Oracle Corporation
11/26/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 11/25/2024 22:50
Embracing change: A journey from AWS CloudFormation to OCI Resource Manager
As organizations continue to adopt and expand multicloud strategies, the migration of workloads between cloud providers has become a common challenge-and an opportunity. One migration that has gained significant attention is the transition from Amazon Web Services (AWS) CloudFormation to Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) Resource Manager.
This shift is more than changing platforms. This strategic decision takes full advantage of OCI's unique strengths, especially its built-in Terraform support, automation capabilities, cost efficiencies, multicloud flexibility, drift detection, and compliance capabilities.
In this post, we explore the key advantages of OCI Resource Manager, and why this move could set the stage for a more flexible, cost-effective, and streamlined multicloud infrastructure strategy.
The unique edge of OCI resource manager
OCI Resource Manager provides a rich set of features that make it an attractive choice for teams looking to streamline infrastructure management across multiple clouds. The following table compares the features that each service offers:
Features
OCI Resource Manager
AWS CloudFormation
Infrastructure-as-code (IaC) language
Built on Terraform (HCL syntax), fully Terraform compatible
Custom JSON and YAML syntax
Multicloud compatibility
Supports multicloud through Terraform providers
AWS specific
Automation workflow
Full Terraform workflow: Plan, apply, and destroy
Lifecycle steps: Create, update, delete, read, list; lacks native plan step
Portability
High portability; existing Terraform configurations can be reused
Low portability; AWS-specific IaC language
Cost
Free service; pay only for underlying OCI resources
Can incur other charges for handler operations or actions like create, update, delete, read, or list
The following key features make OCI Resource Manager a compelling alternative to AWS CloudFormation:
Built-in Terraform support: One of the most notable features of OCI Resource Manager is its deep integration with Terraform. Organizations already using Terraform get a huge win. By using Terraform's powerful HCL syntax, teams can manage their OCI resources in a familiar environment, minimizing the learning curve and reducing the time required to adopt a new IaC framework. For teams already accustomed to Terraform's declarative nature, the transition to OCI becomes an extension of their existing workflows. Rather than switching to a completely new language, like CloudFormation templates, teams can continue using Terraform's flexible configuration syntax and take advantage of its vast ecosystem of modules and community-driven resources.
Multicloud flexibility: OCI Resource Manager's reliance on Terraform isn't just beneficial for managing resources within OCI. It also provides seamless multicloud compatibility. With Terraform's support for AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, and other cloud providers, organizations can manage their infrastructure across a variety of clouds using a unified toolset. OCI Resource Manager supports this multicloud strategy through a suite of Oracle Interconnect offerings, which enable seamless integration between OCI and other leading cloud platforms. In an effort to enhance multicloud architecture, OCI partnered with AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud to introduce industry-first cloud solutions like Oracle Interconnect for Microsoft Azure, Oracle Interconnect for Google Cloud, Oracle Database@Azure, Oracle Database@Google Cloud and Oracle Database@AWS, which is coming soon. This flexibility is crucial for organizations operating in hybrid or multicloud environments, allowing them to standardize their IaC practices while optimizing for cost, performance, and regional requirements.
Streamlined automated deployment workflow: The adoption of Terraform through OCI Resource Manager simplifies and automates the infrastructure deployment lifecycle. Key Terraform commands, such as plan, apply, and destroy, are fully supported, making it easier for teams to control changes to their infrastructure, automate deployments, and avoid manual errors. This automation reduces the need for complex scripts and manual interventions, helping ensure faster, more reliable infrastructure changes with reduced risk of human error.
Cost-effectiveness: OCI Resource Manager is a free service, making it a significant advantage for organizations that are mindful of managing infrastructure costs. AWS CloudFormation pricing can come with extra fees for create, update, delete, read, and list actions on a resource type and create, update, and delete actions for a Hook type. OCI Resource Manager only charges for the underlying infrastructure and services you provision, helping to keep overhead costs low. For teams migrating from AWS, which charges for services like CloudFormation based on usage, this cost-saving factor can significantly reduce the total cost of ownership.
Drift detection and compliance: Drift detection is an essential feature for maintaining compliance in an ever-changing cloud environment. OCI Resource Manager continuously monitors your infrastructure for discrepancies between the declared configuration in your Terraform files and the actual state of your infrastructure. This monitoring helps ensure that your environment remains consistent and compliant, helping detect and resolve potential issues before they lead to security vulnerabilities or configuration drift.
A smooth pathway for migration
You can approach transitioning from AWS CloudFormation to OCI Resource Manager in a way that optimizes time and preserves the integrity of your infrastructure. By exporting current CloudFormation templates and converting them into Terraform, you can effectively port over your architecture.
Architecture diagram for OCI Resource Manager automation of environments and security.
The broader value of OCI Resource Manager in multicloud management
Migrating to OCI Resource Manager is about more than moving to a new platform. It's about unlocking a multicloud ecosystem where infrastructure is standardized, automated, and manageable from a single platform. By embracing Terraform-based management across multiple clouds, organizations can achieve consistent, automated infrastructure management with fewer complexities. OCI Resource Manager enables a unified approach to managing resources across AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, and OCI, helping reduce the friction and complexity that typically comes with multicloud environments.
Conclusion
Migrating from AWS CloudFormation to OCI Resource Manager offers powerful advantages, especially for organizations familiar with Terraform. Using the familiar Terraform ecosystem, OCI Resource Manager allows organizations to streamline operations, ensure compliance, and optimize costs across cloud environments. It provides a flexible, cost-effective way to automate and standardize infrastructure management. While migration can require some planning, the result is a more agile and scalable infrastructure. For teams seeking efficiency and control, OCI Resource Manager is a strong alternative to AWS CloudFormation.