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Getting Started with Terraform and AWS S3

May 8, 2025

Lecture Notes: Introductory Project on Terraform

Overview

  • Project Title: Create S3 Buckets with Terraform
  • Target Audience: Beginners with no prior Terraform or Infrastructure as Code experience
  • Duration: Approximately 60 minutes
  • Key Services Used:
    • Terraform
    • Amazon S3
    • AWS CLI
    • AWS IAM

Introduction to Terraform

  • Terraform is highly in-demand for automating deployment and management of IT infrastructure.
  • It automates resource management that could otherwise be done manually through AWS console or CLI.
  • Benefits of Terraform:
    • Time-Saving: Write a single configuration file to deploy multiple resources.
    • Consistency: Ensures consistent resource setup each time you use the same configuration file.
    • Reduces Human Error: Avoids mistakes common with manual setups.

Project Outline

  • Objective: Use Terraform to create an S3 bucket on AWS.
  • Preparation: Install Terraform and AWS CLI, configure AWS credentials.
  • Steps:
    1. Install and configure Terraform.
    2. Set up AWS CLI and IAM credentials.
    3. Write and execute a Terraform configuration file.
    4. Validate resource creation in the AWS console.
    5. Optional: Customize configurations and upload files to S3 using Terraform.

Setting Up Terraform

  1. Installation:
    • Visit the Terraform download page.
    • Select the appropriate package for your operating system.
    • Move the Terraform binary to the system path.
  2. Initialization:
    • Initialize Terraform in your project directory (using terraform init).
    • Understand Terraform's backend and plugin setup process.

Writing the Terraform Configuration

  • Create a main.tf file:
    • Define AWS as the provider and specify the region.
    • Declare resources: S3 bucket and its permissions.
  • Modularity: Structure configuration in blocks for easier management and collaboration.

Executing the Configuration

  1. Terraform Plan:
    • Use terraform plan to preview changes.
    • Understand the execution plan provided by Terraform.
  2. Terraform Apply:
    • Execute terraform apply to create resources.
    • Confirm creation of S3 bucket and permissions as per configuration.

Troubleshooting and Configuration

  • Addressing credentials error:
    • Set up AWS CLI and configure access keys if encountering authentication issues.
    • Use aws configure to input access credentials.
  • Verify Setup: Ensure correct setup by checking S3 bucket in AWS console.

Advanced Customization (Optional)

  • Use Terraform documentation to add additional configurations.
  • Example: Add custom tags to the S3 bucket.
  • Secret Mission: Upload a file to S3 using Terraform.

Final Steps

  • Verification: Check the AWS console to confirm resources.
  • Clean Up: Use terraform destroy to delete resources and prevent unnecessary charges.

Reflection and Documentation

  • Reflect on the learning journey and project outcomes.
  • Use provided templates to document and share accomplishments on platforms like LinkedIn.

Key Takeaways

  • Terraform simplifies infrastructure management.
  • Important concepts: Infrastructure as Code, configuration files, execution plans, and state management.
  • Real-world application in automating cloud resource setups.