Hashi Corp is a software company based on a Freemium business model in California. It has its headquarters in San Francisco, California, and provides open-source tools and commercial products.
These help operators and developers provision, secure, run, and connect cloud-computing infrastructure. The company delivers these products all over the world.
Key Takeaways
- Nomad is a cluster manager and scheduler, while Terraform is an infrastructure as a code tool.
- Nomad focuses more on job scheduling and orchestration, while Terraform focuses more on infrastructure provisioning and management.
- Nomad has built-in support for containerization, while Terraform requires additional tools for container management.
Nomad vs Terraform
The difference between nomad and terraform is that nomad is available online, whereas terraform is available offline. They both have several similarities. However, they are distinctive in their way. They share differences in terms of their founding, resources, classification, running, and usage.
Nomad is popularly used for cluster management in production by many small-scale and large-scale organizations and start-ups. Its key features include Simplicity & Reliability, Flexibility, Device Plugins & GPU Support, Federation for Multi-Region, Proven Scalability, and HashiCorp Ecosystem.
Nomad works on macOS, Windows, and Linux systems.
Terraform refers to a tool that serves the purpose of building, changing, and versioning infrastructure with safety and efficiency. Terraform has the capacity to manage service providers which are already in existence or popular, as well as custom in-house solutions.
Terraform can also manage low-level components. It helps to build new infrastructure from scratch.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Nomad | Terraform |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | It was released in September 2015. | It was released in July 2014. |
| Resource | Nomad supports reporting detailed statistics in many of its drivers. | Terraform is designed to support any type of resource. |
| Classification | It is classified for Cluster management. | It is classified as Infrastructure build. |
| Run | It is run online. | It is run offline. |
| Working | Nomad runs on existing infrastructure and manages the lifecycle of applications running on that infrastructure. | Terraform helps to build new infrastructure from scratch. Also running and managing an existing one. |
| Used by | It is used by popular organizations like Trivago, Roblox, circleci, pandora, deluxe, and Radix. | It is used by popular organizations like Uber Technologies, Instacart, and Slack. |
What is Nomad?
Nomad refers to popularly used for cluster management in production by many small-scale and large-scale organizations, as well as start-ups. Its key features include Simplicity & Reliability, Flexibility, Device Plugins & GPU Support, Federation for Multi-Region, Proven Scalability, and HashiCorp Ecosystem.
Because Nomad is an orchestrator, it has flexibility. This helps organizations to run containers, legacy, and batch applications at the same time on infrastructure.
It helps in bringing core orchestration benefits to legacy applications. This can be done without the need for containerization via pluggable task drivers.
Nomad is entirely self-contained as it runs as a single binary. It combines resource management and scheduling into one system without any external services for storage or coordination.
It is capable of automatically handling application, node, and driver failures. It is also distributed and resilient.
Nomad also offers built-in support for GPU workloads. These include machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI).
For automatic detection and resource utilization from hardware devices, it uses device plugins. These include GPU, FPGAs, and TPUs.
For multi-region federation, native support is provided, due to which multiple clusters can be linked together. Nomad possesses the ability to be optimistically concurrent.
Which helps in increasing throughput and reducing latency for workloads. Nomad has native integrations with Terraform, Consul, and Vault for the purpose of provisioning, service discovery, and secrets management.
What is Terraform?
Terraform refers to a tool that serves the purpose of building, changing, and versioning infrastructure with safety and efficiency. Terraform has the capacity to manage service providers which are already in existence or popular, as well as custom in-house solutions.
The components needed to run a single application are described to Terraform by configuration files. Terraform creates an execution plan in which it states the process of reaching the preferred state. It later executes the same for building the given infrastructure.
Terraform has the ability to determine changes and create new plans according to the configuration changes.
Terraform can also manage low-level components. These components include computing instances, storage, and networking, DNS entries, SaaS features, and others.
The key features of Terraform comprise Infrastructure as Code, Execution Plans, Resource Graphs, and Change Automation. For describing Infrastructure in terraforming infrastructure, a high-level configuration syntax is utilized.
Which helps in getting a blueprint, sharing, and reusing.
Planning is a step in Terraform In, which creates an execution plan. This plan shows Terraform activities after user calls apply.
And lets the user have no surprises with manipulation. Terraform Resource Graph is a graph of a user’s resources and parallelism with creation and modification.
In an infrastructure complex, changesets can be applied with less interaction and human errors using Terraform.
Main Differences Between Nomad and Terraform
- Nomad was released in September 2015. Terraform was released in July 2014.
- Nomad supports reporting detailed statistics in many of its drivers. Terraform is designed to support any type of resource.
- Nomad is classified for Cluster management. Terraform is classified as Infrastructure build.
- Nomad is run online. Terraform is run offline.
- Nomad runs on existing infrastructure and manages the lifecycle of applications running on that infrastructure. Terraform helps to build new infrastructure from scratch. Also, running and managing existing ones.
- Nomad is used by popular organizations like Trivago, Roblox, circles, Pandora, deluxe, and Radix. Popular organizations like Uber Technologies, Instacart, and Slack use Terraform.
- https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/7919489/
- https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/9139623/
Last Updated : 09 July, 2023
I’ve put so much effort writing this blog post to provide value to you. It’ll be very helpful for me, if you consider sharing it on social media or with your friends/family. SHARING IS ♥️
Sandeep Bhandari holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Computers from Thapar University (2006). He has 20 years of experience in the technology field. He has a keen interest in various technical fields, including database systems, computer networks, and programming. You can read more about him on his bio page.
The explanatory content about Nomad and Terraform greatly enriches our understanding of their functionalities. I look forward to exploring more content that presents detailed use cases and success stories associated with the practical application of these tools.
I share the same sentiment. Use cases and success stories will undoubtedly provide a clearer perspective on the benefits and advantages of utilizing Nomad and Terraform for cloud infrastructure management.
The article offers an in-depth analysis of the functionalities and applications of Nomad and Terraform. The clarity in distinguishing the use cases of both tools makes it easier for readers to comprehend their significance in cloud-computing infrastructure management.
Absolutely, the detailed comparison helps in understanding how Nomad and Terraform can effectively handle different aspects of infrastructure management. Looking forward to more content explaining their real-world implementations.
The comprehensive description of Nomad and Terraform enhances our knowledge of the unique capabilities each tool offers. I’d like to explore case studies and practical examples of organizations leveraging these tools for cloud infrastructure management.
Absolutely, real-world examples will provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of Nomad and Terraform in addressing the challenges of cloud-computing infrastructure.
I completely agree. It would be beneficial to delve into the practical applications and success stories of Nomad and Terraform to have a better understanding of their implementation.
The comparison table helps provide a clear understanding of the differences between Nomad and Terraform. It’s interesting to see how both tools cater to distinct requirements and purposes. The insights are valuable for anyone considering the use of these tools in their organizations.
Absolutely, the unique features and capabilities of each tool are highlighted effectively. It’s crucial for organizations to choose the tool that aligns with their specific infrastructure needs.
Thank you for the detailed comparison between Nomad and Terraform. I’m very impressed with the wide range of features offered by both software tools. I would like to learn more about the use cases and real-life examples of organizations using these tools.
I agree, the detailed comparison is very informative. Looking forward to hearing more about the use cases and examples as well.
The article’s in-depth comparison of Nomad and Terraform provides valuable insights into the distinct functionalities of the two tools. I’m eager to explore content that delves into practical applications and case studies highlighting the contributions of these tools in real-world scenarios.
I share the same enthusiasm. Real-world examples will exemplify how Nomad and Terraform effectively handle the intricacies of cloud infrastructure management, making it easier for organizations to leverage these tools.
The article offers a comprehensive understanding of Nomad and Terraform, making it easier for readers to discern the distinctive functionalities and applications of these tools. Delving into practical use cases and real-world examples would provide a holistic perspective on the contributions made by Nomad and Terraform in cloud infrastructure management.
Absolutely, real-life implementations and success stories will effectively highlight the significance of Nomad and Terraform in cloud infrastructure management, thereby encouraging organizations to consider these tools for addressing their infrastructure needs.
I completely agree. Real-world examples will serve to demonstrate the practical implications of Nomad and Terraform, thereby empowering organizations to make informed decisions regarding their utilization for cloud infrastructure management.
The article’s detailed insights into Nomad and Terraform are commendable. Exploring real-world instances of organizations using these tools would be quite insightful and beneficial for readers to grasp their practical implications.
Absolutely, real-world examples will elucidate the effectiveness of Nomad and Terraform in addressing infrastructure management challenges for organizations of varying scales and requirements.
I couldn’t agree more. Case studies and real-life implementations would enhance our understanding of how Nomad and Terraform can cater to the diverse needs of infrastructure management.
The article skillfully illustrates the features and applications of Nomad and Terraform. It would be enriching to explore comprehensive content detailing practical implementations and success stories pertaining to the effective utilization of these tools in varying organizational contexts.
Absolutely, understanding the real-world usage of Nomad and Terraform will encourage organizations to explore these tools for managing cloud infrastructure effectively, thereby streamlining their operations and enhancing efficiency.
The detailed comparison between Nomad and Terraform presented in the article is enlightening. I believe that exploring real-life scenarios and successful implementations of these tools would further elucidate their value in cloud infrastructure management.
I completely agree. Real-world examples and case studies will serve as a testament to the effectiveness of Nomad and Terraform, encouraging organizations to consider the integration of these tools for managing their cloud infrastructure.