The Secret to IaC Automation

Imagine trying to build a skyscraper with just hand tools. Sounds inefficient, right? That’s akin to managing infrastructure manually in today’s fast-paced tech world. You want to move faster, reduce errors, and ultimately, deliver value quicker.

That’s where IaC automation steps in. It’s not just about scripting; it’s about treating your infrastructure as code, enabling you to provision and manage it with automated processes. It’s about consistency, speed, and reliability.

In this guide, you will learn the secret to IaC automation. You’ll discover the what, why, and how behind it all. We’ll also look at the benefits, tools, and best practices to set you on the right path.

Understanding IaC Automation

IaC automation transforms your IT infrastructure management. Rather than manually configuring servers, networks, and other resources, you define infrastructure components in code. This code, in turn, is used to automatically provision and manage your infrastructure.

Think of it this way: instead of clicking through various interfaces and typing commands, you write a script that tells the system exactly what you want. This script can then be executed to create, modify, or tear down infrastructure components. The goal is to reduce manual effort, improve consistency, and accelerate deployments.

What is Infrastructure as Code (IaC)?

IaC is the practice of managing and provisioning infrastructure through code, rather than through manual processes. The desired state of the infrastructure is defined in code, which can be version-controlled, tested, and automated.

With IaC, you gain several key advantages:

• Consistency: Code ensures that infrastructure is provisioned the same way every time.
• Speed: Automation speeds up the deployment process significantly.
• Reliability: Version control and testing reduce the risk of errors and configuration drift.
• Scalability: Easily replicate your infrastructure across different environments or regions.

For instance, instead of manually configuring virtual machines on a cloud platform, you can define the specifications for those machines in a configuration file. Then, you can use an IaC tool to automatically provision and configure the VMs based on that file.

Manual vs. Automated Infrastructure Management

Traditional, manual infrastructure management is time-consuming and error-prone. Each task has to be done by hand, increasing the chances of misconfiguration and inconsistencies.

Here’s a comparison:

| Feature | Manual Infrastructure Management | Automated Infrastructure Management (IaC) |
| —————– | ———————————————- | ———————————————————- |
| Speed | Slow, dependent on manual actions | Fast, automated execution |
| Consistency | Inconsistent, prone to human error | Consistent, infrastructure provisioned identically each time |
| Scalability | Difficult to scale, requires manual replication | Easy to scale, infrastructure can be quickly replicated |
| Error Rate | High, due to manual configuration | Low, code-based and testable |
| Resource Usage | Inefficient, resources may be underutilized | Efficient, resources are provisioned and managed dynamically |
| Version Control | Not easily version controlled | Version controlled, changes tracked and easily reverted |
| Deployment Time | Long, manual configuration required | Short, infrastructure provisioned in minutes or seconds |
| Documentation | Often lacking or outdated | Code serves as living documentation |
| Cost | Higher, due to manual labor and inefficiencies | Lower, reduced labor and optimized resource usage |

With IaC, these problems are minimized. Infrastructure is treated as code, making it easier to manage, version, and automate.

The Role of Automation in IaC

Automation is the engine that drives IaC. It turns your infrastructure code into reality. Automation tools execute the code to provision and manage infrastructure, reducing manual intervention.

The process looks like this:

1. Define Infrastructure: Write code to define the desired state of your infrastructure.
2. Automate Provisioning: Use automation tools to execute the code and create the infrastructure.
3. Manage Changes: Modify the code to make changes to the infrastructure.
4. Automate Updates: Use automation tools to apply the changes and update the infrastructure.

Automation enables you to rapidly deploy infrastructure, respond to changes quickly, and maintain a consistent environment.

For example, a DevOps team can use an IaC tool like Terraform to automate the provisioning of AWS resources. They define the resources in Terraform code, then use Terraform commands to create, update, or destroy the resources. The automation ensures that the resources are provisioned consistently and efficiently.

Benefits of IaC Automation

IaC automation offers many benefits that can transform how you manage your infrastructure. From increased efficiency to reduced costs, the advantages are compelling.

Increased Efficiency

Manual infrastructure management is often slow and labor-intensive. Engineers spend hours configuring servers, networks, and other resources. IaC automation streamlines these processes, allowing you to provision infrastructure much faster.

With IaC, you can define your entire infrastructure in code and then automate the provisioning process. This reduces the need for manual intervention and speeds up deployments. Teams can focus on more strategic tasks, such as developing new features or improving application performance.

For instance, imagine a company that needs to deploy a new application to a cloud environment. With manual provisioning, it could take days or weeks to configure the necessary resources. With IaC automation, the same task can be accomplished in a matter of hours, or even minutes.

Reduced Errors

Manual configuration is prone to human error. Misconfigured settings can lead to instability, security vulnerabilities, and performance issues. IaC automation minimizes these risks by ensuring that infrastructure is provisioned consistently, according to the code.

Since infrastructure is defined in code, you can use version control systems like Git to track changes, collaborate with team members, and revert to previous configurations if necessary. This reduces the risk of errors and ensures that your infrastructure is always in a known, stable state.

For example, a study by Puppet found that organizations using IaC experienced 50% fewer errors during deployments compared to those using manual processes. This reduction in errors translates to fewer disruptions, improved reliability, and better overall performance.

Faster Deployment Times

IaC automation significantly reduces deployment times. Manual deployments often involve multiple steps, approvals, and handoffs, which can slow down the process. With IaC, deployments are automated, allowing you to provision infrastructure quickly and efficiently.

This faster deployment time translates to faster time-to-market for new applications and features. It enables organizations to respond more quickly to changing business needs and stay ahead of the competition.

For instance, a survey by DORA found that high-performing organizations using IaC had 208 times more frequent deployments than low-performing organizations using manual processes. This shows how IaC automation can dramatically accelerate the pace of software delivery.

Improved Scalability

Scalability is essential for modern applications. As demand fluctuates, you need to be able to quickly scale your infrastructure up or down to meet the changing needs. IaC automation makes it easy to scale your infrastructure by allowing you to define scaling policies in code.

With IaC, you can automatically provision additional resources when demand increases, and then deprovision them when demand decreases. This ensures that you always have the right amount of resources available, without wasting money on unused capacity.

For instance, consider an e-commerce company that experiences a surge in traffic during the holiday season. With IaC automation, the company can automatically scale up its infrastructure to handle the increased load, and then scale it back down after the holiday season is over.

Cost Reduction

IaC automation can lead to significant cost savings. By automating infrastructure provisioning and management, you can reduce the need for manual labor, optimize resource utilization, and minimize downtime.

Automated provisioning reduces the time and effort required to deploy and manage infrastructure. Resource utilization ensures that you only pay for the resources you need, avoiding waste and overspending. Minimized downtime reduces the financial impact of outages and disruptions.

For example, a report by Gartner found that organizations using IaC experienced a 20% reduction in infrastructure costs compared to those using manual processes. This cost reduction can be reinvested in other areas of the business, such as product development or marketing.

Version Control

Version control is a fundamental aspect of IaC. By treating infrastructure as code, you can use version control systems like Git to track changes, collaborate with team members, and revert to previous configurations if necessary.

Version control provides a complete history of changes to your infrastructure, making it easy to understand how it has evolved over time. It also enables you to roll back to previous configurations if something goes wrong, reducing the impact of errors.

For instance, a development team can use Git to manage changes to their Terraform code. They can create branches for new features, merge changes from different team members, and revert to previous versions if necessary. This ensures that their infrastructure is always in a known, stable state.

Better Collaboration

IaC automation improves collaboration between development and operations teams. By defining infrastructure in code, you create a shared language that both teams can understand and use. This breaks down silos and promotes better communication and teamwork.

With IaC, developers can define the infrastructure requirements for their applications, and operations teams can automate the provisioning process. This ensures that applications are deployed consistently and efficiently, without the need for manual intervention.

For example, a survey by DevOps Research and Assessment (DORA) found that organizations with strong DevOps practices, including IaC, had 22% higher employee satisfaction rates compared to those with weak practices. This shows how IaC can improve team morale and productivity.

Key Components of IaC Automation

To implement IaC automation effectively, you need to understand its key components. These include configuration management, provisioning tools, and continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines.

Configuration Management

Configuration management is a core component of IaC automation. It involves defining and managing the configuration of your infrastructure components, such as servers, networks, and applications. Configuration management tools ensure that your infrastructure is configured consistently and according to your specifications.

With configuration management, you can define the desired state of your infrastructure in code, and then use automation to enforce that state. This reduces the risk of configuration drift and ensures that your infrastructure is always in a known, stable state.

For instance, you can use a configuration management tool like Ansible to define the settings for your web servers. You can specify the packages that should be installed, the configuration files that should be created, and the services that should be running. Ansible will then automatically enforce these settings on your web servers, ensuring that they are configured consistently.

Provisioning Tools

Provisioning tools are used to create and manage infrastructure resources, such as virtual machines, storage volumes, and network interfaces. These tools automate the process of provisioning infrastructure, reducing the need for manual intervention.

Provisioning tools are often used in conjunction with configuration management tools. Provisioning tools create the infrastructure resources, and then configuration management tools configure those resources.

For example, you can use a provisioning tool like Terraform to create virtual machines on a cloud platform like AWS. Terraform will automatically provision the VMs according to your specifications, and then you can use a configuration management tool like Chef to configure the VMs with the necessary software and settings.

CI/CD Pipelines

Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) pipelines are used to automate the process of building, testing, and deploying software applications. These pipelines can be integrated with IaC automation to automate the deployment of infrastructure changes along with application updates.

With CI/CD, every change to your infrastructure code triggers an automated build and test process. If the tests pass, the changes are automatically deployed to your infrastructure. This ensures that your infrastructure is always up-to-date with the latest changes, and that any errors are caught early in the development process.

For instance, you can use a CI/CD tool like Jenkins to automate the deployment of your infrastructure changes. When you commit a change to your Terraform code, Jenkins will automatically run Terraform commands to apply the changes to your infrastructure. This ensures that your infrastructure is always in sync with your code.

Popular IaC Automation Tools

There are many IaC automation tools available, each with its strengths and weaknesses. Some of the most popular tools include Terraform, Ansible, Chef, Puppet, and AWS CloudFormation.

Terraform

Terraform is an open-source provisioning tool developed by HashiCorp. It allows you to define infrastructure as code using a declarative configuration language. Terraform supports a wide range of cloud providers, including AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud Platform, as well as on-premises infrastructure.

Terraform is known for its simplicity, flexibility, and extensibility. It provides a consistent workflow for provisioning infrastructure across different environments, and it supports a wide range of features, such as state management, dependency management, and change management.

For example, you can use Terraform to provision a complete web application stack on AWS, including virtual machines, load balancers, databases, and network resources. Terraform will automatically create and configure these resources according to your specifications, ensuring that your application is deployed consistently and efficiently.

Ansible

Ansible is an open-source configuration management tool developed by Red Hat. It allows you to define the desired state of your infrastructure using a simple, human-readable language called YAML. Ansible uses SSH to communicate with remote machines, so there is no need to install any agents on the target machines.

Ansible is known for its simplicity, ease of use, and scalability. It provides a consistent workflow for configuring infrastructure across different environments, and it supports a wide range of features, such as idempotence, parallel execution, and role-based access control.

For instance, you can use Ansible to configure your web servers with the necessary software and settings. You can specify the packages that should be installed, the configuration files that should be created, and the services that should be running. Ansible will then automatically enforce these settings on your web servers, ensuring that they are configured consistently.

Chef

Chef is an open-source configuration management tool developed by Progress. It allows you to define the desired state of your infrastructure using a domain-specific language (DSL) based on Ruby. Chef uses a client-server architecture, with a central Chef server that stores the configuration information and Chef clients that run on the target machines.

Chef is known for its flexibility, power, and scalability. It provides a consistent workflow for configuring infrastructure across different environments, and it supports a wide range of features, such as idempotence, dependency management, and role-based access control.

For example, you can use Chef to configure your database servers with the necessary software and settings. You can specify the database version that should be installed, the configuration parameters that should be set, and the users and permissions that should be created. Chef will then automatically enforce these settings on your database servers, ensuring that they are configured consistently.

Puppet

Puppet is an open-source configuration management tool developed by Perforce. It allows you to define the desired state of your infrastructure using a declarative language. Puppet uses a client-server architecture, with a central Puppet server that stores the configuration information and Puppet agents that run on the target machines.

Puppet is known for its scalability, reliability, and security. It provides a consistent workflow for configuring infrastructure across different environments, and it supports a wide range of features, such as idempotence, dependency management, and role-based access control.

For instance, you can use Puppet to configure your network devices with the necessary settings. You can specify the routing protocols that should be enabled, the access control lists that should be configured, and the security policies that should be enforced. Puppet will then automatically enforce these settings on your network devices, ensuring that they are configured consistently.

AWS CloudFormation

AWS CloudFormation is a provisioning tool developed by Amazon Web Services (AWS). It allows you to define infrastructure as code using a declarative configuration language. CloudFormation supports a wide range of AWS resources, including virtual machines, storage volumes, databases, and network resources.

CloudFormation is known for its tight integration with AWS services, its ease of use, and its scalability. It provides a consistent workflow for provisioning infrastructure within the AWS environment, and it supports a wide range of features, such as rollback, dependency management, and change management.

For example, you can use CloudFormation to provision a complete web application stack on AWS, including EC2 instances, Elastic Load Balancers, RDS databases, and VPC network resources. CloudFormation will automatically create and configure these resources according to your specifications, ensuring that your application is deployed consistently and efficiently within the AWS environment.

Implementing IaC Automation: A Step-by-Step Guide

Implementing IaC automation requires careful planning and execution. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you get started:

1. Assess Your Current Infrastructure: Before you can automate your infrastructure, you need to understand what you have. Take an inventory of your existing resources, including servers, networks, and applications.
2. Choose the Right Tools: Select the IaC automation tools that are best suited for your needs. Consider factors such as your existing infrastructure, your team’s skills, and your budget.
3. Define Your Infrastructure as Code: Start defining your infrastructure in code using the chosen tools. Begin with small, manageable components and gradually expand your scope.
4. Version Control Your Code: Use a version control system like Git to track changes to your infrastructure code. This allows you to collaborate with team members, revert to previous configurations, and maintain a complete history of changes.
5. Automate Your Deployments: Set up CI/CD pipelines to automate the process of building, testing, and deploying your infrastructure changes. This ensures that your infrastructure is always up-to-date with the latest changes, and that any errors are caught early in the development process.
6. Test Your Infrastructure: Test your infrastructure code thoroughly before deploying it to production. Use automated testing tools to verify that your infrastructure is configured correctly and that it meets your requirements.
7. Monitor Your Infrastructure: Monitor your infrastructure continuously to ensure that it is performing as expected. Use monitoring tools to track key metrics, such as CPU usage, memory usage, and network traffic, and set up alerts to notify you of any issues.
8. Iterate and Improve: Continuously iterate on your IaC automation implementation. Look for ways to improve efficiency, reduce errors, and optimize resource utilization.

Step 1: Planning and Design

The planning and design phase is crucial for successful IaC implementation. Here are some key considerations:

• Define Goals: What are you trying to achieve with IaC automation? Are you trying to reduce deployment times, improve consistency, or optimize resource utilization?
• Identify Scope: Which parts of your infrastructure will you automate? Start with small, manageable components and gradually expand your scope.
• Choose Architecture: Will you use a centralized or decentralized architecture? A centralized architecture is easier to manage, but a decentralized architecture is more flexible.
• Select Tools: Which IaC automation tools will you use? Consider factors such as your existing infrastructure, your team’s skills, and your budget.
• Create Standards: What coding standards, naming conventions, and security policies will you follow? Consistency is essential for maintainability and collaboration.

Step 2: Writing and Testing Infrastructure Code

Writing and testing infrastructure code is a critical step in the IaC automation process. Here are some best practices to follow:

• Use a Declarative Language: A declarative language allows you to specify the desired state of your infrastructure, rather than the steps required to achieve that state. This makes your code easier to read, write, and maintain.
• Keep Your Code Modular: Break your infrastructure code into small, reusable modules. This makes your code easier to understand, test, and reuse across different environments.
• Use Variables: Use variables to parameterize your infrastructure code. This allows you to easily customize your code for different environments, such as development, testing, and production.
• Test Your Code: Test your infrastructure code thoroughly before deploying it to production. Use automated testing tools to verify that your infrastructure is configured correctly and that it meets your requirements.
• Review Your Code: Have your code reviewed by other team members to catch any errors or inconsistencies. Code reviews are a valuable way to improve code quality and share knowledge.

Step 3: Implementing CI/CD Pipelines

Implementing CI/CD pipelines is essential for automating the deployment of your infrastructure changes. Here are some steps to follow:

• Choose a CI/CD Tool: Select a CI/CD tool that is compatible with your IaC automation tools. Popular options include Jenkins, GitLab CI, and CircleCI.
• Create a Pipeline: Create a CI/CD pipeline that automates the process of building, testing, and deploying your infrastructure changes.
• Configure Triggers: Configure triggers to automatically start your CI/CD pipeline whenever a change is made to your infrastructure code.
• Automate Testing: Automate the testing of your infrastructure code within the CI/CD pipeline. This ensures that any errors are caught early in the development process.
• Automate Deployment: Automate the deployment of your infrastructure changes within the CI/CD pipeline. This ensures that your infrastructure is always up-to-date with the latest changes.

Step 4: Monitoring and Optimization

Monitoring and optimization are essential for maintaining the health and performance of your automated infrastructure. Here are some best practices to follow:

• Use Monitoring Tools: Use monitoring tools to track key metrics, such as CPU usage, memory usage, and network traffic.
• Set Up Alerts: Set up alerts to notify you of any issues, such as high CPU usage, low memory, or network errors.
• Analyze Metrics: Analyze the metrics collected by your monitoring tools to identify areas for improvement.
• Optimize Resource Utilization: Optimize resource utilization by adjusting the size and configuration of your infrastructure resources.
• Iterate and Improve: Continuously iterate on your IaC automation implementation. Look for ways to improve efficiency, reduce errors, and optimize resource utilization.

Best Practices for IaC Automation

Following best practices is essential for successful IaC automation. These include using modular code, implementing version control, practicing infrastructure testing, and maintaining security.

Modular Code

Modular code is code that is broken down into small, reusable modules. Modularity makes your code easier to understand, test, and reuse across different environments.

Here are some tips for writing modular code:

• Keep Modules Small: Keep your modules small and focused on a single task.
• Use Variables: Use variables to parameterize your modules.
• Document Your Modules: Document your modules thoroughly so that others can understand how to use them.
• Reuse Your Modules: Reuse your modules across different environments.
• Test Your Modules: Test your modules thoroughly before deploying them to production.

Version Control

Version control is the practice of tracking changes to your code over time. Version control allows you to collaborate with team members, revert to previous configurations, and maintain a complete history of changes.

Here are some tips for using version control:

• Use a Version Control System: Use a version control system like Git to track changes to your infrastructure code.
• Commit Your Code Regularly: Commit your code regularly to capture your changes.
• Use Branches: Use branches to isolate your changes from the main codebase.
• Merge Your Changes: Merge your changes into the main codebase when they are ready for deployment.
• Tag Your Releases: Tag your releases so that you can easily identify them later.

Infrastructure Testing

Infrastructure testing is the practice of verifying that your infrastructure code is configured correctly and that it meets your requirements. Testing ensures that your infrastructure is reliable, secure, and performs as expected.

Here are some tips for testing your infrastructure:

• Use Automated Testing Tools: Use automated testing tools to verify that your infrastructure is configured correctly.
• Write Unit Tests: Write unit tests to verify that individual components of your infrastructure are working as expected.
• Write Integration Tests: Write integration tests to verify that different components of your infrastructure are working together correctly.
• Write End-to-End Tests: Write end-to-end tests to verify that your entire infrastructure is working as expected.
• Test Your Code Regularly: Test your code regularly to catch any errors early in the development process.

Security

Security is a critical consideration for IaC automation. You need to ensure that your infrastructure code is secure and that your automated deployments do not introduce any vulnerabilities.

Here are some tips for maintaining security:

• Use Secure Coding Practices: Use secure coding practices to prevent common vulnerabilities, such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting, and buffer overflows.
• Encrypt Sensitive Data: Encrypt sensitive data, such as passwords and API keys, to prevent unauthorized access.
• Use Role-Based Access Control: Use role-based access control to restrict access to your infrastructure resources.
• Monitor Your Infrastructure: Monitor your infrastructure continuously to detect and respond to security threats.
• Audit Your Code: Audit your code regularly to identify and remediate any security vulnerabilities.

Overcoming Common Challenges in IaC Automation

Implementing IaC automation can be challenging. Common challenges include resistance to change, complexity, and security concerns.

Resistance to Change

Resistance to change is a common obstacle to IaC automation. Some team members may be reluctant to adopt new tools and processes, especially if they have been using manual methods for a long time.

Here are some tips for overcoming resistance to change:

• Communicate the Benefits: Clearly communicate the benefits of IaC automation to your team members.
• Provide Training: Provide training and support to help your team members learn how to use the new tools and processes.
• Start Small: Start with small, manageable projects to build confidence and demonstrate the value of IaC automation.
• Involve Your Team: Involve your team members in the planning and implementation process.
• Celebrate Successes: Celebrate successes and recognize team members who have embraced IaC automation.

Complexity

Complexity is another common challenge in IaC automation. Infrastructure can be complex, and automating it can add another layer of complexity.

Here are some tips for managing complexity:

• Start Simple: Start with simple automation tasks and gradually increase complexity over time.
• Use Modular Code: Use modular code to break down complex tasks into smaller, more manageable modules.
• Document Your Code: Document your code thoroughly so that others can understand how it works.
• Use Version Control: Use version control to track changes to your code and to revert to previous configurations if necessary.
• Use Automated Testing: Use automated testing to verify that your infrastructure is configured correctly.

Security Concerns

Security is a critical concern for IaC automation. You need to ensure that your infrastructure code is secure and that your automated deployments do not introduce any vulnerabilities.

Here are some tips for addressing security concerns:

• Use Secure Coding Practices: Use secure coding practices to prevent common vulnerabilities.
• Encrypt Sensitive Data: Encrypt sensitive data to prevent unauthorized access.
• Use Role-Based Access Control: Use role-based access control to restrict access to your infrastructure resources.
• Monitor Your Infrastructure: Monitor your infrastructure continuously to detect and respond to security threats.
• Audit Your Code: Audit your code regularly to identify and remediate any security vulnerabilities.

The Future of IaC Automation

The future of IaC automation is bright. As infrastructure becomes more complex and dynamic, the need for automation will only increase.

Emerging Trends

Here are some emerging trends in IaC automation:

• AI-Powered Automation: AI and machine learning are being used to automate more complex tasks, such as infrastructure optimization and security management.
• Low-Code/No-Code IaC: Low-code and no-code platforms are making it easier for non-developers to automate infrastructure.
• Serverless IaC: Serverless computing is enabling a new paradigm of IaC automation, where infrastructure is provisioned and managed on demand.
• Policy as Code: Policy as code is enabling organizations to define and enforce security and compliance policies in code.
• GitOps: GitOps is a methodology that uses Git as the single source of truth for infrastructure configuration.

Predictions and Possibilities

Here are some predictions and possibilities for the future of IaC automation:

• Increased Adoption: IaC automation will become more widely adopted as organizations realize its benefits.
• Greater Integration: IaC automation will become more tightly integrated with other DevOps tools and processes.
• More Sophisticated Automation: Automation will become more sophisticated, enabling organizations to automate more complex tasks.
• Enhanced Security: Security will become an even more important focus for IaC automation.
• AI-Driven Optimization: AI will be used to continuously optimize infrastructure performance and cost.

Embracing IaC Automation for Success

IaC automation is the secret to modern infrastructure management. By treating your infrastructure as code, you can automate provisioning, reduce errors, and accelerate deployments.

Remember these key points:

• IaC automation increases efficiency, reduces errors, and improves scalability.
• Configuration management, provisioning tools, and CI/CD pipelines are essential components of IaC automation.
• Terraform, Ansible, Chef, Puppet, and AWS CloudFormation are popular IaC automation tools.
• Following best practices, such as using modular code, implementing version control, and practicing infrastructure testing, is essential for success.
• Overcoming common challenges, such as resistance to change, complexity, and security concerns, requires careful planning and execution.

So, don’t let manual processes hold you back. Embrace IaC automation and unlock the full potential of your infrastructure.

Is IaC Automation Worth the Effort?

Absolutely! IaC automation is not just a trend; it’s a fundamental shift in how infrastructure is managed. It offers benefits such as increased efficiency, reduced errors, and improved scalability that far outweigh the initial learning curve and implementation efforts. By embracing IaC automation, organizations can unlock the full potential of their infrastructure, accelerate innovation, and achieve greater business success.