006. Use of Terraform
Date: 2022-07-18
Status
Accepted
Context
HashiCorp Terraform is an Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tool that defines infrastructure resources in human-readable configuration files that are open for version control, re-use and sharing. It allows a consistent workflow for safely and efficiently provisioning and managing infrastructure throughout the entire lifecycle.
Decision
Not many alternatives were considered, since Terraform is dominant for IaC in the UK Public Sector, so there is a healthy marketplace of people with these skills. The Infrastructure for Monitor Space Hazards has been defined here in Terraform.
Consequences
One useful consequence is that with the decommissioning of Gov.UK PaaS announcement, dated 12th July 2022 then the new hosting environment will be defined in Terraform also, allowing seamless migration and continuity of skills.