DevOps: Introducing Infrastructure-as-Code

DevOps entails a series of software engineering tactics aimed at shortening the actionable operation of software design changes. One of these tactics is to harness infrastructure-as-code, that is, writing a blueprint that contains deployment specifications ready for orchestration in the cloud. This abstract briefly discusses all necessary elements and abstractions in writing and maintaining that blueprint, revolving around a key standard for its expression, namely, the OASIS "Topology and Orchestration Specification for Cloud Applications" (TOSCA) industrial standard adopted by as many as 60+ big industrial players worldwide.