Course Outline
Module 1: Introduction to Infrastructure as Code and Terraform
- IaC concepts and their advantages for on-premises and hybrid environments
- Terraform overview: understanding providers, resources, state, and lifecycle
- Installing Terraform, Azure CLI, and other required tools
- Initial practical exercise: writing a basic Terraform configuration and applying it locally
Module 2: HashiCorp Configuration Language (HCL) and Configuration Basics
- HCL syntax, resources, attributes, and expressions
- Defining variables, outputs, locals, and type constraints
- Using the Terraform CLI: init, plan, apply, destroy, and fmt commands
- Practical lab: building a parameterized configuration for an on-prem resource and an Azure resource
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 via Terraform
Module 4: State Management, Backends, and Collaboration
- Terraform state: purpose, format, and lifecycle considerations
- Configuring remote backends with Azure Storage Account and state locking strategies
- Workspaces, environments, and team collaboration patterns
- Lab: setting up remote state in Azure Storage and executing a multi-user workflow
Module 5: Modularization, Reusability, and Best Practices
- Creating and using Terraform modules
- Managing module inputs/outputs, versioning, and registry patterns
- Folder layout, naming conventions, and maintaining a clean repository structure
- Practical exercise: developing a reusable module for Azure VM, disk, and 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: linking on-prem resources with 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
- Basics of Policy as Code (Sentinel or Open Policy Agent patterns) and pre-deployment checks
- Practical exercise: 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 preventing sensitive data leakage in state files
- Access control, RBAC, and least privilege principles for automation accounts
- Drift detection, state reconciliation, and basic remediation techniques
- 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)
- Common error patterns and resolution strategies
- Lab: running validation and linting tools and correcting identified issues
Module 10: Capstone Project — Hybrid Deployment Scenario
- Design exercise: planning an on-prem + Azure device deployment using acquired patterns
- Implementing core components using 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 grasp of basic networking and virtualization concepts
- Experience with Windows or Linux command-line interfaces
- Basic awareness of cloud or on-premises infrastructure principles
Target Audience
- System administrators and platform engineers
- DevOps specialists 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
