Course Outline
Module 1: Introduction to Infrastructure as Code and Terraform
- IaC concepts and their benefits for on-premises and hybrid environments.
- Terraform overview: providers, resources, state management, and lifecycle.
- Installing Terraform, Azure CLI, and other required tools.
- First practical 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: init, plan, apply, destroy, and fmt commands.
- Hands-on lab: building a parameterized configuration for both on-prem and Azure resources.
Module 3: Providers, Resources, and Azure Provider Fundamentals
- Understanding providers and configuring the AzureRM provider.
- Mapping infrastructure components to Terraform resources (networking, compute, storage).
- Managing Azure authentication and service principals for automation.
- Practical exercise: provisioning an Azure virtual network and a simple VM using Terraform.
Module 4: State Management, Backends, and Collaboration
- Terraform state: purpose, format, and lifecycle considerations.
- Setting up remote backends with Azure Storage Account and implementing state locking strategies.
- Workspaces, environments, and collaboration patterns for teams.
- Lab: configuring remote state in Azure Storage and performing a multi-user workflow.
Module 5: Modularization, Reusability, and Best Practices
- Authoring and consuming Terraform modules.
- Managing module inputs/outputs, versioning, and registry patterns.
- Establishing folder layout, naming conventions, and a maintainable repository structure.
- Hands-on: creating a reusable module for Azure VM + disk + network and testing it across environments.
Module 6: Managing Azure Virtual Devices and On-Prem Integration
- Managing Azure Virtual Machines, Virtual Desktop components, and device lifecycle via Terraform.
- Patterns for hybrid device management: connecting on-prem resources and Azure-managed devices.
- Integrating volumetric or device management systems through data sources and external providers.
- Lab: deploying an Azure VM fleet representing operator units and configuring inventory tagging and basic monitoring.
Module 7: CI/CD, Automation, and Deployment Pipelines
- Integrating Terraform with CI/CD platforms (GitHub Actions, Azure DevOps pipelines).
- Automating plan/apply processes using secured secrets and service principals.
- 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: Azure Key Vault integration and avoiding sensitive data in state files.
- Implementing access control, RBAC, and least privilege for automation accounts.
- Drift detection, state reconciliation, and basic remediation practices.
- Checklist: backup, auditing, and governance for Terraform-managed infrastructure.
Module 9: Testing, Debugging, and Troubleshooting
- Debugging Terraform configurations and interpreting plan diffs effectively.
- Unit and integration testing approaches (terraform validate, tflint, kitchen-terraform).
- Identifying common error patterns and resolution strategies.
- Lab: running validation and linting tools to identify and fix issues.
Module 10: Capstone Project — Hybrid Deployment Scenario
- Design exercise: planning an on-prem + Azure device deployment using learned patterns.
- Implementing core components using modules, remote state, and CI/CD pipeline snippets.
- Presenting the solution, discussing trade-offs, and reviewing the operations runbook.
Summary and Next Steps
Requirements
- A solid understanding of basic networking and virtualization concepts.
- Familiarity with Windows or Linux command-line interfaces.
- Fundamental knowledge of cloud or on-premises infrastructure concepts.
Target Audience
- System administrators and platform engineers.
- DevOps practitioners starting their journey with Infrastructure as Code.
- IT teams responsible for managing hybrid (on-prem + Azure) infrastructure.
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
