Skip to content

Terraform Integration Guide

This guide outlines the practices and standards for integrating Terraform configurations in this repository. It is designed to ensure consistency, scalability, and maintainability across all modules and projects.

Best Practices

.tfvars Files

  • Base Modules and Argument Combinations:
  • Due to the flexibility of base modules, there are many possible argument combinations.
  • .tfvars files are git ignored to prevent accidental commits of sensitive information.
  • Example .tfvars files (prefixed with ex_) are not git ignored and can be referenced for future integrations.
  • IMPORTANT: Ensure that no authentication credentials or sensitive data are left in example .tfvars files.

Terraform State Management

  • All files controlling Terraform state are git ignored:
  • This ensures security and avoids state file conflicts.
  • After cloning the repo or pulling a new module, run terraform init to initialize the module.
  • State Storage:
  • Terraform state is stored on a virtual machine with backups enabled.
  • Access to the state requires:
    • A valid .pem file.
    • A whitelisted IP address.
  • This setup allows authorized developers to access and modify the state.

Naming Conventions

  • In-Use Configuration Files:
  • Use camelCase for naming files that contain active configurations.
  • Ensure the Terraform workspace for a module matches the .tfvars file name (without the .tfvars extension).
  • Project Modules:
  • Use intentional and descriptive names.
  • Prefix the name with the first character of each word (e.g., containerLambdaCiCd becomes CLCC_containerLambdaCiCd).
  • For variables in these modules, use the prefix for shorter names (e.g., CLCC_var instead of containerLambdaCiCd_var).

Creating Base Resources

When creating base modules for a specific provider (e.g., AWS, GCP, Azure), follow these steps:

  1. Include links to the argument reference for the provider's Terraform documentation.
  2. Include links to any argument objects required for complex configurations.
  3. Ensure all possible arguments are accounted for to maximize flexibility in future integrations.

Example Workflow

  1. Adding a New Base Module:

  2. Create the module with all possible argument combinations.

  3. Add documentation links to argument references and objects.

  4. Test the module with an example .tfvars file prefixed with ex_.

  5. Cloning the Repository:

  6. Run terraform init to set up the required dependencies and providers.

  7. State Management:

  8. Access the virtual machine with the .pem file and from a whitelisted IP.

  9. Modify state files as necessary.

  10. Creating a New Project Module:

  11. Combine base modules into a project module.
  12. Name the module intentionally and prefix it (e.g., CLCC_containerLambdaCiCd).
  13. Use the prefix for variable declarations (e.g., CLCC_var).

By following this guide, you’ll ensure seamless integration of Terraform configurations while maintaining security and consistency across the repository.

        _ _______        _______ _
       /_/_______/\-----/\_______\_\
      / /\    _  \ \---/ /  _    /\ \
     / /  \  \_\  \ \-/ /  /_/  /  \ \
    /_/ /\ \_______\/-\/_______/ /\ \_\
   /\ \ \/ /  _    /\-/\   _   \ \/ / /\
  /\ \ \  /  /_/  / /-\ \  \_\  \  / / /\
 /  \ \_\/_______/ /---\ \_______\/_/ /  \
/ /\ \/\_\_______\/-----\/_______/_/\/ /\ \
\ \/ /\/_/_______/\-----/\_______\_\/\ \/ /
 \  / / /\    _  \ \---/ /  _    /\ \ \  /
  \/ / /  \  \_\  \ \-/ /  /_/  /  \ \ \/
   \/_/ /\ \_______\/-\/_______/ /\ \_\/
    \ \ \/ /  _    /\-/\   _   \ \/ / /
     \ \  /  /_/  / /-\ \  \_\  \  / /
      \_\/_______/ /---\ \_______\/_/
       \_\_______\/-----\/_______/_/