Terraform On-Premise for Beginners — Infrastructure as Code with Azure Device Management Training Course

Module 1: Introduction to Infrastructure as Code and Terraform

• Key concepts and benefits of Infrastructure as Code (IaC) for on-premises and hybrid environments for government operations.
• Overview of Terraform, including providers, resources, state management, and lifecycle considerations.
• Installation procedures for Terraform, Azure CLI, and other required tools for government use.
• Initial hands-on exercise: Writing a simple Terraform configuration and applying it locally to familiarize participants with the toolset.

Module 2: HashiCorp Configuration Language (HCL) and Configuration Basics

• Introduction to HCL syntax, resources, attributes, and expressions for government applications.
• Utilization of variables, outputs, locals, and type constraints in Terraform configurations.
• Practical use of the Terraform CLI commands: init, plan, apply, destroy, and fmt to manage infrastructure for government projects.
• Hands-on lab: Building a parameterized configuration for an on-premises resource and an Azure resource to reinforce learning.

Module 3: Providers, Resources, and Azure Provider Fundamentals

• Understanding providers and their configuration, with a focus on the AzureRM provider for government use.
• Mapping infrastructure components to Terraform resources (networking, compute, storage) in government environments.
• Managing Azure authentication and service principals for secure automation in government settings.
• Hands-on: Provisioning an Azure virtual network and a simple VM using Terraform to apply practical knowledge.

Module 4: State Management, Backends, and Collaboration

• Overview of Terraform state management, including its purpose, format, and lifecycle considerations for government projects.
• Utilizing remote backends with Azure Storage Account and implementing state locking strategies to ensure data integrity.
• Managing workspaces, environments, and collaboration patterns for teams in government settings.
• Lab: Configuring remote state in Azure Storage and performing a multi-user workflow to enhance team collaboration.

Module 5: Modularization, Reusability, and Best Practices

• Authoring and consuming Terraform modules to promote reusability and efficiency in government projects.
• Managing module inputs/outputs, versioning, and registry patterns for consistent deployment practices.
• Establishing folder layout, naming conventions, and maintainable repository structures for government infrastructure.
• Hands-on: Creating a reusable module for Azure VMs with disk and network configurations and testing it across different environments.

Module 6: Managing Azure Virtual Devices and On-Prem Integration

• Techniques for managing Azure Virtual Machines, Virtual Desktop components, and device lifecycle using Terraform in government settings.
• Strategies for hybrid device management, connecting on-premises resources with Azure-managed devices for seamless integration.
• Integrating volumetric or device management systems through data sources and external providers to enhance operational efficiency.
• Lab: Deploying an Azure VM fleet representing operator units and configuring inventory tagging and basic monitoring for government use.

Module 7: CI/CD, Automation, and Deployment Pipelines

• Integrating Terraform with Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) tools such as GitHub Actions and Azure DevOps pipelines for government projects.
• Automating plan and apply processes with secured secrets and service principals to enhance security in government environments.
• Introduction to Policy as Code basics, including Sentinel or Open Policy Agent patterns, and pre-deploy checks to ensure compliance.
• Hands-on: Creating a simple GitHub Actions workflow to plan and apply Terraform configurations against a sandbox subscription for government use.

Module 8: Security, Secrets, and Operational Practices

• Best practices for managing secrets, including Azure Key Vault integration and strategies to avoid sensitive data in state files for government operations.
• Implementing access control, Role-Based Access Control (RBAC), and least privilege principles for automation accounts in government settings.
• Techniques for drift detection, state reconciliation, and basic remediation practices to maintain infrastructure integrity for government projects.
• Checklist: Backup procedures, auditing processes, and governance frameworks for Terraform-managed infrastructure in government environments.

Module 9: Testing, Debugging, and Troubleshooting

• Methods for debugging Terraform configurations and effectively reading plan diffs to identify issues in government projects.
• Unit and integration testing approaches using tools such as terraform validate, tflint, and kitchen-terraform for government infrastructure.
• Common error patterns and resolution strategies to address typical challenges in Terraform configurations for government use.
• Lab: Running validation and linting tools to identify and fix issues in Terraform configurations for government projects.

Module 10: Capstone Project — Hybrid Deployment Scenario

• Design exercise: Planning an on-premises + Azure device deployment using learned patterns and best practices for government operations.
• Implementing core components using modules, remote state, and CI/CD pipeline snippets to demonstrate comprehensive knowledge.
• Presenting the solution, discussing trade-offs, and reviewing a runbook for ongoing operations in government settings.

Summary and Next Steps