devops-simplicity-checker

DevOps Simplicity Checker

Infrastructure should be SIMPLE by default. This skill detects overengineering.

Simplicity Checklist

Check	Pass	Fail
File count	≤8 .tf files	>15 files in nested directories
Module usage	None or registry only	Custom modules for <5 resources
Directory depth	Flat or 1 level	3+ levels of nesting
Ansible playbooks	Single playbook	Multiple playbooks + custom roles
Ansible roles	Galaxy roles only	Custom roles for standard tasks
Variables	Inline defaults	Complex variable hierarchies

Complexity Score Calculation

Files: 1 point per .tf file over 5
Modules: 3 points per custom module
Directories: 2 points per level over 1
Ansible roles: 3 points per custom role

Score 0-5: Simple (GOOD)
Score 6-10: Moderate (REVIEW)
Score 11+: Overengineered (SIMPLIFY)

Detection Commands

# Count .tf files
find . -name "*.tf" | wc -l

# Find custom modules (not registry)
grep -r "source\s*=" *.tf | grep -v "registry.terraform.io" | grep -v "github.com" | wc -l

# Directory depth
find . -name "*.tf" -printf '%h\n' | sort -u | awk -F'/' '{print NF-1}' | sort -rn | head -1

# Custom Ansible roles (not Galaxy)
ls roles/ 2>/dev/null | wc -l

# Variable files
find . -name "*.tfvars" -o -name "variables.tf" | wc -l

Questions to Ask

• Could this be done with fewer files?
• Is this custom module solving a problem registry modules can't?
• Would a flat structure work just as well?
• Does this Ansible role exist in Galaxy already?
• Are these variable hierarchies necessary or premature abstraction?

Red Flags

Pattern	Problem	Fix
modules/ with single resource	Over-abstraction	Inline the resource
environments/{dev,staging,prod}/	Duplication	Use workspaces or tfvars
roles/common/ for apt packages	Reinventing wheel	Use Galaxy role
Nested .tf imports	Hard to follow	Flatten structure
>10 variable files	Configuration sprawl	Consolidate

Scoring Report Format

SIMPLICITY SCORE: X/10

File Count: X files (+Y penalty)
Custom Modules: X modules (+Y penalty)
Directory Depth: X levels (+Y penalty)
Custom Roles: X roles (+Y penalty)

Total Penalty: X points
Verdict: SIMPLE | MODERATE | OVERENGINEERED

Recommendations:
- [ ] Consider flattening directory structure
- [ ] Replace custom module X with registry module
- [ ] Use Galaxy role for standard task