Using variables


Figure 1086. Terraform type categories Slide presentation

Figure 1087. Defining configuration values Slide presentation 
# config.auto.tfvars
# Overriding default value "hello"
serverName = "testServer"
# variables.tf
variable "serverName" {
   description = "Project unique server name"     
   type        = string
   nullable    = false
   default     = "hello"
}
 
# main.tf
resource "hcloud_server" "mySrv" {
  name = var.serverName
  ...
}
terraform apply

...
serverProps = {
  "ip"   = "46.62.254.219"
  "name" = "testServer"
}

Figure 1088. Problem: VCS and visible secrets 😱 Slide presentation

For security reasons, secrets should not be under version control: 

# provider.tf
provider "hcloud" { token = "xdaGfz9LmwO8SWkg ... "}
...

Figure 1089. Handling secrets Slide presentation 
# variables.tf
variable "hcloud_token" {
   description = "Hetzner API token"
   type        = string
   nullable    = false
   sensitive   = true
}
# .env file
# Setting environment variable
export TF_VAR_hcloud_token="utRw..."
 
# main.tf
resource "hcloud_server" "mySrv" {
  name = var.serverName
      ...
}
. .env # Source environment file

echo $TF_VAR_hcloud_token
utRw...

terraform apply
...

exercise No. 15

Using configuration variables

Q:

Start from Adding ssh public keys and firewall and:

  • Define a variable hcloud_token variable like in Figure 1089, “Handling secrets ” for containing you project's Hetzner API token.

    Create a .env file alongside containing the related secret. Source this file and check for the environment variable TF_VAR_hcloud_token to be set correctly.

  • Define the following hcloud_server properties by variables in a config.auto.tfvars file.

The only difference to the previous exercise is thus the extraction of sensitive and non-sensitive values into configuration files.
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