T.A.D.S. boilerplate
A boilerplate for Infrastructure as Code using Terraform, Ansible, and Docker Swarm to automate provisioning and deployment across environments.
What is T.A.D.S. boilerplate?
T.A.D.S. boilerplate is an open-source Infrastructure as Code (IaC) template that integrates Terraform for cloud infrastructure creation, Ansible for provisioning and deployment, and Docker Swarm for container orchestration. It solves the problem of inconsistent environments and manual setup by automating the entire workflow from local development to production, ensuring reproducibility and reducing onboarding time.
DevOps engineers and development teams who want to implement Infrastructure as Code without Kubernetes complexity, especially those using Docker Swarm for container orchestration and seeking to unify development and production environments.
Developers choose T.A.D.S. because it provides a ready-to-use, opinionated boilerplate that enforces best practices for IaC, eliminates manual infrastructure changes, and fosters team collaboration through a shared, version-controlled codebase. Its simplicity compared to Kubernetes and avoidance of vendor lock-in are key advantages.
Overview
Terraform + Ansible + Docker Swarm boilerplate = DevOps on :fire::fire::fire: | Infrastructure as Code
Use Cases
Best For
- Bootstrapping new projects with pre-configured Infrastructure as Code best practices
- Teams transitioning to DevOps with a unified toolchain from development to production
- Managing microservices architectures with consistent local and production environments
- Reducing onboarding time for new developers with automated environment setup
- Implementing Docker Swarm-based deployments without Kubernetes overhead
- Enforcing code reviews for infrastructure changes to prevent errors and share knowledge
Not Ideal For
- Organizations requiring Kubernetes features like autoscaling or managing clusters with over 100 nodes
- Teams without prior experience in Terraform, Ansible, and Docker Swarm, as the setup and customization demand deep expertise
- Projects deployed on infrastructure where Docker Swarm is unsupported or being phased out in favor of Kubernetes
- Small applications where the overhead of a full IaC stack with multi-environment management is unnecessary
Pros & Cons
Pros
Integrates Terraform, Ansible, and Docker Swarm into a single workflow, automating everything from infrastructure provisioning to application deployment with idempotent playbooks, as shown in the demos.
Supports localhost, Vagrant, and production environments from one codebase using Jinja2-templated Docker Compose files, ensuring reproducible setups across development and production.
Enables new developers to set up a full local environment in under three minutes with automated scripts, including /etc/hosts management, reducing onboarding time significantly.
Secures sensitive data with Ansible Vault using AES-256 encryption for production environments, as highlighted in the credentials encryption section.
Cons
The project is no longer updated due to the shift away from Docker Swarm, meaning it may have compatibility issues with newer tool versions and lack security patches.
Centered on Docker Swarm, which has declining adoption compared to Kubernetes, limiting its relevance and ecosystem support for modern container orchestration needs.
Requires proficiency in multiple tools (Terraform, Ansible, Docker Swarm) and specific OS setups (Ubuntu-focused), with limited support for OS X without manual adjustments.
Lacks integrated continuous deployment features, as admitted in the FAQ, requiring teams to build custom scripts for automation pipelines.
Frequently Asked Questions
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