A working system goes beyond the written application – there are platforms, infrastructure, configurations, and other elements that need to be in place. Infrastructure as code (IaC), also known as “programmable infrastructure,” addresses that.

Using DevOps methodology, you reduce the description of these system elements to a file, similar to source code, which will automatically set up and manage all the infrastructure components and services. 

The benefit is the time saved and error reduction through automatic processes, versus relying on system administrators and “manual” processes for setting up.