Course Outline
Module 1: Introduction to Infrastructure as Code and Terraform
- IaC concepts and their benefits for on-premises and hybrid environments
- Overview of Terraform: providers, resources, state, and lifecycle
- Installing Terraform, Azure CLI, and other necessary tools
- First practical exercise: writing and applying a simple Terraform configuration locally
Module 2: HashiCorp Configuration Language (HCL) and Configuration Basics
- HCL syntax, including resources, attributes, and expressions
- 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 an on-premises 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 basic VM via Terraform
Module 4: State Management, Backends, and Collaboration
- Terraform state: its purpose, format, and lifecycle considerations
- Remote backends using Azure Storage Accounts and state locking strategies
- Workspaces, environments, and collaboration patterns for teams
- Lab: configuring remote state in Azure Storage and executing a multi-user workflow
Module 5: Modularization, Reusability, and Best Practices
- Creating and consuming Terraform modules
- Module inputs/outputs, versioning, and registry patterns
- Folder structures, naming conventions, and maintaining a clean repository layout
- Hands-on: developing a reusable module for an 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 lifecycles via Terraform
- Patterns for hybrid device management: linking on-premises 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 with secured secrets and service principals
- Introduction to Policy as Code (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
- Secrets management: Azure Key Vault integration and avoiding sensitive data in state files
- Access control, RBAC, and least privilege principles 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 effectively reading plan diffs
- Unit and integration testing approaches (terraform validate, tflint, kitchen-terraform)
- Common error patterns and resolution strategies
- Lab: running validation and linting tools, and fixing any discovered issues
Module 10: Capstone Project — Hybrid Deployment Scenario
- Design exercise: planning an on-premises + 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
- Comfort with using Windows or Linux command-line interfaces
- Familiarity with general 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-premises + 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
