IEM: A Unified Lifecycle Orchestrator for Multilingual IaC Deployments

Over the last few years, DevOps methodologies have promoted a more streamlined operationalization of software components in production environments. Infrastructure as Code (IaC) technologies play a key role in the lifecycle management of applications, as they promote the delivery of the infrastructural elements alongside the application components. This way, IaC technologies aspire to minimize the problems associated with the environment by providing a repeatable and traceable process. However, there are a large variety of IaC frameworks, each of them focusing on a different phase of the operationalization lifecycle, hence the necessity to master numerous technologies. In this research, we present the IaC Execution Manager (IEM), a tool devoted to providing a unified framework for the operationalization of software components that encompasses the various stages and technologies involved in the application lifecycle. We analyze an industrial use case to improve the current approach and conclude the IEM is a suitable tool for solving the problem as it promotes automation, while reducing the learning curve associated with the required IaC technologies.