Course Outline
Module 1: Introduction to Infrastructure as Code and Terraform
- Exploring IaC concepts and their benefits for on-premises and hybrid environments
- Terraform overview: understanding providers, resources, state, and lifecycle
- Installing Terraform, Azure CLI, and other necessary tools
- First hands-on exercise: writing a simple Terraform configuration and applying it locally
Module 2: HashiCorp Configuration Language (HCL) and Configuration Basics
- HCL syntax, resources, attributes, and expressions
- Working with variables, outputs, locals, and type constraints
- Using the Terraform CLI commands: init, plan, apply, destroy, and fmt
- Hands-on lab: building a parameterized configuration for both on-premises and Azure resources
Module 3: Providers, Resources, and Azure Provider Fundamentals
- Understanding providers and provider configuration, focusing on the AzureRM provider
- Mapping infrastructure components to Terraform resources (including networking, compute, and storage)
- Managing Azure authentication and setting up service principals for automation
- Hands-on: provisioning an Azure virtual network and a simple VM using Terraform
Module 4: State Management, Backends, and Collaboration
- Terraform state: its purpose, format, and lifecycle considerations
- Configuring remote backends with Azure Storage Account and implementing state locking strategies
- Utilizing workspaces and environments, along with collaboration patterns for team workflows
- Lab: setting up remote state in Azure Storage and executing a multi-user workflow
Module 5: Modularization, Reusability, and Best Practices
- Authoring and consuming Terraform modules
- Understanding module inputs/outputs, versioning, and registry patterns
- Establishing folder layouts, naming conventions, and maintainable repository structures
- Hands-on: creating a reusable module for an Azure VM, disk, and network, and testing it across environments
Module 6: Managing Azure Virtual Devices and On-Prem Integration
- Managing the lifecycle of Azure Virtual Machines, Virtual Desktop components, and devices via Terraform
- Adopting patterns for hybrid device management to connect on-premises resources with Azure-managed devices
- Integrating volumetric or device management systems using data sources and external providers
- Lab: deploying an Azure VM fleet to represent operator units and configuring inventory tagging and basic monitoring
Module 7: CI/CD, Automation, and Deployment Pipelines
- Integrating Terraform with CI/CD systems such as GitHub Actions and Azure DevOps pipelines
- Automating plan and apply steps using secured secrets and service principals
- Introduction to Policy as Code basics (Sentinel or Open Policy Agent patterns) and pre-deployment checks
- Hands-on: creating a simple GitHub Actions workflow to plan and apply Terraform against a sandbox subscription
Module 8: Security, Secrets, and Operational Practices
- Managing secrets through Azure Key Vault integration and preventing sensitive data from appearing in state files
- Implementing access control, RBAC, and least privilege principles for automation accounts
- Techniques for drift detection, state reconciliation, and basic remediation
- Checklist: establishing backup, auditing, and governance procedures for Terraform-managed infrastructure
Module 9: Testing, Debugging, and Troubleshooting
- Debugging Terraform configurations and effectively reading plan diffs
- Approaches to unit and integration testing (including terraform validate, tflint, and kitchen-terraform)
- Recognizing common error patterns and applying resolution strategies
- Lab: running validation and linting tools to identify and fix discovered issues
Module 10: Capstone Project — Hybrid Deployment Scenario
- Design exercise: planning an on-premises plus Azure device deployment using learned patterns
- Implementing core components by utilizing modules, remote state, and CI/CD pipeline snippets
- Presenting the solution, discussing trade-offs, and reviewing the operational runbook
Summary and Next Steps
Requirements
- A foundational understanding of networking and virtualization concepts
- Familiarity with the command line interfaces of Windows or Linux
- Basic knowledge of cloud or on-premises infrastructure principles
Target Audience
- System administrators and platform engineers
- DevOps practitioners who are new to Infrastructure as Code
- IT teams responsible for managing hybrid infrastructure (combining on-premises and Azure)
Testimonials (3)
pacing for the most part was fantastic. Michal was very good at ensuring the audience were engaged and ensured everyone was following along for the most part
Asif Shaikh - Carpmaels & Ransford
Course - Terraform on Microsoft Azure
Checking all the details in practice - by writing real code
Michal Pipala - EY
Course - Advanced Terraform: Efficient Infrastructure as Code
the instructor was very well prepared
