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Mar 6

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DEMYSTIFY TERRAFORM PROVISIONERS


A TECHNICAL DEEP DIVE INTO LOCAL-EXEC, REMOTE-EXEC, AND FILE


Photo by Neora Aylon on Unsplash

Terraform is a popular infrastructure as code (IaC) tool that enables you to
automate infrastructure deployments, management, and changes. One of the key
features of Terraform is its ability to run scripts on remote infrastructure
using provisioners. There are various types of provisioners available in
Terraform, including local-exec, remote-exec, and file, each with its own
specific use case.

> In this blog, we will take a deep dive into the different Terraform
> provisioners, and provide step-by-step examples of how to use each one:


LOCAL-EXEC PROVISIONER

The local-exec provisioner is used to run a command on the local machine running
Terraform. This provisioner is useful when you need to execute a command locally
as part of the Terraform deployment process, such as updating a local
configuration file or installing a package.

Pros:

 * Simple to use as it runs shell commands directly on the local machine.
 * Great for quick and simple tasks.

Cons:

 * Only works when Terraform is run on the same machine where the target
   resource exists.
 * Can be prone to security issues if not careful with the commands that are
   run.

Here’s an example of how to use the local-exec provisioner in Terraform:

resource "aws_instance" "example" {
  ami           = "ami-0c55b159cbfafe1f0"
  instance_type = "t2.micro"

  provisioner "local-exec" {
    command = "echo ${self.private_ip} > ip_address.txt"
  }
}

> In this example, we’re using the local-exec provisioner to run the echo
> command and store the private IP address of the EC2 instance in a text file
> called ip_address.txt. This can be useful when you need to store information
> about your infrastructure for later use.


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REMOTE-EXEC PROVISIONER

The remote-exec provisioner is used to run a command on a remote machine as part
of the Terraform deployment process. This provisioner is useful when you need to
execute a command on a remote machine, such as installing a package or updating
a configuration file.

Pros:

 * Can run commands on remote machines, making it useful for deploying to
   multiple machines.
 * Can be used to automate tasks on remote machines, even if Terraform is not
   running on that machine.

Cons:

 * Can be more complex to set up and use, especially when dealing with remote
   machines that have strict security requirements.
 * Can be prone to security issues if not careful with the commands that are
   run.

Here’s an example of how to use the remote-exec provisioner in Terraform:

resource "aws_instance" "example" {
  ami           = "ami-0c55b159cbfafe1f0"
  instance_type = "t2.micro"

  provisioner "remote-exec" {
    inline = [
      "sudo apt-get update",
      "sudo apt-get install -y apache2"
    ]
  }
}

> In this example, we’re using the remote-exec provisioner to install the Apache
> web server on the EC2 instance. The inline argument is used to specify the
> commands to be run on the remote machine.


Photo by Arnold Francisca on Unsplash


FILE PROVISIONER

The file provisioner is used to upload files to a remote machine as part of the
Terraform deployment process. This provisioner is useful when you need to
transfer files to a remote machine, such as configuration files or scripts.

Pros:

 * Simple to use for transferring files to remote machines.
 * Great for transferring static content to web servers or for transferring
   configuration files to machines.

Cons:

 * Only transfers files and does not execute any commands.
 * Can be limited in terms of the tasks it can perform.

Here’s an example of how to use the file provisioner in Terraform:

resource "aws_instance" "web_server" {
  ami           = "ami-0c55b159cbfafe1f0"
  instance_type = "t2.micro"

  provisioner "file" {
    source      = "index.html"
    destination = "/var/www/html/index.html"
  }
}

> In this example, we’re using the file provisioner to upload a file called
> index.html to the EC2 instance and place it in the /var/www/html directory.
> This can be useful when you need to transfer static content to a web server or
> when you need to transfer configuration files to a machine.

After reviewing numerous implementations, here is how we can determine which
provisioner to choose. The following factors should be taken into consideration:

 * Is the task simple enough to be executed locally or does it require access to
   a remote machine?
 * Does the task require executing commands or just transferring files
 * What are the security requirements for the task?

> If the task is simple enough to be executed locally, use the local-exec
> provisioner. If the task requires access to a remote machine, use the
> remote-exec provisioner. If the task only requires transferring files, use the
> file provisioner.

It’s important to keep in mind the security requirements for the task and make
sure that the chosen provisioner can meet those requirements. It’s also
important to consider the complexity of the task and choose the simplest
solution that meets your needs.

> In conclusion, Terraform provisioners provide a powerful way to automate tasks
> as part of your infrastructure deployment process. By understanding the pros
> and cons of each provisioner, you can choose the right one for your specific
> use case and ensure that your infrastructure is deployed, configured, and
> managed in a consistent and automated way.

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