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Automation & Configuration as Code

Manual infrastructure quickly becomes a risk as environments grow. ForgeOne automates provisioning, configuration and platform operations with versioned, reproducible processes.

ForgeOne automates Linux, Kubernetes and open-source infrastructures with Ansible, Infrastructure as Code and GitOps.

  • Infrastructure changes become traceable and reviewable.
  • Configuration lives in Git instead of personal shell histories.
  • Rebuilds, rollouts and operations become reproducible.
  • Teams receive standards for reviews, secrets, tests and handover.
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Typical challenges

Automation rarely fails because of a tool. It usually fails because standards, ownership, review workflows and a shared model for infrastructure changes are missing.

Recommended

Non-reproducible systems

Servers are configured manually and differently. After months, nobody can clearly separate intended state from drift.

Knowledge hidden in scripts

Automation knowledge lives in shell scripts or with a few people. Changes are hard to review and hard to hand over.

Ordering dependencies

Deployments only work when manual steps are executed in a specific order.

Missing tests

Infrastructure changes are applied directly to production without syntax, policy or integration checks.

Unclear governance

Credentials, inventories, job templates and roles grow without central control.

Slow recovery

When systems must be rebuilt, versioned roles, playbooks and documented procedures are missing.

Solution architecture

Configuration as Code

Configuration as Code describes system states reproducibly. Operating systems, packages, services, users, monitoring agents, certificates and hardening rules are no longer set manually but maintained as roles, collections and reviewable playbooks.

Git becomes the traceable source of truth. Changes move through branches, reviews and tests before they are applied to inventories. Idempotency ensures repeated execution stabilizes the desired state instead of creating new deviations.

  • Ansible roles and collections
  • Environment separation for dev, test and prod
  • Secrets management and credential handling
  • Syntax, lint and integration checks

Infrastructure as Code

Infrastructure as Code describes resources such as virtual machines, networks, storage or platform components in a versioned way. The important distinction: IaC provisions infrastructure, Configuration as Code configures systems and services on top.

ForgeOne uses this separation so teams clearly see which layer creates resources and which layer defines operational state. Reviews before change, drift detection and reproducible dev/test/prod environments become easier.

  • OpenTofu and Terraform-compatible workflows
  • Versioned provisioning
  • Plan/apply processes with review
  • Drift detection and change documentation

Automation Platform & Governance

As automation grows, a local runner is no longer enough. A central platform brings RBAC, credential management, inventories, job templates, scheduling and audit trails together.

Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform or AWX can help bring automation into operations in a controlled way. Execution environments make runtime dependencies traceable; workflows connect multiple jobs into repeatable procedures.

  • RBAC and delegation
  • Credential management
  • Job templates and scheduling
  • Audit trail and execution environments

CI/CD & GitOps

For Infrastructure Delivery, Git becomes the control point. Merge requests describe changes, pipelines validate syntax and policies, and GitOps components such as Argo CD roll out desired platform states in a controlled way.

The focus is not generic software development but traceable infrastructure changes for Linux, Kubernetes and open-source platforms.

  • GitLab CI/CD
  • Argo CD and GitOps
  • Pipeline-based validation
  • Infrastructure changes through merge requests

How ForgeOne helps

From assessment to enablement

ForgeOne analyzes existing scripts, manual procedures, inventories and platform dependencies. The result is an automation foundation that fits the team, security requirements and operating model.

Depending on scope, ForgeOne delivers roles, playbooks, IaC modules, job templates, documentation and handover formats. Generic promises are not useful here; what matters is which infrastructure must become reliably reproducible.

  • Assessment of existing automation
  • Prioritized roadmap by risk and repeatability
  • Implementation of roles, playbooks and IaC modules
  • Documentation, handover and enablement

Automation in Linux and Kubernetes

On Linux systems, ForgeOne automates typical operational tasks such as users, packages, services, web servers, certificates, hardening, patch preparation and monitoring agents.

In Kubernetes environments, the work covers namespaces, platform configuration, Helm, GitOps, policies, cluster add-ons, secrets and traceable rollouts. The platform stops depending on manual memory.

  • Linux: users, packages, services, hardening and certificates
  • Kubernetes: Helm, policies, Argo CD and add-ons
  • Documented deployment processes
  • Clear handover to operations or platform teams

Practice, Operations and Governance

Adoption logic

Automation rarely starts with a complete platform. A controlled entry point is usually better: recurring, risky or time-critical tasks such as users, packages, baselines, certificates, monitoring agents, Kubernetes add-ons or standard rollouts.

ForgeOne prioritizes automation candidates by frequency, risk and testability. The result is not just code but a reliable path from manual operations to reproducible Infrastructure Delivery.

  • Risk and repeatability assessment
  • Pilot playbooks for real operational tasks
  • Clear handover into Git and review workflows
  • Evolution into a platform when governance is needed

Operating model

Long-term automation needs ownership. Roles, modules, inventories, secrets, job templates and pipelines must be versioned, documented and maintained. Otherwise automation becomes a new form of technical debt.

ForgeOne helps separate responsibilities between infrastructure, platform, security and application teams. The goal is to keep changes traceable instead of turning every adjustment into another one-off action.

  • Code ownership and review rules
  • Inventories per environment
  • Credential and secret processes
  • Documented release and rollback paths

FAQ

What is the difference between Infrastructure as Code and Configuration as Code? Action: Open answer

Infrastructure as Code creates or changes resources such as virtual machines, networks or clusters. Configuration as Code describes the desired state of systems, services and platform components.

Is a central automation platform required immediately? Action: Open answer

No. Many projects start with roles, playbooks and Git workflows. A platform such as AAP or AWX becomes useful when RBAC, scheduling, audits and delegation are needed.

Can existing automation be reused? Action: Open answer

Yes, if it is technically sound. ForgeOne evaluates existing scripts and playbooks, separates reusable parts from risks and moves them into maintainable structures.

How are secrets handled? Action: Open answer

Secrets should not live as plaintext in repositories. Depending on the environment, vaults, platform credentials, encrypted variables or external secret systems are integrated.

Does automation help with recovery? Action: Open answer

Yes. The more infrastructure is described reproducibly, the faster systems can be rebuilt after outages, migrations or hardware changes.

Make infrastructure reproducible

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