Deploying Your First Terraform Configuraton

Terraform is a tool used for automating the deployment and management of infrastructure, such as networks, virtual machines, and containers.

Terraform is a tool that allows infrastructure to be deployed and managed in an automated way, making it a powerful tool for developers and IT professionals.

In Terraform, configuration files use a domain-specific language called HashiCorp Configuration Language (HCL).

Terraform uses a configuration file written in HCL to represent your infrastructure's desired state. When you run terraform apply, the tool compares the current state to the desired state and makes any necessary changes.

Terraform uses a state file to track the current state of your infrastructure, making it possible to manage changes and ensure consistency.

Terraform provides a command-line interface (CLI) that allows you to interact with Terraform and manage your infrastructure, including creating, updating, and deleting resources.

Terraform is designed to be vendor-agnostic, meaning it can be used to deploy and manage infrastructure across multiple cloud providers like AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, and even on-premises systems.

Terraform is open-source software, making it freely available for use and community contributions. There are also paid offerings like Terraform Cloud and Terraform Enterprise.

Terraform utilizes a declarative syntax, where you describe the desired end state of your infrastructure, and Terraform handles the steps to achieve it.

HashiCorp Configuration Language (HCL) is a human-readable language used to write Terraform configurations. It's designed for flexibility and ease of use.

Terraform uses a push-based deployment model. Instead of requiring agents or a central server, Terraform directly interacts with service APIs to create and manage infrastructure.

Terraform uses provider plugins to communicate with the APIs of different cloud services or infrastructure providers.

Terraform maintains a state file that tracks the current state of your infrastructure. This file maps your configuration to the actual deployed resources.

Terraform's executable binary file contains the core functionalities of Terraform and is invoked to run Terraform commands.

Terraform configuration files typically have the file extension '.tf'. They contain the code that defines your infrastructure.

Terraform provider plugins are hosted on the public Terraform registry at registry.terraform.io. You can use these plugins to interact with various cloud providers.

When you update your Terraform configuration, Terraform compares the new configuration to the state file, identifies changes, and updates the target environment accordingly.

Terraform can be installed by downloading the executable for your operating system, making it available in your system's path, and then running Terraform commands.

Terraform can be installed using popular package managers like apt, YUM, Homebrew, and Chocolatey.

You can also obtain a Docker container for Terraform, providing an isolated environment for using it.

The basic commands used in Terraform include 'Terraform init', 'Terraform plan', 'Terraform apply', and 'Terraform destroy'.

The 'Terraform init' command initializes a Terraform project, downloading necessary provider plugins and setting up the working environment.

The 'Terraform plan' command creates a plan of the changes that will be made to your infrastructure when you run 'Terraform apply'.

The 'Terraform apply' command applies the changes outlined in the plan to your target environment, creating or updating resources.

The terraform version command shows the current version of Terraform installed on your system.

Terraform's command-line interface (CLI) allows you to interact with and manage Terraform resources.

The terraform help command provides information about Terraform commands and options.

Terraform, like many CLI tools, can be executed with global options affecting the overall execution of commands.

Terraform commands are typically used to manage infrastructure resources, such as creating, updating, or destroying them.

The Globomantics scenario is a hypothetical example used in this training to demonstrate Terraform concepts in a real-world context.

The core components of a Terraform configuration: providers, resources, and data sources.

Providers define the specific cloud provider or platform that you want to interact with using Terraform.

Resources are the infrastructure elements you want to create, manage, or update using Terraform.

Data sources allow you to retrieve information from a provider without actually creating any resources.

HashiCorp Configuration Language (HCL) is the syntax used to write Terraform configuration files.

A Terraform configuration block is a fundamental unit of organization that defines a specific resource or data source.

Each Terraform configuration block usually has a unique identifier, a name label, making it easy to reference.

Key-value pairs within blocks define specific attributes and settings for the resource or data source.

Nested blocks within a Terraform configuration allow for complex and hierarchical organization of resources.

The resource keyword introduces a block defining the configuration for a resource.

The type of resource specifies the specific type of resource being defined, using a label like aws_instance for an EC2 instance.

A label in Terraform used to identify a resource. For example, web_server would identify a specific EC2 instance.

Nested blocks in Terraform are used to configure specific attributes or settings within a resource.

The syntax used in Terraform to reference attributes of other resources, forming a unique path to get access to information.

Comments in Terraform written using the # symbol, allowing you to explain and document your configuration in a readable way.

A block in Terraform that configures interactions with external services, like AWS.

A block in Terraform used to retrieve data from external sources, like AWS Systems Manager.

Key-value pairs in Terraform that define settings or attributes for a resource, provider, or data source.

The vpc_id is used to identify and link a resource, such as an internet gateway, to a specific existing VPC.

The cidr_block attribute defines the network address range used by a VPC, subnet, or other network resources.

The map_public_ip_on_launch attribute in Terraform automatically assigns public IP addresses to EC2 instances launched in a subnet.

A nested block in Terraform that defines routes for a route table, allowing for routing traffic within a VPC.

A resource that allows your VPC to connect to the internet, enabling traffic to flow in and out.

In Terraform, the id attribute is used to uniquely identify a resource, similar to a primary key.

The process of configuring and managing infrastructure with code.

A tool that automates the deployment and management of infrastructure using IaC principles.

A domain-specific language used in Terraform to define your infrastructure.

A file used by Terraform to track the current state of your infrastructure.

A collection of commands used to interact with Terraform, including initializing, planning, and deploying infrastructure.

A process that involves multiple steps for managing infrastructure, including initialization, planning, deploying, and destroying.

The command used to destroy all infrastructure managed by Terraform.

A feature in Terraform that allows referencing and using resources previously defined in your configuration.

A method of specifying a large block of text in Terraform, often used for scripts.

A feature in Terraform that enables access control and network traffic filtering for EC2 instances.

A resource type in Terraform that represents a virtual machine in AWS.

A directory in a Terraform project where configuration files are stored, used to manage infrastructure resources.

The file containing Terraform configurations, written in HashiCorp Configuration Language (HCL), used to describe the desired state of your AWS infrastructure.

A file that helps track the versions of resources used in a Terraform project, ensuring consistency and preventing conflicts.

A directory where Terraform stores downloaded provider binaries (like AWS provider), which are used to interact with the target cloud platform.

A way to store sensitive information like AWS access key and secret key, but should ONLY be used for demonstration and NOT for real-world deployments.

The process of initializing a Terraform project, making it aware of the provider plugins needed and setting up the state file.

A file where Terraform stores the current state of your infrastructure, reflecting the resources that have been deployed.

The process to plan changes to the infrastructure; it creates a plan that shows what will be created, modified or destroyed.

A file that holds a detailed blueprint of the changes Terraform intends to make to your infrastructure, before those changes are actually applied.

The command that executes the changes defined in the Terraform plan, creating, updating, or deleting resources in your infrastructure.

It's a message that tells Terraform to write out the execution plan to a specified file.

A method to create a resource in your infrastructure; it appears in Terraform output as a green + symbol.

The process of verifying that the deployed infrastructure is functioning as expected.

A unique address used to access a resource over the internet; it is often used for EC2 instances or load balancers.

A visual representation of your infrastructure that shows the various resources you've deployed.

HashiCorp Configuration Language (HCL) is a domain-specific language for defining infrastructure using Terraform. It's easy to read and write, making it popular for configuration management.

Terraform's execution plan outlines the changes it will make to your infrastructure before applying them. It shows you what will be added, updated, or removed.

The terraform destroy command removes all resources defined in your Terraform configuration. It provides a plan and prompts for confirmation before deleting.

Terraform uses a provider plugin architecture to interact with different cloud providers and services. This allows for flexibility and support for various platforms.

After initializing a Terraform project, you can use the terraform apply command to create or update the infrastructure described by your configuration.

The basic workflow for using Terraform involves three core steps: 1. Initialize (configure providers & dependencies). 2. Plan (create a plan for changes). 3. Apply (execute the changes).