Terraform v1.14.0 Supported by Galaxys

Usage Instructions for Terraform v1.14.0

Initial Setup: After launching the Terraform AMI from AWS Marketplace, connect to your instance via SSH using the appropriate key pair. The Terraform binary is pre-installed and ready for use. Verify the installation by running 'terraform version' which should return Terraform v1.14.0.

Basic Configuration: Begin by creating your Terraform configuration files. Start with a main.tf file to define your infrastructure resources. Use variables.tf for parameter definitions and outputs.tf for resource outputs. Initialize your Terraform working directory using 'terraform init' which will download necessary provider plugins and set up the backend.

Provider Configuration: Configure your cloud providers by adding provider blocks to your configuration. For AWS, ensure you have proper IAM permissions configured either through instance profiles, environment variables, or AWS credentials file. The AWS provider can be configured with your preferred region and other specific settings.

Workspace Management: Utilize Terraform workspaces to manage multiple environments. Create separate workspaces for development, staging, and production using 'terraform workspace new [name]'. Switch between workspaces with 'terraform workspace select [name]' to manage environment-specific configurations.

Planning and Deployment: Always run 'terraform plan' to review proposed changes before application. This command shows what resources will be created, modified, or destroyed. Apply your configuration with 'terraform apply' to provision the actual infrastructure. For production environments, use 'terraform apply -auto-approve' cautiously and preferably integrate with CI/CD pipelines.

State Management: Terraform maintains state in a terraform.tfstate file. For team collaboration, configure remote state storage using AWS S3 and DynamoDB for state locking. This prevents conflicts when multiple users are working on the same infrastructure.

Best Practices:

• Use version control for all Terraform configurations
• Implement remote state storage for team projects
• Apply the principle of least privilege for IAM roles
• Use terraform validate to check configuration syntax
• Run terraform fmt to maintain consistent code formatting
• Implement state locking in production environments
• Use modules for reusable infrastructure components
• Tag all resources for better cost tracking and management

Troubleshooting: If you encounter issues, use 'terraform validate' to check configuration syntax. For state-related issues, use 'terraform refresh' to reconcile state with actual infrastructure. The 'terraform console' command provides an interactive console for testing expressions and functions.

Security Considerations: Never commit Terraform state files to version control as they may contain sensitive information. Use environment variables or secure parameter stores for sensitive data. Regularly update Terraform and providers to the latest stable versions to incorporate security patches.

Next Steps: Explore Terraform modules from the Terraform Registry for reusable infrastructure patterns. Implement advanced features like data sources, provisioners, and custom conditions for robust infrastructure management.