Terraform Modules: From Development to Deployment on Gitlab
Terraform is a popular infrastructure as a code tool that allows users to provision and manage infrastructure resources in a safe, efficient, and predictable manner. One of the key features of Terraform is its support for modules, which are reusable packages of Terraform code that can be used to encapsulate and share infrastructure configurations. In this guide, we will explore the full life cycle of Terraform modules, from development to deployment, using GitLab as our version control and collaboration platform. We will cover the best practices for structuring and testing modules, as well as techniques for publishing and sharing modules within your organization. By the end of this guide, you will have a solid understanding of how to use Terraform modules to streamline your infrastructure management workflow and improve collaboration among your team.
Whether you are a developer, DevOps engineer, or simply interested in learning more about these technologies, this series is for you. So join me as we explore the powerful world of GitLab and Terraform, and discover everything in between.
This multi-part series will take a bottom-up approach, starting with the final outcome and progressing backward toward the starting point.
We will begin by manually uploading a Terraform module to the GitLab Registry in the “Part 01 - Publishing Terraform Modules to GitLab Infra Registry” section. This will be followed by an introduction to the basics of GitLab in the “Part 02 - Just Enough Gitlab” section. Then, we will delve into using GitLab pipelines to automate the process in “Part 03 — Publishing Terraform Modules using GitLab Pipelines”. Next, we will cover “Part 04 — Documenting Terraform Modules” and see how to generate the documents in a completely automated manner. We will then explore the “Release Strategy” used to create the modules. With everything set up, we will understand the rationale behind “Structuring Terraform Modules” in a certain way. Finally, we will bring it all together by creating a real-world, complex Terraform module and publishing it to a private GitLab registry in the “Bringing it All Together” section.
Upon completion of the multi-part series, you will have a good understanding of the different stages in the Terraform module lifecycle and be able to create and deploy your own modules using automation.
Articles in this Series
Introduction — Terraform Modules: From Development to Deployment on Gitlab
Part 01 — Publishing Terraform Modules to GitLab Infra Registry
Part 03 — Publishing Terraform Modules using GitLab Pipelines
Part 04 — Documenting Terraform Modules
Part 06 — Structuring Terraform Modules
[Coming Soon] Part 07 — Bringing it All Together
