Terraform for GCP How to create Kubernetes Cluster

Terraform for GCP How to create Kubernetes Cluster

Hi, this is Paul, and welcome to the #35 part of my Terraform guide. Today we will discuss, how to create a Kubernetes Cluster using the Terraform script.

Introduction

This article will introduce you to the process of deploying a Kubernetes cluster in Google Cloud Platform (GCP) using Terraform. By using Terraform, we can automate the creation, modification, and management of cloud infrastructure, providing a more reliable and repeatable management of resources.

Terraform Configuration

Below is the complete example of the Terraform code for creating a Kubernetes cluster in GCP:

module "gke" {
  source                     = "terraform-google-modules/kubernetes-engine/google"
  name                       = "gke-test-1"
  region                     = "us-central1"
  zones                      = ["us-central1-a", "us-central1-b", "us-central1-f"]
  network                    = "default"
  subnetwork                 = "default"
  ip_range_pods              = ""
  ip_range_services          = ""
  http_load_balancing        = false
  horizontal_pod_autoscaling = true
  kubernetes_dashboard       = true
  network_policy             = false

  node_pools = [
    {
      name               = "default-node-pool"
      machine_type       = "n1-standard-2"
      min_count          = 1
      max_count          = 2
      disk_size_gb       = 10
      disk_type          = "pd-standard"
      image_type         = "COS"
      auto_repair        = true
      auto_upgrade       = true
      preemptible        = false
      initial_node_count = 1
    },
  ]

  node_pools_oauth_scopes = {
    all = []

    default-node-pool = [
      "https://www.googleapis.com/auth/cloud-platform",
    ]
  }

  node_pools_labels = {
    all = {}

    default-node-pool = {
      default-node-pool = "true"
    }
  }

  node_pools_metadata = {
    all = {}

    default-node-pool = {
      node-pool-metadata-custom-value = "my-node-pool"
    }
  }

  node_pools_tags = {
    all = []

    default-node-pool = [
      "default-node-pool",
    ]
  }
}

Configuration Parameter Explanation

Core Module Parameters

• source: Specifies the use of a Terraform module for Google Kubernetes Engine.
• name: The name of the Kubernetes cluster being created.
• region and zones: The region and zones in GCP where the cluster will be located.
• network and subnetwork: Network settings for the cluster.
• ip_range_pods and ip_range_services: IP ranges for Kubernetes pods and services.
• http_load_balancing: Configuration for the HTTP load balancer.
• horizontal_pod_autoscaling: Auto-scaling of pods based on load.
• kubernetes_dashboard: Dashboard for managing the cluster.
• network_policy: Network policies for controlling traffic between pods.

Node Configuration (node_pools)

• machine_type: Type of virtual machine.
• min_count and max_count: Minimum and maximum number of nodes.
• disk_size_gb and disk_type: Size and type of the nodes’ disks.
• image_type: Operating system of the nodes.
• auto_repair and auto_upgrade: Automatic repair and upgrade of nodes.
• preemptible: Use of preemptible VMs to reduce costs.
• initial_node_count: Initial number of nodes in the pool.

Additional Parameters

• node_pools_oauth_scopes: OAuth scopes for the nodes.
• node_pools_labels: Labels for the nodes.
• node_pools_metadata: Custom metadata for the nodes.
• node_pools_tags: Tags for network resources associated with the nodes.

Conclusion

Using this Terraform example, you can easily deploy and configure a Kubernetes cluster in Google Cloud, managing the entire infrastructure as code. This not only simplifies the deployment process but also enhances its reproducibility and scalability.

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Paul Ravvich