HashiCorp implemented an infrastructure automation solution for SK Broadband, achieving visibility and automated infrastructure management.

HashiCorp® announced that it has built an infrastructure automation solution for SK Broadband in collaboration with SK C&C, utilizing HashiCorp Terraform, Vault, Packer, and Nomad.

SK Broadband uses HashiCorp products to provide a self-service portal for managing testbed infrastructure deployments.

Previously, each developer requested the infrastructure needed for their development environment through JIRA. Administrators provisioned the requested resources and manually updated them in Microsoft Excel for tracking purposes. Then, the developer was sent an ID and password, randomly assigned by the administrator. Developers were advised to change the initial password, but this proved difficult to manage.

By implementing HashiCorp's solution, SK Broadband's Self-Service Portal (SSP) was built with a website that allows developers to select resources from a catalog, and once an administrator approves the request, the resources are automatically provisioned, unlike the existing cumbersome process.

Looking at HashiCorp's solution, Terraform uses infrastructure-as-code (IaC) to provide automated infrastructure provisioning through a self-service portal. Terraform can provide a single infrastructure control plane. It can provision and manage virtually any infrastructure component, including VMware, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform (GCP).

The HashiCorp Vault solution provides identity-based controls for account automation and management for developers using the self-service portal. SK Broadband's security is enhanced by the use of OTP authentication, a secure authentication and authorization feature for machine access via the SSH protocol supported by Vault. Administrators do not need to know users' passwords, and individual users can manage their credentials with a single click of the OTP issuance button in the self-service portal.

HashiCorp Nomad makes it easier for developers to manage application automation. Applications can be easily defined and scheduled regardless of infrastructure. Operators can flexibly and efficiently deploy, standardize, and scale workloads across any infrastructure without complex reconfiguration.

HashiCorp Packer provides consistent system images for multiple platforms from a single source template, and can manage golden images for Amazon Web Services or Azure, making deployment, tracking, and updates easier for both operators and application developers.

SK Broadband said, "Not only did we strengthen security by using HashiCorp solutions, but we also achieved visibility and automated infrastructure management by linking the user test bed self-service portal with Terraform and Vault."