Massdriver FAQ
What problem does Massdriver solve?
Platform teams write great IaC, but developers struggle to use it. Massdriver lets ops teams package their Terraform/Helm/etc. into visual, self-service components so developers can deploy infrastructure without writing code, touching YAML, or waiting on tickets.
What's a bundle?
A bundle is your IaC (Terraform, Helm, etc.) wrapped with schemas, policies, and guardrails. It turns raw infrastructure code into a reusable component that validates inputs, enforces best practices, and connects to other infrastructure automatically. Think of it like a Lego brick for cloud resources.
How do developers actually use Massdriver?
They drag and drop bundles onto a canvas to build their architecture visually, connect them together (like plugging a database into an app), fill out forms for configuration, and hit deploy. No Terraform, no pipelines, no YAML. The diagram IS the infrastructure.
What does "pipelineless" mean?
You don't maintain CI/CD pipelines for infrastructure changes. When a developer makes a change, Massdriver spins up a temporary execution environment, runs your IaC (terraform apply, helm install, etc.), then tears down the execution environment. Your infrastructure stays running - only the deployment environment is ephemeral.
Does Massdriver generate IaC for me, or do I write it?
You write it. Platform teams use the IaC tools they already know (Terraform, OpenTofu, Helm, CloudFormation) to define infrastructure, then wrap it in a bundle spec. Massdriver doesn't generate code - it orchestrates and automates the IaC you've already written, making it reusable and self-service for developers.
How does Massdriver handle Terraform state?
Massdriver ships with an HTTPS-based state backend that works out of the box with zero configuration. State is automatically scoped per project, per environment, per module - keeping state files small and fast. You don't add state config to your modules, it just works. Want to use your own backend? Just configure it and Massdriver will use that instead.
How does Massdriver prevent and detect configuration drift?
Massdriver prevents drift by design - developers can only deploy through approved bundles with guardrails, eliminating the "shadow IT" that causes drift. The visual canvas serves as the source of truth for what's deployed. Changes go through Massdriver's orchestration, not manual console clicks or ad-hoc scripts.
How does Massdriver enforce guardrails and prevent bad configurations?
Bundles use JSON Schema to define what's allowed - valid ranges, allowed values, required fields, etc. Developers literally cannot select options that violate policy. Invalid configs are prevented up-front in the UI, not caught later in code review or after deployment.
What IaC tools does Massdriver work with?
Terraform, OpenTofu, Helm, CloudFormation, Azure Bicep - basically anything you already use. You're not forced into a proprietary language. You write IaC in your preferred tool, wrap it in a bundle, and Massdriver handles the orchestration.
How do bundles connect to each other? What are "artifacts"?
Bundles output standardized JSON "artifacts" (connection info, credentials, resource IDs, etc.) that other bundles consume as inputs. Massdriver validates that connections are compatible - you can't plug incompatible pieces together. It's type-safe infrastructure composition that eliminates manual copy-paste of outputs between modules.
