DevOps DAY 17 — ADVANCED TERRAFORM CONCEPTS & BEST PRACTICES

 

Terraform Modules

• Definition: Reusable, shareable code packages

• Example:

  module "webserver" {
    source = "./modules/ec2_instance"
    instance_type = "t3.medium"
  }
  

• Benefits: Code reusability, easier maintenance, consistency

Terraform Workspaces

• Purpose: Manage multiple environments (Dev, QA, Prod)

• Example Command:

  terraform workspace new dev
  terraform workspace select dev
  

Provisioners

• Purpose: Execute scripts or commands during resource creation

• Example Commands:

  provisioner "remote-exec" {
    script = "install.sh"
  }
  provisioner "local-exec" {
    command = "echo Setup complete"
  }
  

• Caution: Use sparingly; prefer cloud-init or configuration management tools

Remote State Management

• Store Terraform state in a remote backend for collaboration

• Example Command:

  terraform {
    backend "s3" {
      bucket = "tf-state-bucket"
      key    = "project/terraform.tfstate"
      region = "us-east-1"
    }
  }
  

Terraform Commands (Lifecycle)

• terraform init → Initialize directory

• terraform plan → Preview changes

• terraform apply → Apply changes

• terraform destroy → Remove resources

Best Practices

• Write reusable modules

• Use meaningful variable and resource names

• Protect sensitive variables

• Always version-control your code

• Validate code frequently

Visual Icons / Graphics

• Module icon with arrows connecting resources (EC2, S3, VPC)

• Environment stacks for workspaces (Dev → Staging → Prod)

• Terminal / command prompt for commands

• Checklist for best practices

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