TOPIC DEVOPS
Configuration Drift when reality stops matching the code
IN 10 SECONDS
Drift happens when manual changes, auto-scaling events, or untracked scripts modify active server states so they no longer match the version-controlled IaC code files.
GOTCHA Leaving drift unmanaged makes deployments unpredictable because new terraform runs can wipe out critical manual hotfixes.
HOW DRIFT RECONCILIATION FLOWS
01 Manual change someone logs into the AWS console and opens port 22 in a security group.
02 IaC scan Terraform or drift-radar runs a plan check against configuration files.
03 Deviation found reports gap: live security group contains port 22 but IaC files do not.
04 Correction applying IaC changes reverts the manual port opening to restore parity.
POKE IT YOURSELF
terraform plan — compare live cloud resources with IaC files to locate drift
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