Create, use, and manage reusable Terraform modules for infrastructure abstraction.
This domain covers Terraform modules as a way to package and reuse infrastructure configurations. It includes understanding how Terraform sources modules from various locations, describing variable scope within modules, using modules in configuration with the module block, and managing module versions to ensure consistent infrastructure deployments.
5 minutes
5 Questions
Terraform Modules are reusable, self-contained packages of Terraform configurations that encapsulate infrastructure resources into logical, manageable components. They serve as the primary method for organizing and reusing Terraform code across projects and teams.
A module consists of a collection of .tf files in a directory that work together to define a set of related infrastructure resources. Every Terraform configuration has at least one module, known as the root module, which contains the resources defined in the main working directory.
Modules offer several key benefits:
1. **Reusability**: Write infrastructure code once and use it multiple times across different environments or projects, reducing duplication and maintenance overhead.
2. **Encapsulation**: Modules hide complexity by abstracting resource configurations behind simple input variables and outputs, making infrastructure easier to understand and manage.
3. **Consistency**: By using standardized modules, teams ensure infrastructure is deployed uniformly across different environments.
4. **Organization**: Large configurations become more maintainable when broken into smaller, focused modules.
Modules can be sourced from various locations including local paths, the Terraform Registry, GitHub repositories, S3 buckets, and other supported sources. The Terraform Registry hosts thousands of community and verified modules for common infrastructure patterns.
To use a module, you declare a module block specifying the source and any required input variables. Modules communicate through input variables (parameters passed into the module) and output values (data returned from the module).
Example structure:
module "vpc" {
source = "terraform-aws-modules/vpc/aws"
version = "3.0.0"
name = "my-vpc"
cidr = "10.0.0.0/16"
}
Best practices include versioning modules, documenting inputs and outputs, keeping modules focused on single responsibilities, and validating inputs with variable validation blocks. Understanding modules is essential for the Terraform Associate exam and real-world infrastructure management.Terraform Modules are reusable, self-contained packages of Terraform configurations that encapsulate infrastructure resources into logical, manageable components. They serve as the primary method for organizing and reusing Terraform code across projects and teams.
A module consists of a collection…