Hey everyone! I've been working with Ansible and Terraform in my hybrid cloud setup and I've noticed that Terraform seems to be losing its edge lately. Both tools are marketed for their idempotency features in provisioning and configuration, but I'm starting to wonder why I should stick with Terraform when Ansible lets me perform dry runs without the hassle of managing statefiles. Terraform uses statefiles to manage idempotency, while Ansible relies on in-memory facts to prevent configuration drift. Am I missing something? Why would I prefer Terraform over Ansible for infrastructure provisioning with this in mind?
6 Answers
Having worked heavily with both, I can relate! Before I discovered Terraform, maintaining infrastructure with just Ansible felt cumbersome. Terraform made managing dependencies and infrastructure lifecycle so much easier. I still use Ansible for detailed configurations after the infrastructure is provisioned, making the best of both worlds.
I think it's useful to consider that Terraform is generally better for creating cloud resources due to its persistent state, which allows it to accurately detect drift and enforce compliance. Ansible, on the other hand, is great for applying configurations to existing resources but lacks persistent state tracking. For example, if you're managing packages on a server, Ansible might miss things like a package that was supposed to be removed if you don't explicitly tell it to check for absence. Terraform will notice that drift and act accordingly, keeping everything in order.
Plus, there are ways to mimic Terraform’s behavior in Ansible, but it often requires a lot more work.
Idempotency is fundamentally about achieving the same end result regardless of how many times you execute an operation. Terraform is exceptional for working with cloud APIs and setting up infrastructure, while Ansible shines in managing OS-level configurations. If most of your resources can be managed through APIs, you might be able to skip Ansible altogether. Alternatively, using shell scripts to configure servers can also be idempotent and effective without needing Ansible's complexity.
Keep in mind that Terraform is more declarative where you set the desired state you want. Ansible is more procedural as you define steps to achieve that state. Sure, you can make Ansible behave more declaratively, but it's not its natural strength. Using the best tool for the task is usually the way to go—Terraform for infrastructure build-out and Ansible for post-provisioning configuration.
True, both tools have their nuances! Ansible can be set to be declarative, but it often requires a lot of effort to get right.
Exactly! Each has its role, and playing to their strengths maximizes efficiency.
Why not use both? Terraform can handle resource creation efficiently, while Ansible can manage the configuration of those resources once they are up. Each tool has its strengths, so leveraging both can make your workflow much smoother and cover different scenarios.
I think your statement about Terraform becoming redundant is a bit off. It's one of the leading tools for infrastructure deployment right now. Maybe reflect on your approach and how you utilize these tools; perhaps there are better ways to leverage their features effectively.
That makes total sense! The drift detection in Terraform is a game changer, especially for larger infrastructures. Ansible can feel a bit limited without state tracking.