DEVOPS SERVICES FOR INFRASTRUCTURE-AS-CODE

ANALYZE

Sierra-Cedar cloud certified architects identify the scale and type of workloads running in cloud as a baseline to understand the client’s original migration strategy and identify the potential scope of FlexOps professional services recommended for the client.

We evaluate the level of automation deployed within the environment and the adoption rate of cloud-native services.

We collect information about the tools and processes used to operate public cloud infrastructure and how the organization desires to improve.

DESIGN

Sierra-Cedar cloud-certified architects work with our clients to enhance existing cloud infrastructure designs, to identify opportunities to adopt other cloud-native services using Infrastructure-as-Code concepts, and to leverage AWS Well-Architected frameworks.

We develop and provide architecture design artifacts, providing insights into how recommended changes improve operational efficiency. We work with clients to develop proof of concept deployments of new infrastructure designs using cloud-native services.

DEVELOP

Sierra-Cedar’s Terraform certified developers and Agile certified project managers work with our clients to take infrastructure designs and codify them using Infrastructure-as-Code concepts. We build code that leverages automation, is portable and repeatable, and adheres to best practices.

We customize our projects to meet client needs, typically recommending two-week Agile sprints to enable quick and measurable results. We can work with the client’s pre-existing Terraform code and/or create new Terraform modules from scratch

Sierra-Cedar can upgrade a client’s Terraform version and add feature upgrades for any development project or as a stand-alone project need.

TRACK

Sierra-Cedar DevOps Services consultants are proficient with a variety of Git-compliant version control systems, including but not limited to, Bitbucket, GitLab, Azure DevOps, and GitHub. We work with clients to affirm their existing version control system for change control tracking – who is making changes, when changes are made, who approves the changes, and when changes merge into the production code line.

We use, implement, and refine Git version control systems. A common Git version control refinement includes best practice guidance on implementing a proper security model that allows code visibility where appropriate but restricts code modification access to only those who require it. In cases where developers make changes that require a rollback, Sierra-Cedar helps clients design roll back processes reducing Mean Time to Recovery (MTTR).

Sierra-Cedar can upgrade Git version control systems and help clients transition between them.

TEST

Sierra-Cedar Terraform certified developers help clients implement DevOps for Infrastructure-as-Code testing processes, purpose-built to provide quality checks before code migrates to production. Typical code testing includes linting, basic harness testing, and code security testing, where clients leverage third parties to manage code rules that they want to see enforced.

Linting makes sure the Terraform code syntax is correct before the code deploys to the production branch. Basic harness testing involves standing up the infrastructure you intend to deploy before migration to production to validate that what you designed and codified works.  Code security testing is focused on shifting left the finding of known security vulnerabilities within source code using Static Application Security Testing (SAST) tools.

Sierra-Cedar works with its clients to understand what testing is essential and it designs projects to implement and validate their code testing requirements.

DEPLOY

Sierra-Cedar DevOps Services consultants help clients design, implement, and enhance how Infrastructure-as-Code changes merge into the main code line from the Git version control system into the cloud infrastructure platform. Changes include creating new cloud infrastructure, destroying existing deployed infrastructure, or providing updates, including, for example, increasing server size or shutting down access to specific network nodes.

Once a client deploys configuration changes to cloud, Sierra-Cedar assists with implementing products and processes to enable Drift Detection, when the current state infrastructure configuration no longer matches the desired state. Configuration drift can occur when a user implements a change via the console and goes around the DevOps for the Infrastructure-as-Code process, or if AWS automatically adjusts infrastructure sizing beyond the guardrails established by the desired state configuration. Gaps between the current and desired state may be corrected automatically by the deployment software or manually.

Sierra-Cedar recommends Scalr to deploy Terraform code to your cloud platform. We can help clients design, deploy, and manage their Scalr deployment.

ENFORCE

Sierra-Cedar DevOps Services consultants assist clients in designing, developing, and deploying Open Policy Agents (OPA) in a DevOps for Infrastructure-as-Code deployment. Terraform deployment products, including Scalr, leverage the OPA open-source standard to deploy defined rules against any IaC code moving onto the cloud platform. These rules can include security settings, network configurations, naming conventions, and architecture design restrictions or baselines.

Sierra-Cedar works with client security departments, business application owners, and infrastructure teams to identify, codify, and implement Rego rules into OPA.

MANAGE

Sierra-Cedar DevOps Services consultants want to help clients improve their ability to run DevOps for Infrastructure-as-Code, at scale. Once a client brings its workload(s) live on its cloud platform, our consultants can help the client improve its operation model, accelerate the codifying of automation, and provide a supporting safety net for the client’s developers and engineers. Sierra-Cedar seeks a long-term relationship with its clients and their missions.