Exploring adding Terraform section for tests

[jburns24]

https://developer.hashicorp.com/terraform/tutorials/configuration-language/test

Terraform natively now supports tests. We should look into this and possibly add a section to the bootcamp

[jburns24]

Great suggestion for Alice

I think a section that really highlights that, maybe showing managing TF of multiple environments first, and then making it simpler with TG could be pretty helpful.

Full conversation

I love this idea let's roll with it! Here is an outline to start this section

Terragrunt

Introduction to Terragrunt

• Why Terragrunt?

  • Explanation of Terragrunt's role in the Terraform ecosystem.
  • Address common challenges in managing Terraform configurations across multiple environments.
  • Emphasize on DRY (Don't Repeat Yourself) principles and configuration management.

• Resources for Deeper Understanding

  • Link to Terragrunt Documentation.
  • Reference to Terraform best practices that Terragrunt enhances.

Setting the Scene for the Exercise

• Project Overview
  • Describe the goal: Manage infrastructure for a simple static website in both development and production environments.
  • Suggested websites: VuePress 'Hello World', Docsify 'Hello World', or 'DevOps Knowledge Share UI'.

Part 1: Terraform for Managing Infrastructure

• Objective

  • Create Terraform configurations to set up an S3 bucket and CDN for the static website.

• Recommended Directory Structure

  • dev/
  • main.tf
  • variables.tf
  • outputs.tf
  • prod/
  • main.tf
  • variables.tf
  • outputs.tf

• Infrastructure Components

  • S3 Bucket: Hosting the static website.
  • CDN Configuration:
  • Development: Regional distribution.
  • Production: Global distribution with production-level settings.

• Scalability and Management Issues

  • Highlight potential issues with scaling and maintaining this approach as the complexity of the infrastructure grows.

• Cleanup Instruction

  • Guide on how to cleanly destroy the Terraform-managed infrastructure.

Exercise 2: Refactoring with Terragrunt

• Introduction to Terragrunt for Scalability

  • Discuss how Terragrunt can address the scalability and manageability issues identified in Part 1.

• Terragrunt Installation Instructions

  • Provide steps or link to installation guide.

• Recommended Directory Structure for Terragrunt

  • terraform-modules/
  • Shared modules for S3 and CDN.
  • environments/
  • dev/
    • terragrunt.hcl
  • prod/
    • terragrunt.hcl

• Key Terragrunt Features to Utilize

  • remote_state: Discuss its usage and benefits.
  • Link to relevant Terragrunt documentation for further reading.

• Refactoring Instructions

  • Guide on how to refactor the existing Terraform configurations to be used with Terragrunt.
  • Emphasize the use of remote_state function and other Terragrunt features.

• Cleanup Instruction

  • Steps to remove all infrastructure components managed by Terragrunt.

Conclusion

• Summary

  • Recap the benefits of using Terragrunt over plain Terraform for managing multi-environment infrastructures.
  • Encourage exploration of further Terragrunt capabilities.

• Additional Resources

  • Provide links to advanced Terragrunt tutorials, community discussions, and case studies.