Infrastructure as code (IaC) is the method that involves managing and provisioning computing infrastructure through machine-readable definition files, rather than physical hardware configuration or interactive configuration tools. IaC supports automating the setup of infrastructure, thereby making the process repeatable, less error-prone, and adaptable to version control practices. The Management Console is a web interface for managing services and doesn't inherently offer the same level of automation or version control. Using CLI tools or SDKs allows for scripting and automation but does not provide infrastructure definition via code and templates as IaC does.