Infrastructure as Code: Terraform Basics

Terraform is an open-source tool developed by HashiCorp that allows you to define and provision cloud infrastructure using a declarative configuration language. It’s a cornerstone of Infrastructure as Code (IaC), enabling automation, consistency, and scalability in cloud environments.

Why use Terraform?

  • Avoid manual configuration and human error.
  • Maintain version-controlled infrastructure.
  • Automate deployments across multiple cloud providers.

Terraform works with providers such as AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, and even Kubernetes and on-prem solutions.

Basic concepts:

  • .tf files: Define infrastructure in HashiCorp Configuration Language (HCL).
  • Resources: Cloud components like EC2 instances, VPCs, databases.
  • Modules: Reusable blocks of code for common configurations.
  • State files: Track current infrastructure state to manage changes.

Example:

hclКопироватьРедактироватьprovider "aws" {
  region = "us-west-2"
}

resource "aws_instance" "web" {
  ami           = "ami-0abcdef1234567890"
  instance_type = "t2.micro"
}

Workflow:

  1. terraform init – Initializes the project.
  2. terraform plan – Shows changes Terraform will make.
  3. terraform apply – Provisions the infrastructure.
  4. terraform destroy – Tears down infrastructure.

Terraform makes cloud management predictable and scalable. It’s essential for DevOps engineers, SREs, and cloud architects who want to automate infrastructure and adopt modern cloud practices.

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