Optimizing Terraform Configurations with Loops in GCP
The D.R.Y. principle, "Don't Repeat Yourself", is generally followed by developers in the Terraform community. Terraform offers iteration options such as for loops to allow developers to define resources or settings once, and have those configurations multiplied and managed as a group. This results in less code for a team to manage in the long run.
Terraform has three main iteration options: the count and for_each arguments, and for loops. In this lab, you will implement each one of these options and learn how to choose the right option to meet your needs.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this lab, you will be able to:
- Iterate through lists and sets with for loops, for_each, and the count argument
- Identify the limitations of each iteration option and how to choose between them
Intended Audience
- Individuals looking to pass the HashiCorp Certified: Terraform Associate Exam
- Individuals and teams seeking an introduction to using Terraform with Google Cloud Platform
Prerequisites
Familiarity with the following will be beneficial but is not required:
- Basic concepts of Google Cloud Platform
- Terraform Variables
The following lab can be used to fulfill the prerequisites:
Updates
June 9th, 2023 - Updated instance image
April 27th, 2023 - Updated theia to enable autosave
Environment before
Environment after
Jun is a Cloud Labs Developer with previous experience as a Software Engineer and Cloud Developer. He holds the AWS Certified Solutions Architect and DevOps Engineer Professional certifications. He also holds the AWS Certified Solutions Architect, Developer, and SysOps Administrator Associate certifications.
Jun is focused on giving back to the growing cloud community by sharing his knowledge and experience with students and creating engaging content.