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HashiCorp Terraform Associate

HashiCorp Terraform Associate Exam Cram

Published by Pearson

Beginner to advanced content levelBeginner to advanced

Learn Infrastructure as Code Using Terraform

  • Learn what is needed to effectively prepare for the HashiCorp Terraform Associate Exam
  • Acquire the skills needed to use Terraform with AWS, the Terraform Cloud, and other providers
  • Participate in labs so you can start gaining expertise using Terraform within VSCode while leveraging the power of the Terminal
  • Get access to practice quiz questions so you can benefit from guided question breakdowns and see first-hand how to successfully navigate the exam

Do you want to learn Terraform? Have you considered acquiring the Hashicorp Terraform Associate Certification? If you answered “yes” to either of these questions, then this course is for you. The HashiCorp Terraform Associate Exam Cram is a two-day, eight-hour, deep dive into learning Infrastructure automation skills so you can build your Terraform knowledge and prepare to sit for the certification exam. Terraform is Hashicorp’s Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tool and it is an essential skill in today’s marketplace.

This course covers basic and intermediate Terraform usage, including setup, configuration, working with variables and modules, accessing multiple providers, automating further with third-party tools such as cloud-init and Ansible, and so much more. This is your Infrastructure as Code hands-on intensive training with demonstrations for how to install and use Terraform to build cloud-based infrastructure quickly and efficiently. Your instructor, Dave Prowse, has also designed this class to really prep you for the exam, including quiz breakdowns throughout so you can test your skills as you learn concepts and get tips for how to work through and pass the exam. Demos and exercises are included throughout so you can take your skills to the next level.

What you’ll learn and how you can apply it

  • How to build infrastructure within AWS with easy-to-use Terraform code
  • How to apply best practices for working with Terraform and securing sensitive data
  • How to incorporate proper methods and techniques when taking the Terraform Associate Certification exam

And you'll be able to:

  • Install Terraform to any platform, from source or from a package manager
  • Use Terraform in a VSCode environment
  • Install the AWS CLI and use credentials safely in conjunction with Terraform
  • Work with outputs, variables, logs, modules, and much more
  • Acquire the knowledge to pass the Terraform exam

This live event is for you because...

  • You would like to pass the Certified Terraform Associate exam
  • You are a cloud engineer, software developer, DevOps, Sys Admin or someone else interested in learning key Terraform skills

Prerequisites

  • Knowledge of the terminal and basic commands, preferably Linux-based
  • A working understanding of VSCode
  • Familiarity with the AWS Console
  • A basic understanding of programming
  • A basic understanding of Markdown and JSON
  • Knowledge of how to build a virtual machine

Course Set-up

  • A computer system to run Terraform. As a best practice, it is recommended that attendees use a Linux virtual machine (Debian, Fedora, etc...) for the labs, preferably with at least 2 CPUs and 4 GB RAM. The instructor will be demonstrating on a Debian virtual machine.
  • VSCode installed: https://code.visualstudio.com/download
  • A git client. (Most Linux and macOS systems have git installed already): https://git-scm.com/downloads
  • Access to this git repository: https://github.com/daveprowse/tac-live
  • An AWS account with a separate IAM user (for testing purposes): https://aws.amazon.com/account/
  • Note: Attendees might incur a small charge from Amazon when running the AWS-based labs. Attendees can opt-out of running these labs and instead watch the instructor demos.
  • Two monitors/systems recommended: One for the virtual machine, and one to watch the instructor demos.
  • (Optional) Install the Terraform CLI if you want to get a jumpstart. However, the Terraform installation will be covered in-depth during class: https://learn.hashicorp.com/tutorials/terraform/install-cli

Recommended Preparation

Recommended Follow-up

Schedule

The time frames are only estimates and may vary according to how the class is progressing.

Day 1:

Segment 1: Introduction and System Setup (20 minutes)

Segment 2: Terraform Introduction (20 minutes)

  • What is Terraform?
  • How does Terraform work?

Segment 3: Lab01 – Install Terraform (30 minutes)

  • Describe the various ways to install Terraform
  • Install Terraform
  • Install Terraform Autocomplete
  • Understand the Terraform Help System

10-minute break

Segment 4: Lab 02 – Setup AWS (20 minutes)

  • Install and Configure the AWS CLI
  • Create a new Access Key

Segment 5: How to use Terraform (10 minutes)

  • Write > Plan > Create
  • Terraform commands
  • How to deploy infrastructure

Segment 6: Lab 03 – First Configuration (AWS) (30 minutes)

  • Write, plan, and create basic infrastructure on AWS
  • Analyze the infrastructure and state file
  • Destroy the infrastructure
  • Quiz Questions

10-minute break

Segment 7: Overview of the Terraform Associate Certification (15 minutes)

  • Exam Basics
  • Review the Hashicorp official certification page
  • Q&A about the exam

Segment 8: Lab 04 – AWS Config with Security Groups (25 minutes)

  • Build security groups on AWS
  • Write Terraform code line by line
  • Use the correct Terraform commands from memory

10-minute break

Segment 9: Lab 05 – AWS Config with SSH and Outputs (35 minutes)

  • Create an SSH key pair
  • Add the ability to use the SSH key in Terraform code
  • Use outputs to define the IP address and name
  • Use cloud-init to define additional configurations (via SSH)

Segment 10: Q&A (5 minutes)

Day 2:

Segment 1: Intro and Quiz! (15 minutes)

  • Review the Agenda for the day
  • Three “review” questions from Day 1

Segment 2: Variables Basics (10 minutes)

  • Presentation on how variables work in Terraform

Segment 3: Lab 06 - Working with Variables (25 minutes)

  • How to create and reference variables
  • Running Terraform code that includes variables
  • How to use .tfvars with credentials securely

10-minute break

Segment 4: Lab 07 - Working with Modules (25 minutes)

  • Presentation on modules in Terraform
  • Building infrastructure using modules

Segment 5: Intro to Terraform Logging (10 minutes)

  • How to enable Terraform logging
  • How to read Terraform logs

Segment 6: Lab 08 - Working with Multiple Providers (25 minutes)

  • Using AWS along with a second cloud provider
  • Describe multi-cloud and provider-agnostic benefits
  • Using multiple workspaces

10-minute break

Segment 7: Quiz! (15 minutes)

  • Three quiz questions

Segment 8: Lab 09 - Working with the Terraform Cloud (30 minutes)

  • What is Terraform Cloud?
  • Creating an account and browsing TC
  • Sample Terraform infrastructure using Terraform Cloud

10-minute break

Segment 9: Lab 10 - Terraform with Ansible and Additional Commands (30 minutes)

  • Building Terraform infrastructure with Ansible configuration
  • Usage of new Terraform subcommands

Segment 10: Final quiz and Q&A (20 minutes)

  • Final 3-question quiz
  • Open Q&A

Course wrap-up and next steps (5 minutes)

Your Instructor

  • David L. Prowse

    David Prowse has more than 20 years of experience in the IT field. He is an advocate of lifelong learning, self-improvement, building confidence, and the sharing of knowledge. You can contact him at his website: prowse.tech; on discord; and on his Youtube channel