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this AI thing is really powerful, people should really use it for stuff, it's really cool, i mean look at this i didn't even type this, it's just doing it by itself, i mean it's all wrong and it allucinated a bunch of shit but like wow, microsoft or someone like them should really spend like idk 100k$ on this, maybe a bit more, i would do it if i was them
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‎docs/infrastructure/02-getting-started/basic-knowledge/Terraform.md‎

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---
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title: "Terraform"
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description: "Detailed overview of our Azure-based infrastructure managed via the polinetworkorg/terraform repository."
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---
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## What is Terraform?
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Terraform is an open-source Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tool developed by
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HashiCorp. It allows you to define, provision, and manage your infrastructure
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using a declarative configuration language. This means you describe the desired
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state of your infrastructure, and Terraform takes care of creating and updating
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the resources to match that state.
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### Why We Use Terraform
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Our organization leverages Terraform to manage our Azure cloud infrastructure for several important reasons:
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- **Consistency:** Defining our infrastructure as code ensures that every environment is configured the same way, reducing the chance of human error.
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- **Automation:** Terraform automates the provisioning and modification of resources, streamlining our deployment processes.
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- **Version Control:** Storing Terraform configurations in version control systems allows us to track changes, collaborate effectively, and revert to previous versions if needed.
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- **Modularity:** Terraform encourages breaking down the infrastructure into reusable modules, which simplifies management and enhances maintainability.
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### How Terraform Works
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Terraform operates through a simple yet powerful workflow:
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1. **Write:** You define your infrastructure in configuration files (typically with a `.tf` extension).
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2. **Plan:** Running `terraform plan` generates an execution plan, showing you the changes Terraform will make to achieve the desired state.
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3. **Apply:** Executing `terraform apply` implements the changes, creating or updating your infrastructure accordingly.
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### Terraform Code vs. Terraform State vs. Azure State
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- **Terraform Code:**
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This consists of the configuration files that describe your desired
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infrastructure. These files are the blueprint for what you want your infrastructure to look like.
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- **Terraform State:**
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The state file (commonly named `terraform.tfstate`) records the current state
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of the infrastructure as managed by Terraform. This file is critical because
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it maps your configuration to the real-world resources, tracks dependencies,
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and allows Terraform to detect what needs to change during updates. Our state
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file is stored remotely (in an Azure Storage Account) and is locked using
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Azure's integrated leasing mechanism to prevent concurrent modifications.
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- **Azure State:**
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This is the actual state of resources deployed in your Azure environment.
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While Terraform keeps track of these resources via its state file, the real
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configuration and runtime details exist within Azure. The Terraform state acts
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as an intermediary, ensuring that the desired state (from the Terraform code)
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and the actual state (in Azure) are in sync. If resources are modified directly
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in Azure without updating Terraform, discrepancies may occur, highlighting the
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importance of using Terraform as the single source of truth.
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This clear separation between code, Terraform state, and the actual cloud state
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is key to maintaining a reliable and predictable infrastructure.
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## Terraform Implementation Overview
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Welcome to the documentation for the **polinetworkorg/terraform** repository.
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This page provides an in-depth look at our Terraform implementation on
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**Microsoft Azure**, detailing the architecture of our infrastructure and the
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key modules that make it up. While this overview highlights our main components,
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it’s important to note that there are alternative approaches to similar problems,
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and our setup is tailored to our current needs.
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### Repository Overview
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The **polinetworkorg/terraform** repository is our centralized solution for
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provisioning and managing cloud infrastructure on Azure. It follows a modular
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design that breaks down the overall architecture into focused components. Some
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of the primary modules include:
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- **aks:** Defines all resources related to our Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) instance.
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- **mariadb:** Manages the main MariaDB database.
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- **monitoring:** Sets up our monitoring stack using Grafana and Prometheus.
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- **argocd:** Configures our ArgoCD installation for GitOps-driven deployments.
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There are also additional modules in the repository that handle specific
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applications or services, but these are not detailed in this general overview.
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### Infrastructure Structure
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Our repository is organized to clearly separate concerns and promote reusability.
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While the exact folder structure may vary, a typical layout looks like this:
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```bash
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polinetworkorg/terraform/
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├── modules/
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│ ├── aks/ # Module for Azure Kubernetes Service resources
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│ ├── mariadb/ # Module for the main MariaDB database
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│ ├── monitoring/ # Module for monitoring (Grafana + Prometheus)
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│ ├── argocd/ # Module for ArgoCD installation
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│ └── [other modules] # Additional modules for specific services
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├── storage/ # Module for Azure Storage Account for state management
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│ └── state.tfstate # Terraform state file container (in a 'terraform-state' container)
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├── environments/ # Environment-specific configurations (e.g., dev, prod)
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├── main.tf # Main Terraform configuration file
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├── variables.tf # Variables definition file
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├── outputs.tf # Outputs definition file
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└── README.md # General repository documentation
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```
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### State Management
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We use an **Azure Storage Account** for managing the Terraform state. The state
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file (`state.tfstate`) is stored within a dedicated container named `terraform-state`,
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as defined in our **storage** module. The integrated leasing mechanism provided
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by the Azure Storage Account is used for state locking, ensuring that concurrent
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Terraform operations do not conflict with each other.
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### Access and Authorization
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Given the critical nature of our infrastructure, modifications (e.g., running
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`terraform apply`) are restricted to personnel with sufficient clearance. As an
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association, any infrastructure changes require approval from either the Head of
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the IT Department or the Directive Council. All authorization is managed through
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**Microsoft's Entra ID system**, ensuring that only properly authenticated and
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authorized users can perform these operations.
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### Funding and Nonprofit Considerations
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As a nonprofit organization, we benefit from a **Microsoft Azure Grant for Nonprofits**,
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which provides us with a budget of **€2000 per year**. This support helps offset
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our cloud costs and underpins our commitment to maintaining a robust and scalable
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infrastructure.
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### Acknowledgements and Alternative Approaches
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While the choices made in this implementation reflect our specific requirements
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and constraints, it's worth noting that other approaches exist for managing
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cloud infrastructure with Terraform. Our modular design, state management strategy,
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and access controls are tailored to our current operational needs and funding
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situation—but they are not set in stone. We continuously review and update our
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practices as our needs evolve.
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## Making Changes to the Infrastructure
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This section provides a basic guide on how to update our infrastructure using
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Terraform and introduces some of the automated workflows that help us maintain
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consistency and control.
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### Basic Workflow for Infrastructure Changes
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1. **Edit the Terraform Code:**
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Modify the relevant configuration files to define your desired changes in the
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infrastructure.
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2. **Review Your Changes Locally:**
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Run `terraform plan` to generate an execution plan. This command will show
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you what changes will be made to align the actual infrastructure with your
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code.
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3. **Cost Estimation with Infracost:**
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When you open a pull request, our **Infracost workflow** is triggered
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automatically. This workflow calculates the estimated cost impact of your
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changes and posts a report in the pull request comments, so you can review
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any potential cost implications before merging.
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4. **Apply the Changes:**
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After your changes have been reviewed and approved, merge the pull request
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and run `terraform apply` to implement the changes. This command updates the
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Azure resources to match the configuration defined in your code.
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5. **Drift Detection:**
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A nightly **Drift workflow** runs to detect any discrepancies between the
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current Terraform state and the actual state in Azure. If this workflow
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detects a drift from what the `terraform plan` output would predict, it
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automatically opens an issue for further investigation.
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### Basic Terraform CLI Commands
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- **`terraform init`**
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Initializes the working directory containing the Terraform configuration files.
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- **`terraform plan`**
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Generates an execution plan showing what changes will be applied to your infrastructure.
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- **`terraform apply`**
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Applies the changes defined in your Terraform configuration to your cloud environment.
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- **`terraform destroy`**
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Destroys the resources managed by Terraform, useful for tearing down test environments or decommissioning infrastructure.
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By following these steps and leveraging our automated workflows, you ensure that
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infrastructure changes are managed in a consistent, cost-aware, and controlled
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manner.

‎docs/infrastructure/02-getting-started/basic-knowledge/index.md‎

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Everything regarding the deployment of apps and services is divided into two repositories:
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- [polinetworkorg/terraform](https://github.com/polinetworkorg/terraform) - Contains the Terraform code to deploy the infrastructure. This defines the resources that are created on Azure, from specific things like KeyVaults, to the Kubernetes cluster itself.
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- [polinetworkorg/terraform](https://github.com/polinetworkorg/terraform) - Contains the Terraform code to deploy the infrastructure. This defines the resources that are created on Azure, from specific things like KeyVaults, Disks, and VMs, to the Kubernetes cluster itself.
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- [polinetworkorg/polinetwork-cd](https://github.com/polinetworkorg/polinetwork-cd) - Our GitOps repo, contains the manifests that define deployments specific for each app or service. This repository is connected to the ArgoCD instance running on the Kubernetes cluster.
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```mermaid
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tf -.-> k8s
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```
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### **Terraform: Definition and Purpose**
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The **Terraform** repository is responsible for managing and provisioning cloud infrastructure. In simple terms, it defines and creates the resources needed for the infrastructure, such as:
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- **Networks and subnets** (Virtual Networks, Subnets, Security Groups)
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- **Virtual machines** (VMs, Containers, Kubernetes Clusters)
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- **Databases** (MariaDB, PostgreSQL)
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- **Storage** (Blob Storage, Virtual Disks, File Shares)
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- **Security services** (Identity and Access Management, Firewalls)
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The code in **Terraform** describes these resources declaratively: it defines the desired state, and Terraform applies the necessary changes to reach that state. This repository is primarily used to **create and modify the cloud infrastructure** where applications will run.
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### **PoliNetwork-CD: Definition and Purpose**
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The **PoliNetwork-CD** (Continuous Deployment) repository, on the other hand, is dedicated to managing and updating applications once the infrastructure has been created. Specifically, it uses **GitOps** tools (in our case, **ArgoCD**, but **Flux** is also an opinionated option) to:
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- **Define application deployments** in Kubernetes (or Kustomize, Helm, etc.)
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- **Automatically update applications** when code changes
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- **Manage application configurations** (e.g., configuration files, environment variables)
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- **Monitor the state of applications** and ensure they remain in sync with the repository
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While Terraform is responsible for infrastructure, **PoliNetwork-CD** focuses on **managing the lifecycle of applications** running on that infrastructure, ensuring that code changes are applied automatically and securely.
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### **Key Difference: Infrastructure vs. Deployment**
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| Repository | Main Purpose | Example of Managed Resources |
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|------------|--------------|------------------------------|
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| **Terraform** | Creates and manages cloud infrastructure | Networks, VMs, databases, storage, security |
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| **PoliNetwork-CD** | Automates application deployment and updates | Deployments, configurations, GitOps updates |
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In summary, **Terraform builds the foundation on which applications run**, while **PoliNetwork-CD manages the deployment and continuous updating of applications**. Both repositories work together to ensure a scalable and efficient cloud infrastructure.
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## References
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### **Links to Repositories**
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- [Terraform Repository](https://github.com/polinetworkorg/terraform)
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- [PoliNetwork-CD Repository](https://github.com/polinetworkorg/polinetwork-cd)
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### **Additional Resources**
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- [Kubernetes Documentation](https://kubernetes.io/docs/)
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- [Terraform Documentation](https://www.terraform.io/docs/)
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- [ArgoCD Documentation](https://argo-cd.readthedocs.io/en/stable/)
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