Using Pulumi and Ansible is not strictly necessary to provision a server on Linode and Digital Ocean, as both platforms provide their own APIs that allow you to directly interact with their infrastructure. However, there are still advantages to using tools like Pulumi and Ansible for server provisioning.
Advantages of using Pulumi and Ansible:
Abstraction and consistency: Both tools provide an abstraction layer that simplifies and standardizes the server provisioning process. By using Pulumi and Ansible, you can write a single configuration or script that works across different cloud providers, making it easier to support additional platforms in the future.
Version control and collaboration: Pulumi and Ansible configurations are typically stored as code, allowing you to use version control systems and collaborate with team members more effectively.
Reusability and modularity: Both tools promote reusability and modularity, making it easier to create reusable components or modules that can be shared across different projects or teams.
Community support and resources: Pulumi and Ansible have active communities, which means there are plenty of resources, plugins, and modules available to help you achieve your goals. This can save you time and effort compared to building everything from scratch using provider APIs directly.
While it is possible to provision servers directly using the APIs provided by Linode and Digital Ocean, using tools like Pulumi and Ansible can help streamline and standardize the provisioning process, making it more efficient and easier to maintain over time. Ultimately, the choice depends on your specific requirements, the complexity of your infrastructure, and your team's familiarity with the chosen tools.
