Everything as code

Definition

Everything as Code (EaC) is a practice where systems, infrastructure, configurations, policies, security controls, pipelines, and even documentation are defined in code. These definitions live in version control, move through peer review, and are executed by automation to create predictable results. The aim is to treat every change as a repeatable, testable artifact that can be audited and rolled back.

EaC extends Infrastructure as Code into the full technology stack. Configuration as Code controls app settings. Policy as Code enforces rules. Security as Code validates controls. Pipeline as Code standardizes build and release logic. Together they create a single source of truth that reduces drift and manual work.

Teams use declarative files and modules to describe desired state. Automation applies those definitions across environments with idempotent runs and drift detection. The result is faster delivery, stronger governance, and consistent operations across cloud, on-prem, and hybrid platforms.

Advanced

EaC favors declarative models and desired state reconciliation. Controllers converge actual state to code, while plan and policy engines gate changes before apply. Common building blocks include Terraform or Pulumi for resources, Kubernetes manifests with Helm or Kustomize, and image definitions with Dockerfiles or Packer.

Policy and compliance are encoded using Open Policy Agent Rego, HashiCorp Sentinel, or Chef InSpec. Pipelines are defined as code in GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, Jenkinsfile, or Azure Pipelines. GitOps tools such as Argo CD or Flux enable pull based deployments and continuous reconciliation. Secrets are handled with Vault, cloud KMS, or SOPS to prevent exposure in repos.

Mature programs add testing, linting, and security scans on every pull request. Modules, registries, and golden patterns ensure reuse. Metadata and tagging enable cost controls and audit trails at scale.

Why it matters

• Improves speed with repeatable, automated changes.
• Increases reliability by reducing manual configuration drift.
• Strengthens governance with version history and approvals.
• Enhances security through policy checks before deployment.
• Lowers cost by standardizing patterns and reducing rework.

Use cases

• Standing up a compliant cloud account with network, identity, and logging by merging a pull request.
• Enforcing encryption and tagging through Policy as Code across all workloads.
• Spinning up ephemeral test environments from templates for every feature branch.
• Operating multi region Kubernetes clusters with GitOps reconciliation.

Metrics

• DORA metrics such as lead time, deployment frequency, change failure rate, and MTTR.
• Percentage of infrastructure and configuration covered by code.
• Policy compliance pass rate across pipelines.
• Configuration drift rate detected and remediated.
• Pipeline success rate and pull request cycle time.

Issues

• Code sprawl and module fragmentation without standards.
• Secrets exposure if repositories and pipelines are not secured.
• Tool overlap that adds complexity for teams.
• False sense of compliance if policies are incomplete or bypassed.

Example

A global insurer standardized environments with Terraform modules, Kubernetes manifests, and Policy as Code. All changes moved through pull requests with automated tests, security scans, and approval checks. Lead time for changes dropped from weeks to days, incident volume fell, and audits completed faster due to clear histories and consistent controls.