How I Mastered Terraform With One Project! And You Can Do It Too!

#terraform #aws #azure #devops

A Simple Idea That Taught Me Terraform!

I use a VPN every day, but despite being a premium user, I often experienced slow internet speeds. That made me wonder—why not deploy my own VPN server on AWS? This way, I could have full control over my data, run my server in any AWS region worldwide, and turn it off when not needed to save costs. Best of all, I could do this for free using the AWS Free Tier!

I decided to fully automate the setup—from provisioning infrastructure to configuring the WireGuard VPN server. That’s why I chose Terraform. With just a single command, I could deploy my VPN and start using it on my device!

But what started as a simple VPN setup turned into a deep dive into Terraform, teaching me Infrastructure as Code (IaC), AWS security best practices, Linux administration, Version Control, and modular Terraform design—all in one project!

If you're new to Terraform or struggling to apply it to real-world problems, my story might help you get started.

How I Built a Free Personal VPN on AWS with Terraform

I love to keep things organised. I also prefer doing things idempotently. So I organised the whole project's Terraform code in different modules based on their function. This follows modularisation—a best practice in Terraform! Here's how I structured it:

1. Compute Module: Automating the VPN Server

Provisioned an EC2 instance for the VPN.
Used user data scripts to install WireGuard automatically on launch.
Generated VPN configuration files inside the instance.

2. VPC Module: Secure Networking Setup

Created a custom Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) for better security.
Added subnets, route tables, and security groups to control traffic.
Configured the Internet Gateway to allow VPN access.

3. IAM Modules: Secure Access Control

Created an IAM role with least privilege access.
Allowed the EC2 instance to upload files securely to S3 without storing credentials.

4. Storage Module: Handling VPN Configurations

Set up an S3 bucket for storing VPN client configuration files securely.
Enforced bucket policies to restrict access.
Enabled server-side encryption for added security.

Terraform Features I Used

Terraform Modules to organise my infrastructure.
Variables for flexibility in configuration.
Remote State Management to track infrastructure changes.
Outputs to retrieve VPN connection details.

What I Achieved From This Project?

A fully automated, free VPN running on AWS.
A practical understanding of Terraform, from writing modules to handling security best practices.
Better knowledge of multiple AWS services, Cloud Networking & Security.
Learnt essential Linux skills.

Before this, I used to rely on ClickOps. With Terraform, I can easily and efficiently build the infrastructure of any size in a matter of minutes, if not seconds! I can even destroy the whole setup when not required.

How You Can Do It Too?

If you're new to Terraform, here's what I recommend:

Start with a real project—preferably something that solves a problem or benefits you directly. If you’re just doing a project for the sake of it, you might struggle to stay motivated.
Break the project into modules to understand each component separately. This makes it easier to manage and debug.
Read the documentation, use Google, and leverage AI tools like ChatGPT to speed up your learning. ChatGPT helped me a lot throughout this process, making Terraform easier to understand.
Most importantly, learn by doing! The best way to master Terraform (or to learn any new skill) is through hands-on experience.

Learning by building useful apps is both rewarding and enjoyable. If this story inspired you, why not build something with Terraform? It could be a website, personal cloud storage, or even your own VPN!

You can check out the complete details of this project and its code on GitHub.