Course Code: kpmgterraadv1
Duration: 28 hours
Prerequisites:

Bespoke course for KMPG International

Course Outline:

Introduction

Azure → Terraform (key differences)

- Store Terraform state in Azure
- Azure Terraform provider, walkthrough, data and resources
- AzAPI provider
- Azure Export for Terraform
- Comparing Terraform and ARM/Bicep
- Advanced scenarios
- Landing zone and reference architectures with Terraform in Azure
- VScode plugin for Terraform


Recap of Terraform basics

Advanced Terraform Syntax and Constructs

  • Deep dive into Terraform syntax
  • Advanced loops with for_each and count
  • Utilizing maps and lists for dynamic configurations

Expressions and Dynamic Configurations

  • Basic expressions and their use cases
  • Advanced expressions for complex infrastructure setups
  • Practical exercises on expressions

Terraform Modules Best Practices

  • Local vs shared modules: When to use each
  • Structuring modules for reusability and maintainability
  • Versioning and managing module sources

Terraform Best Practices and Patterns

  • Review of instance index keys for state management
  • Best practices for writing and organizing Terraform code
  • Ensuring idempotency and minimizing side effects

Managing Terraform State

  • Importing resources and understanding the state file
  • State locking, state backends, and remote state management
  • Handling state file in distributed environments

Keeping Up with Terraform Updates

  • Reviewing documentation alongside new Terraform releases
  • Strategies for upgrading Terraform versions
  • Dealing with deprecations and migration paths

Integrating Terraform with CI/CD Pipelines

  • Overview of YAML and pipeline configurations
  • Setting up Terraform with popular CI/CD tools
  • Automating Terraform workflows in pipelines

Advanced Troubleshooting and Debugging

  • Systematic approaches to troubleshooting Terraform plans and applies
  • Debugging common and advanced errors in Terraform
  • Using logs and verbose output for error resolution

Outputs and Data Flow in Terraform

  • Understanding and utilizing outputs in Terraform
  • Data flow between modules and root configurations
  • Securing sensitive information in outputs

Conditional Logic in Terraform

  • Writing conditional statements with count, for_each, and if
  • Conditional creation of resources
  • Use cases for conditional logic in modules

Running Terraform Locally

  • Setting up a local Terraform environment
  • Running and testing Terraform code on local machines
  • Local development best practices

Handling Circular Dependencies

  • Identifying and resolving circular dependencies
  • Refactoring code to prevent dependency cycles
  • Advanced techniques for dependency management

Summary and Next Steps