Course Outline
Module 1: Introduction to Infrastructure as Code and Terraform
- IaC concepts and their advantages in on-premises and hybrid environments
- Overview of Terraform: providers, resources, state, and lifecycle
- Installation of Terraform, Azure CLI, and necessary tools
- First 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
- Variables, outputs, locals, and type constraints
- Using the Terraform CLI: init, plan, apply, destroy, and fmt
- Hands-on lab: constructing 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 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 using Terraform
Module 4: State Management, Backends, and Collaboration
- Terraform state: purpose, format, and lifecycle considerations
- Remote backends using Azure Storage Account 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 utilizing Terraform modules
- Module inputs/outputs, versioning, and registry patterns
- Folder structure, naming conventions, and maintaining a clean repo structure
- Hands-on: building a reusable module for an Azure VM with 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 setting up inventory tagging and basic monitoring
Module 7: CI/CD, Automation, and Deployment Pipelines
- Integrating Terraform with CI/CD systems (GitHub Actions, Azure DevOps pipelines)
- Automating plan/apply processes using secured secrets and service principals
- Fundamentals of Policy as Code (Sentinel or Open Policy Agent patterns) and pre-deployment checks
- Hands-on: creating a basic GitHub Actions workflow to plan and apply Terraform against a sandbox subscription
Module 8: Security, Secrets, and Operational Practices
- Managing secrets: integrating Azure Key Vault and preventing sensitive data in state files
- Access control, RBAC, and least privilege 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 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 resolving identified issues
Module 10: Capstone Project — Hybrid Deployment Scenario
- Design exercise: planning an on-prem and 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 grasp of fundamental networking and virtualization concepts
- Experience with Windows or Linux command-line interfaces
- Basic understanding of cloud or on-premises infrastructure concepts
Audience
- System administrators and platform engineers
- DevOps practitioners starting their journey with Infrastructure as Code
- IT teams overseeing 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
