Course Outline
Module 1: Introduction to Infrastructure as Code and Terraform
- IaC concepts and their benefits for on-premises and hybrid environments
- Terraform overview: providers, resources, state, and lifecycle
- Installation of Terraform, Azure CLI, and other required tools
- First hands-on exercise: writing a simple 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 commands
- Hands-on lab: building a parameterized configuration for an on-prem resource and an Azure resource
Module 3: Providers, Resources, and Azure Provider Fundamentals
- Understanding providers and provider configuration (AzureRM provider)
- Mapping infrastructure to Terraform resources (networking, compute, storage)
- Managing Azure authentication and service principals for automation
- Hands-on exercise: provisioning an Azure virtual network and a simple VM via 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 performing a multi-user workflow
Module 5: Modularization, Reusability, and Best Practices
- Authoring and consuming Terraform modules
- Module inputs/outputs, versioning, and registry patterns
- Folder layout, naming conventions, and maintainable repository structure
- Hands-on exercise: creating a reusable module for Azure VM + disk + network and testing 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: connecting on-prem resources and 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
- Policy as Code basics (Sentinel or Open Policy Agent patterns) and pre-deployment checks
- Hands-on exercise: creating a simple GitHub Actions workflow to plan and apply Terraform against a sandbox subscription
Module 8: Security, Secrets, and Operational Practices
- Managing secrets: 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 to fix discovered issues
Module 10: Capstone Project — Hybrid Deployment Scenario
- Design exercise: planning an on-prem + 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 foundational understanding of basic networking and virtualization concepts
- Comfort with Windows or Linux command-line interfaces
- Basic knowledge of cloud or on-premises infrastructure concepts
Audience
- System administrators and platform engineers
- DevOps practitioners starting their journey with Infrastructure as Code
- IT teams managing 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
