Putting Infrastructure in Developers’ Hands [A true client story]

Recently, I led a project for a client focused on enabling development teams to manage their own infrastructure with minimal dependencies on DevOps. By combining modular Infrastructure as Code (IaC), well-maintained templates, and a developer portal, we streamlined the workflow for deploying cloud resources. This article outlines the process, tools, and best practices I used to implement this solution, so you can replicate it in your own organization.

The Challenge

The client faced a common issue: their development teams were bottlenecked by their dependency on DevOps for provisioning infrastructure. While developers needed autonomy, the organization also required adherence to strict security and operational standards.

The goal was clear:

• Provide developers with self-service capabilities for deploying infrastructure.
• Maintain standardization and security through reusable templates.
• Ensure the system was easy to adopt for developers with minimal knowledge of cloud infrastructure.

The Solution

1. Modular Infrastructure Code

We started by breaking the infrastructure into modular components using Terraform. Each module was designed to manage a specific resource, such as an S3 bucket, ECS service, or a Lambda function.

Key Best Practices:

• Reusability: Use variables to make modules generic and applicable to different use cases.
• Encapsulation: Expose only the necessary inputs/outputs to keep modules simple and focused.
• Documentation: Provide examples and usage guidelines for each module to lower the entry barrier for developers.

Example Module:
A Terraform module for an S3 bucket with encryption, versioning, and logging enabled by default:

module "s3_bucket" {  
  source          = "./modules/s3"  
  bucket_name     = var.bucket_name  
  versioning      = true  
  logging_enabled = true  
}

2. Template-Based Deployments

Once the modules were ready, we created templates that combined these modules to represent common infrastructure patterns. Templates were designed as starting points for developers to deploy their services.

Tools Used:

• Terraform Workspaces: To isolate environments like dev, staging, and production.
• Git Repositories: To store and version templates, enabling easy collaboration and updates.

3. Building a Developer Portal

To provide a smooth self-service experience, we integrated these templates into a developer portal using Backstage.

How the Portal Works:

1. Developers log in and select a template (e.g., “Serverless Application” or “ECS Service”).
2. They customize the template using a simple form (e.g., service name, environment).
3. The portal triggers a CI/CD pipeline to deploy the infrastructure.

Advantages of a Developer Portal:

• Standardized Deployments: All resources comply with organizational best practices.
• Developer Autonomy: Teams can experiment and deploy without waiting for DevOps.
• Visibility: Developers can track the status of their infrastructure via the portal.

The Role of Platform Engineers

To ensure the system remains reliable and scalable, the platform engineering team played a critical role:

• Maintaining Templates: Regularly updating templates to meet security and performance standards.
• Educating Developers: Providing documentation and workshops on using the portal and templates.
• Monitoring and Feedback: Continuously improving the system based on developer feedback.

Implementation Guidelines

If you’re looking to implement a similar solution, here’s a step-by-step guide:

Step 1: Modularize Your Infrastructure

• Identify the resources your developers frequently use.
• Build Terraform modules for each resource with standardized configurations.

Step 2: Create Templates

• Combine modules into templates representing common use cases.
• Store templates in version-controlled repositories.

Step 3: Choose or Build a Developer Portal

• Use tools like Backstage or Port to create an accessible UI for developers.
• Integrate the portal with your CI/CD system to automate deployments.

Step 4: Educate and Onboard Developers

• Document how to use the portal and templates.
• Host workshops to introduce the system to development teams.

Step 5: Monitor and Iterate

• Collect feedback from developers and make iterative improvements.
• Regularly audit the templates to ensure compliance with organizational policies.

Results and Takeaways 🎯

This approach transformed the client’s development process by:

• Reducing time-to-deploy: Developers could provision resources in minutes.
• Improving security: All infrastructure followed organizational best practices.
• Empowering developers: Teams gained the independence to innovate without delays.

By combining modular IaC, standardized templates, and a developer portal, we created a scalable, developer-friendly infrastructure management solution. If your organization is looking to enhance developer autonomy while maintaining control, this methodology is a great place to start.

Have questions or want to share your experience? Feel free to reach out or comment below!