Devconf.US

Enhancing Infrastructure as Code (IaC) with AI: A Novel Approach to Generating Terraform Configurations for Google Cloud Platform
2024-08-15 , East Balcony (capacity 80)

In the rapidly evolving domain of cloud computing, the ability to efficiently deploy and manage infrastructure is paramount. This project introduces a novel approach to producing Infrastructure as Code (IaC) by leveraging a custom retriever architecture in conjunction with a Large Language Model (LLM) to automatically generate single-file Terraform configurations for Google Cloud Platform (GCP). Our approach combines the capabilities of multimodal databases and self-querying retrievers through Retrieval Augmented Generated (RAG) in order to integrate both text-based documentation and Terraform code samples, thus enhancing an LLM's understanding and generation of complex cloud infrastructures.

At the core of our methodology is the development of a specialized database architecture, comprising a vector database for semantically rich documentation and a retriever-friendly filesystem for Terraform code samples and their GCP product interrelations. This dual-database setup facilitates precise semantic searches and complex relational queries, enabling an LLM to access a rich corpus of GCP knowledge and examples. We further expand our generative capabilities by incorporating Terraform modules into our database, addressing the challenge of understanding and generating configurations that leverage both basic resources and complex preexisting solutions for comprehensive GCP project deployments.

Our database architecture is intricately linked to an LLM through a RAG application, in which the data first passes through an embeddings and vector storage model. This setup serves as a dynamic context window for a specialized retriever which assigns detailed metadata to each document within the database. The generated metadata summarizes the expected use case for that document and explains how its contents can be integrated into a larger Terraform project. Utilizing this expanded context, our structured conversation chain can adapt user queries to optimally convey the desired project specifications to an LLM, enhancing the model's ability to generate fully complete and actionable Terraform configurations.

Further significance lies in our project’s potential to radically simplify cloud infrastructure management, making it more accessible to developers and organizations by reducing manual coding requirements and barriers to entry. By automating the generation of Terraform configurations, we aim to accelerate deployment times, decrease potential human error, and democratize advanced cloud infrastructure setups. Our project’s retriever architecture is also of notable interest, as this design could be easily adapted to generate Terraform for AWS, Azure, or other IaC-compatible platforms with many distributed services.

This project stands at the intersection of AI and cloud computing, offering a user-friendly solution to the complexities of modern cloud infrastructure management. We aim to show that AI can pave the way for more intelligent, efficient, and accessible cloud computing paradigms.

George Trammell is an undergraduate senior studying in Boston University’s Computing & Data Sciences program with a focus on big data engineering and transformer-based architecture. Aside from academics, he has served as music director of BU’s premier all-gender a cappella group In Achord and as co-author of GAIA, the department’s current policy on the use of generative AI in the classroom.

I am Max Karambelas, a dedicated professional based in Boston, MA, with a strong focus on AI and product management. Currently, I serve as a Project Manager at BU Spark, where I lead a student team in developing an RAG application for the automation of cloud-based projects, working closely with Google experts to enhance our project's reach and efficacy. My previous experience includes an internship at USAA, where I played a key role in improving the performance of an AI chatbot by developing a machine learning algorithm, and helped pioneer monitoring tools for large language models. I am pursuing a BS in Data Science with a minor in Business at Boston University, enriching my technical skills through hands-on projects in predictive modeling and OCR technology. My expertise in AI, machine learning, and strategic product management drives my passion for leveraging technology to solve complex problems and deliver outstanding products.