Automation - Terraform IaC with VS Code on AWS Cloud: A Step-by-Step Guide
Aug 2
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Infrastructure as Code (IaC) has revolutionized how we manage cloud resources. In this blog, we’ll walk through automating AWS infrastructure using Terraform, starting from setting up your local system, environment to provisioning and tearing down resources like VPCs and subnets.
What’s Covered in This Blog Post?
Step 1: Install Visual Studio Code
Step 2: Install AWS CLI
Step 3: Install Terraform
Step 4: Install VS Code Extensions
Step 5: Set Up AWS IAM
Step 6: Configure Terraform to Create AWS VPC and Subnet
Step 7: Verify VPC and Subnet in AWS Console
Step 8: Destroy Resources
Please Note - I've pasted the screenshots from my lab for your reference.
Step 1: Install Visual Studio Code
Download and install Visual Studio Code for your operating system. It’s a lightweight, powerful editor that’s widely used for writing and managing scripts. While VS Code offers a rich development experience with extensions and syntax support, you can also use PowerShell or Command Prompt (CMD) for executing Terraform commands if you prefer a simpler interface.
Step 2: Install AWS CLI
Install the AWS Command Line Interface (CLI) to interact with AWS services from your terminal. Below is the link to download.
https://docs.aws.amazon.com/cli/latest/userguide/getting-started-install.html
Step 3: Install Terraform
Download Terraform from the official HashiCorp website and follow the installation instructions specific to your operating system. The site provides installers and detailed setup guides for Windows, macOS, and Linux platforms.
https://developer.hashicorp.com/terraform/install
Make sure to verify the installation by running # terraform -v
Step 4: Install VS Code Extensions
To enhance your development experience, install the following extensions in VS Code.
AWS Toolkit
Terraform by HashiCorp
These provide syntax highlighting, auto-completion, and integration with AWS services.
Step 5: Set Up AWS IAM
Ensure you have an IAM user with programmatic access and necessary permissions to provision and manage resources. Follow the instruction and screenshots below.
Region >> IAM >> Create user >> Set Permissions >> Create User
User >> Security Credentials >> Create Access Key
Note - Make sure you save generated Access Key and Secret Key to use later.
Step 6: Configure Terraform to Create AWS VPC and Subnet
Create a Terraform configuration file (xxx.tf) with the complete syntax as you need.
# aws configure (Configure with IAM Access key + Secret key)
Make your code ready for provisioning or manage
# terraform init (Initialize)
# terraform apply (Apply)
Confirm creation by typing yes when prompted
Below was the code, I used to provion AWS VPC & Subnet.
Step 7: Verify VPC and Subnet in AWS GUI Console
Step 8: Destroy Resources
# terraform destroy (To delete/destroy previous provisioned)
Confirm deletion/destroy by typing yes when prompted
Once, destroy is complete, you can verify from AWS GUI console.
Conclusion:
With Terraform, you can automate AWS infrastructure efficiently and consistently. This hands-on guide helps you get started with IaC and lays the foundation for more advanced automation workflows. Hope this help, Good luck!
