Infra.new is a DevOps platform designed to simplify infrastructure management. It offers a conversational interface (a "copilot") that allows users to describe their desired infrastructure in plain English, which the platform then translates into Terraform code. Crucially, Infra.new incorporates built-in guardrails and best practices to prevent common infrastructure misconfigurations and ensure security. This aims to make infrastructure provisioning and management more accessible and less error-prone, even for users with limited DevOps experience. The platform is currently in beta and focused on AWS.
A new Y Combinator Winter 2023 startup called Infra.new is launching a DevOps platform designed to act as a “copilot with guardrails built-in.” The platform aims to simplify and streamline infrastructure management, providing users with an interactive and intuitive interface for defining and deploying their desired infrastructure configurations. It emphasizes ease of use and safety, particularly targeting developers who might be less experienced with DevOps practices.
Infra.new allows users to describe their infrastructure needs using natural language or through more structured configurations. The system then translates these specifications into the necessary underlying infrastructure-as-code (IaC) implementations, such as Terraform or Pulumi. This abstraction layer simplifies the process of managing infrastructure, shielding users from the complexities of directly working with IaC while still providing the benefits of codified infrastructure management.
The platform’s built-in guardrails are a key differentiator. These guardrails are automated checks and constraints designed to prevent common infrastructure misconfigurations and security vulnerabilities. They function as a proactive safety net, ensuring deployments adhere to best practices and organizational policies. This helps minimize the risk of errors and enhances the overall reliability and security of the deployed infrastructure.
Infra.new emphasizes an iterative workflow, enabling users to preview changes and understand their impact before they are applied to the live environment. This preview functionality provides a crucial feedback loop, allowing for validation and refinement of infrastructure configurations before deployment, reducing the likelihood of unintended consequences.
The platform also supports various deployment targets, including established cloud providers like AWS, GCP, and Azure. This flexibility allows users to leverage Infra.new across different cloud environments, simplifying multi-cloud deployments and providing a consistent infrastructure management experience regardless of the underlying provider.
Initially, Infra.new is focusing on Kubernetes deployments. This focus indicates the platform's intent to address the increasing complexity of containerized applications and microservices architectures. By streamlining Kubernetes deployments, Infra.new aims to empower developers to more effectively manage and scale their containerized applications. The platform is currently available for early access, inviting developers to try it and provide feedback to further shape its development.
Summary of Comments ( 16 )
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43763026
HN users generally expressed interest in Infra.new, praising its focus on safety and guardrails, especially for preventing accidental cloud cost overruns. Several commenters compared it favorably to existing infrastructure-as-code tools like Terraform, highlighting its potential for simplifying deployments and reducing complexity. Some questioned the depth of its current feature set and integrations, while others sought clarification on the pricing model. A few users with cloud management experience offered specific suggestions for improvement, including better handling of state management and drift detection. Overall, the reception seemed positive, with many expressing a desire to try the product.
The Hacker News post for "Launch HN: Infra.new (YC W23) – DevOps copilot with guardrails built in" has a moderate number of comments, sparking a discussion around the tool's functionality, target audience, and potential impact.
Several commenters express interest in the concept of "guardrails" for infrastructure automation, highlighting the potential for reducing errors and improving security. One commenter specifically asks about the implementation of these guardrails and how they differ from existing policy-as-code solutions like Open Policy Agent (OPA). This leads to a brief discussion about the complexities of integrating such guardrails seamlessly into existing workflows and the importance of clear visibility and control.
Another thread of discussion revolves around the target audience for Infra.new. Some commenters question whether the tool is primarily aimed at simplifying infrastructure management for developers who lack deep DevOps expertise, while others see it as a potential productivity booster even for experienced DevOps engineers. This leads to speculation about the pricing model and whether it will be accessible to smaller teams or individual developers.
One commenter raises the concern of vendor lock-in, questioning the portability of configurations and the potential difficulties of migrating away from the platform in the future. This prompts a discussion about the importance of open standards and interoperability in the DevOps ecosystem.
A few commenters share their personal experiences with similar tools and offer suggestions for improvement, such as better integration with existing infrastructure-as-code tools like Terraform and enhanced support for different cloud providers.
Finally, there's some skepticism expressed about the marketing language used in the launch announcement, with some commenters finding the term "DevOps copilot" to be overly hyped and potentially misleading. They argue that true "copilot" functionality would require a much deeper understanding of the user's intent and context.
Overall, the comments reflect a mixture of curiosity, cautious optimism, and healthy skepticism about the potential of Infra.new. While many see the value in simplifying infrastructure management and enhancing security, there are also concerns about practical implementation, pricing, and potential vendor lock-in.