Terraform On-Premise for Beginners — Infrastructure as Code with Azure Device Management Training Course

Module 1: Introduction to Infrastructure as Code and Terraform

• Exploring IaC concepts and their specific benefits for on-premises and hybrid environments.
• Overview of Terraform: understanding providers, resources, state, and the resource lifecycle.
• Setting up the environment by installing Terraform, Azure CLI, and other necessary tools.
• Initial practical session: writing and locally applying a simple Terraform configuration.

Module 2: HashiCorp Configuration Language (HCL) and Configuration Basics

• Detailed look at HCL syntax, including resources, attributes, and expressions.
• Working with variables, outputs, locals, and type constraints.
• Navigating the Terraform CLI: mastering commands like init, plan, apply, destroy, and fmt.
• Practical lab: building a parameterized configuration that targets both an on-prem resource and an Azure resource.

Module 3: Providers, Resources, and Azure Provider Fundamentals

• Understanding the role of providers and configuring the AzureRM provider.
• Mapping real-world infrastructure (networking, compute, storage) to Terraform resources.
• Managing Azure authentication and configuring service principals for automated workflows.
• Hands-on exercise: provisioning an Azure virtual network and a basic VM using Terraform.

Module 4: State Management, Backends, and Collaboration

• Understanding Terraform state: its purpose, format, and lifecycle considerations.
• Configuring remote backends using Azure Storage Accounts and implementing state locking strategies.
• Utilizing workspaces, managing environments, and adopting collaboration patterns for teams.
• Lab session: configuring remote state in Azure Storage and executing a multi-user workflow.

Module 5: Modularization, Reusability, and Best Practices

• Learning how to author and consume Terraform modules.
• Managing module inputs/outputs, versioning, and following registry patterns.
• Adopting best practices for folder layout, naming conventions, and maintaining a clean repository structure.
• Hands-on project: creating a reusable module for an Azure VM, disk, and network, then testing it across different environments.

Module 6: Managing Azure Virtual Devices and On-Prem Integration

• Managing Azure Virtual Machines, Virtual Desktop components, and the overall device lifecycle via Terraform.
• Implementing patterns for hybrid device management by connecting on-prem resources with Azure-managed devices.
• Integrating volumetric or device management systems using data sources and external providers.
• Lab exercise: deploying a fleet of Azure VMs representing operator units, and configuring inventory tagging and basic monitoring.

Module 7: CI/CD, Automation, and Deployment Pipelines

• Integrating Terraform with CI/CD systems such as GitHub Actions and Azure DevOps pipelines.
• Automating plan and apply processes while securing secrets and managing service principals.
• Introducing Policy as Code basics (using Sentinel or Open Policy Agent patterns) and establishing pre-deployment checks.
• Hands-on task: creating a GitHub Actions workflow to plan and apply Terraform changes against a sandbox subscription.

Module 8: Security, Secrets, and Operational Practices

• Managing secrets securely through Azure Key Vault integration and preventing sensitive data leakage in state files.
• Implementing access control, RBAC, and the principle of least privilege for automation accounts.
• Monitoring for drift detection, performing state reconciliation, and applying basic remediation practices.
• Reviewing key operational checklists for backup, auditing, and governance of Terraform-managed infrastructure.

Module 9: Testing, Debugging, and Troubleshooting

• Techniques for debugging Terraform configurations and effectively interpreting plan diffs.
• Approaches to unit and integration testing using tools like terraform validate, tflint, and kitchen-terraform.
• Identifying common error patterns and applying effective resolution strategies.
• Lab session: running validation and linting tools and correcting any discovered issues.

Module 10: Capstone Project — Hybrid Deployment Scenario

• Design exercise: planning a hybrid on-prem and Azure device deployment using the patterns learned in the course.
• Implementation of core components using modules, remote state, and CI/CD pipeline snippets.
• Presentation of the solution, discussion of trade-offs, and review of the operational runbook.

Summary and Next Steps