An infrastructure resource is an independently identifiable element of an infrastructure system, such as a server, network, load balancer, database, queue, cache, or domain name. Resources can be combined into larger environments and managed individually through infrastructure as code. section 1.3.3 section 1.5.2
Treat infrastructure resources as operational building blocks:
- Compose resources into systems while keeping their configurations modular and decoupled. Replacing a standard load balancer with a premium one should not disrupt the server or network. section 1.3.3
- Provision resources through tools that target a public cloud, data center, or hosted monitoring provider. Preview dependencies and expected changes with a dry run before applying them. section 1.5.2
- Test generated resource names, counts, IP ranges, attributes, operating systems, and safety limits before production changes; tests cannot fully predict runtime effects. section 6.2.3
- Handle stateful resources such as databases, queues, caches, and stream-processing tools cautiously because replacement can corrupt or lose data. section 9.3.1
- Before deleting a resource, verify usage, ownership, metrics, and dependencies; stopping an apparently unused resource temporarily can reduce accidental removal risk. section 12.2.1
Replacing a production component
A production environment contains a private network, public network, routing rules, servers, a load balancer, and a domain name. Swapping the standard load balancer for a premium one allows higher traffic capacity while the server and network continue running. Adding a database later should likewise leave existing components unaffected. section 1.3.3
Figure 1.9 You build your production environment with building blocks of infrastructure so you can add new resources, like the premium load balancer, easily.
Use the building-block figure to trace how networks, servers, and load balancers combine into a production environment and how one resource can be replaced independently. section 1.3.3
