How It works?

Core Components

1. Intents: High-level specifications of infrastructure requirements (e.g., database, cache).
2. Flavors: Specific implementations that fulfill the Intents, represented by Terraform modules.
3. Packs: Ops curated collections of Intents and Flavors to standardize infrastructure options.
4. Blueprints: Product architectures created by developers using Intents and Flavors, deployable across environments.

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1. Facets Architecture Flow

The Facets architecture flow outlines the process from defining infrastructure requirements to deploying a product in the cloud, without including Packs.

Steps in the Architecture Flow

1. Building Blocks: Terraform modules (Flavors) curated by Ops, serving as reusable modules for infrastructure definitions.
2. Intents and Flavors: Developers specify high-level requirements using Intents, linked to Flavors that provide the actual infrastructure implementations.
3. Blueprints: Developers construct Blueprints by selecting Intents and corresponding Flavors to define the architecture of their product.
4. Orchestrator: Transforms the Blueprint into deployable Terraform code.
5. Managed Pipeline: Executes the generated code, deploying the product to the cloud infrastructure.

Diagram of the Architecture Flow

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2. Intents and Flavors

Intents and Flavors are abstractions in Facets that decouple infrastructure requirements from their implementations.

Intents

• Definition: High-level declarations of what a product needs, such as a database or a load balancer.
• Purpose: Allow developers to specify infrastructure requirements without detailing specific cloud resources or configurations.
• Example: An Intent might be "Database," indicating the need for data storage capabilities.

Flavors

• Definition: Specific implementations that fulfill the Intents, represented by Terraform modules.
• Purpose: Provide the actual infrastructure setup that satisfies the requirements specified by Intents.
• Customization: Flavors can be configured within the Facets UI to meet various requirements.
• Example: Flavors for a "Database" Intent could include AWS RDS, GCP Cloud SQL, or Azure Database services.

How They Work Together

1. Requirement Specification: Developers select an Intent to express a need (e.g., "I need a Database").
2. Implementation Mapping: The Intent is linked to a Flavor that provides the specific implementation in the chosen cloud environment.
3. Code Generation: The Orchestrator uses the Intent-Flavor combination to generate Terraform code for deployment.

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3. Module Packs in Facets

Packs are collections of Intents and Flavors managed by Ops teams. They act as a registry of infrastructure capabilities, allowing developers to access reusable definitions for consistent infrastructure deployment.

Types of Packs

• Facets Module Packs: These are provided by Facets, including pre-configured Intents and Flavors designed to cover standard infrastructure needs.
• User-Created Packs: Created by organizations to include custom Intents or additional Flavors for existing Intents, tailored to specific infrastructure needs.

Function of Packs

1. Ops Setup: Ops teams create Module Packs by organizing relevant Intents and corresponding Flavors.
2. Standardization and Flexibility: Custom Packs allow organizations to define new infrastructure requirements or specify additional Flavors for existing requirements.
3. Developer Use: Developers select Intents from Packs to create their product architecture, a Blueprint.

Packs act as a centralized registry, simplifying access to reusable infrastructure definitions and promoting consistency across products and environments.

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4. Blueprints

Blueprints represent the architecture of a product as defined by developers, enabling consistent and repeatable infrastructure deployments.

Creating Blueprints

1. Selecting Intents and Flavors:

   • Developers choose Intents from Packs to specify the infrastructure requirements of their product.
   • For each Intent, a corresponding Flavor is selected based on the target cloud environment or implementation needs.

2. Orchestration and Deployment:

   • The Orchestrator translates the Blueprint into Terraform code.
   • The Managed Pipeline executes the code, deploying the infrastructure to the cloud.

Diagram of the Blueprint Flow

Summary

Facets provides a structured approach to infrastructure management by introducing abstractions that separate high-level requirements from specific implementations. Through the use of Intents, Flavors, Packs, and Blueprints:

• Ops Teams:

  • Define and manage reusable infrastructure options via Intents and Flavors within Packs.
  • Ensure deployments comply with organizational standards and policies.

• Developers:

  • Create product architectures using Blueprints by selecting Intents from Packs and assigning Flavors.
  • Focus on the functionality and requirements of their applications without handling low-level infrastructure code.

By adopting Facets, organizations can achieve scalable, maintainable, and compliant infrastructure deployments, aligning technical operations with business objectives.