Ad Hoc Configuration vs Infrastructure as Code

Developers should use ad hoc configuration when they need to quickly test a hypothesis, debug an issue, or apply a temporary workaround in a development or staging environment meets developers should learn infrastructure as code to achieve faster, more reliable, and scalable infrastructure deployments, especially in cloud-native and microservices environments. Here's our take.

Ad Hoc Configuration

Nice Pick

Developers should use ad hoc configuration when they need to quickly test a hypothesis, debug an issue, or apply a temporary workaround in a development or staging environment

Pros

• It is particularly useful in agile workflows where rapid iteration is required, but it should be avoided in production systems to prevent configuration drift and ensure reliability
• Related to: configuration-management, devops

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

Infrastructure as Code

Developers should learn Infrastructure as Code to achieve faster, more reliable, and scalable infrastructure deployments, especially in cloud-native and microservices environments

Pros

• It is crucial for automating repetitive tasks, ensuring consistency across development, staging, and production environments, and enabling infrastructure to be treated as a disposable resource
• Related to: terraform, ansible

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

The Verdict

These tools serve different purposes. Ad Hoc Configuration is a concept while Infrastructure as Code is a methodology. We picked Ad Hoc Configuration based on overall popularity, but your choice depends on what you're building.

The Bottom Line

Ad Hoc Configuration wins

Based on overall popularity. Ad Hoc Configuration is more widely used, but Infrastructure as Code excels in its own space.