Cloud infrastructure automation technology is used to provision servers and computer data centers through metadata files, as opposed to physical configuration. The concept in practice can also be referred to implementing "infrastructure as code" or performing continuous configuration automation. Developers will create templated infrastructure to run their application code, review code, and integrate it. These templates can then be reused and generated automatically, minimizing a developer’s need to reconfigure infrastructure.
Companies use cloud infrastructure automation technology in DevOps practices to reuse preconfigured infrastructure and ensure configuration visibility at all times. These tools can save developers time in configuring infrastructure as well as reduce downtime.
These tools have a strong tie to the continuous delivery process. A number DevOps-focused configuration management software tools will have the ability to automate cloud infrastructure, but that capability is not inherent to all configuration management tools.
To qualify for inclusion in the Cloud Infrastructure Automation category, a product must:
Facilitate the definition and configuration of cloud infrastructure
Allow the recreation of that infrastructure state in a templated form
Automate the enforcement of the infrastructure definitions
Integrate with other DevOps tools for complete continuous delivery