Provisioning refers to the process of setting up and configuring the necessary resources—such as servers, storage, databases, and networking components—required to run an application or service. This includes ensuring that resources are correctly allocated, configured, and deployed in line with specific business requirements.

Provisioning can be manual or automated. Manual provisioning typically involves IT staff setting up hardware and software components, while automated provisioning leverages tools like Terraform, Ansible, or AWS CloudFormation to automate the setup process. Automated provisioning allows for faster deployment, reduces human error, and ensures that systems can scale efficiently in response to demand.

There are different types of provisioning:

Server provisioning focuses on deploying the physical or virtual servers needed to host applications.
Network provisioning deals with setting up network resources, such as firewalls, routers, and switches.
Storage provisioning ensures that sufficient storage is available and accessible for applications and services.
Effective provisioning is crucial for maintaining system uptime, performance, and scalability, especially in dynamic environments like cloud computing and DevOps.