remote servers, which can cause issues if SSH is not properly configured or if there are connectivity problems. Additionally, SSH may not be the most secure method of communication for some organizations.
No built-in state tracking: Ansible does not have built-in state tracking, which can make it difficult to determine the current state of a server or infrastructure at any given time. This can be a challenge when trying to identify issues or ensure that configurations are properly applied. This can be overcome with some clever playbooks but it’s not a native feature of the tool.
Overall, while Ansible has many advantages, it may not be the best fit for every use case. It is important to evaluate the pros and cons of Ansible, along with other configuration management tools, to determine which tool is best for your specific needs.
What should I learn first Ansible or Terraform?
Whether to learn Ansible or Terraform first depends on your specific goals and what you want to accomplish. Both Ansible and Terraform are popular tools in the DevOps and Infrastructure as Code (IaC) space, but they serve different purposes and have different strengths.
Ansible is a configuration management tool that is primarily used for automating the deployment and management of software applications and systems. It allows you to define and enforce the desired state of your systems, and provides a way to manage configurations and applications across a large number of servers.
Terraform, on the other hand, is a tool for building, changing, and versioning infrastructure safely and efficiently. It is used to define and manage cloud infrastructure resources across multiple cloud providers, and allows you to provision, configure, and manage resources such as virtual machines, networks, storage, and more.
If you are interested in managing configurations and automating deployments of software applications and systems, then Ansible may be the best tool to learn first. On the other hand, if you are interested in managing cloud infrastructure resources and provisioning and configuring cloud resources, then Terraform may be the best tool to learn first.
That being said, both Ansible and Terraform can be used together to achieve the desired outcome. If your goal is to manage both software configurations and cloud infrastructure resources, then learning both tools can be beneficial.
In summary, whether to learn Ansible or Terraform first depends on your specific goals and what you want to accomplish. Consider your goals and determine which tool is best suited to achieve those goals.
Why is Terraform so popular?
Terraform is popular for several reasons, including:
Multi-cloud support:
Terraform supports a wide range of cloud providers, including AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, and many others. This makes it easy to manage infrastructure resources across multiple clouds using a single tool.
Declarative syntax: Terraform uses a declarative syntax, which allows you to define infrastructure resources as code. This makes it easy to version control, test, and collaborate on infrastructure code, similar to how you would with application code.
Idempotent execution: Terraform has idempotent execution, which means that Terraform plans will only make the changes needed to bring the infrastructure into the desired state. This makes it easy to understand the current state of the infrastructure and what changes will be made by a plan.
Re-usability: Terraform modules can be easily reused across different projects, making it easy to standardize and automate infrastructure across an organization.
Ecosystem: Terraform has a large ecosystem of community-created modules, plugins, and integrations, which can be easily shared and used by other Terraform users. This makes it easy to find and use pre-built infrastructure code and integrations.
Easy to learn: While Terraform can have a steep learning curve, the syntax and concepts are relatively easy to understand and learn compared to other infrastructure as code tools.
Overall, Terraform’s multi-cloud support, declarative syntax, idempotent execution, reusability, ecosystem, and ease of learning make it a popular choice for managing infrastructure as code.
Is Terraform used for DevOps?
Yes, Terraform is commonly used in DevOps for managing infrastructure as code (IaC). DevOps is an approach to software development that emphasizes collaboration, communication, and automation between development and operations teams. One of the key principles of DevOps is to treat infrastructure as code, which means that infrastructure is managed using the same tools, processes, and principles as software code.
Terraform is a tool that allows you to define infrastructure resources as code, which can be version controlled, tested, and automated like software code. This makes it a popular choice for implementing DevOps principles and practices.
With Terraform, infrastructure changes can be made using code changes and version control, which can be easily tested and deployed in a controlled and automated manner. This helps to reduce errors, improve collaboration between teams, and increase the speed and reliability of infrastructure changes.
Overall, Terraform is a powerful tool that supports the DevOps philosophy of automation and infrastructure as code. By using Terraform, DevOps teams can more easily manage infrastructure and applications as code, automate provisioning and deployment, and improve collaboration between development and operations teams.
Is Terraform CI or CD?
Terraform is primarily a tool for infrastructure as code (IaC), which means that it is used to provision and configure infrastructure resources, such as virtual machines, networks, storage, and more. Terraform is often used as part of a continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipeline, but it is not a CI or CD tool in and of itself.
Terraform can be used to define and manage the infrastructure resources required to run an application, and it can be integrated into a CI/CD pipeline to automate the provisioning and deployment of those resources. This can help ensure that the infrastructure is consistently and reproducibly provisioned and deployed, which can reduce errors and improve the reliability of the application.
However, to fully implement a CI/CD pipeline, additional tools and processes are typically required. CI tools are used to automatically build, test, and package code changes, while CD tools are used to automate the deployment of those changes to the production environment. CI/CD pipelines often use a combination of tools, such as Git, Jenkins, Travis CI, CircleCI, and others, to automate the entire software development and deployment process.
In summary, while Terraform is not a CI or CD tool in and of itself, it can be used as part of a CI/CD pipeline to automate the provisioning and deployment of infrastructure resources required to run an application.
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