Deploying Your First Server with Terraform: A Beginner’s Guide

7 min readAug 21, 2024

We are moving forward in this 30 day terraform challenge and this is day 3.

In today’s blog we’re going to start having our hands dirty with creating and deploying our first server with terraform start from the previous infrastructure build using terraform , you can find it in my previous blog .

Let’s start !

In this Blog will try to build this infrastructure to deploy a single server inside AWS using terraform :

Steps

Step 1: Building the basic infrastructure without the server

Ensure that you already build the infrastructure built already in the previous blog , you can access it from here : 30 Day Terraform Challenge day 2

Note : If you already build the infrastructure from day two , you have to redo the commands : terraform init terraform plan terraform apply , to get it up and running again after it has been destroyed .

Step 2 : Show the current infrastructure

On your workstation, navigate to the /workstation/terraform directory. To view the applied configuration utilize the terraform show command to view the resources created and find the IP address for your instance.

terraform show

Step 3: Update your Configuration to include EC2 instance

Terraform can perform in-place updates after changes are made to the main.tf configuration file. Update your main.tf to include an EC2 instance in the public subnet:
Append the following code to main.tf

# Terraform Data Block - To Lookup Latest Ubuntu 20.04 AMI Image
data "aws_ami" "ubuntu" {
  most_recent = true

  filter {
    name   = "name"
    values = ["ubuntu/images/hvm-ssd/ubuntu-focal-20.04-amd64-server-*"]
  }

  filter {
    name   = "virtualization-type"
    values = ["hvm"]
  }

  owners = ["099720109477"]
}

# Terraform Resource Block - To Build EC2 instance in Public Subnet
resource "aws_instance" "web_server" {
  ami           = data.aws_ami.ubuntu.id
  instance_type = "t3.micro"
  subnet_id     = aws_subnet.public_subnets["public_subnet_1"].id
  tags = {
    Name = "Ubuntu EC2 Server"
  }
}

Save the configuration.

Step 4: Plan and Execute Changes

Run a terraform plan to see the updates that Terraform needs to make.

terraform plan

The output will look like this :


PS C:\Users\km_te\OneDrive\Documents\Terraform> terraform plan
data.aws_availability_zones.available: Reading...
data.aws_ami.ubuntu: Reading...
aws_eip.nat_gateway_eip: Refreshing state... [id=eipalloc-0647bd1d92a1a9a7e]
aws_vpc.vpc: Refreshing state... [id=vpc-01906a2ebf3ccbb18]
data.aws_availability_zones.available: Read complete after 0s [id=us-east-1]
data.aws_ami.ubuntu: Read complete after 1s [id=ami-057c5c24c7bbc7eb3]
aws_internet_gateway.internet_gateway: Refreshing state... [id=igw-05ccc3fcbd8bf151b]
aws_subnet.private_subnets["private_subnet_2"]: Refreshing state... [id=subnet-059ab2e26842eaf02]
aws_subnet.private_subnets["private_subnet_1"]: Refreshing state... [id=subnet-09b960cb77da75e35]
aws_subnet.private_subnets["private_subnet_3"]: Refreshing state... [id=subnet-01c7ff9982959a8dc]
aws_subnet.public_subnets["public_subnet_1"]: Refreshing state... [id=subnet-08f9b791cd447b460]
aws_subnet.public_subnets["public_subnet_2"]: Refreshing state... [id=subnet-07cb5abd5315b147a]
aws_subnet.public_subnets["public_subnet_3"]: Refreshing state... [id=subnet-076852d0955f06f48]
aws_route_table.public_route_table: Refreshing state... [id=rtb-05c5af95dddf6a882]
aws_nat_gateway.nat_gateway: Refreshing state... [id=nat-0968a4a888f6b5fef]
aws_route_table_association.public["public_subnet_3"]: Refreshing state... [id=rtbassoc-0ba04357250c04fa4]
aws_route_table_association.public["public_subnet_2"]: Refreshing state... [id=rtbassoc-0707661f74c97eb86]
aws_route_table_association.public["public_subnet_1"]: Refreshing state... [id=rtbassoc-01a0c5da3a96ab464]
aws_route_table.private_route_table: Refreshing state... [id=rtb-032db336a6e7e1028]
aws_route_table_association.private["private_subnet_1"]: Refreshing state... [id=rtbassoc-085d7b42f4b5227a0]
aws_route_table_association.private["private_subnet_3"]: Refreshing state... [id=rtbassoc-09a000704103d65af]        
aws_route_table_association.private["private_subnet_2"]: Refreshing state... [id=rtbassoc-07418ce434c5a6ca6]        

Terraform used the selected providers to generate the following execution plan. Resource actions are indicated with 
the following symbols:
  + create

Terraform will perform the following actions:

  # aws_instance.web_server will be created
  + resource "aws_instance" "web_server" {
      + ami                                  = "ami-057c5c24c7bbc7eb3"
      + arn                                  = (known after apply)
      + associate_public_ip_address          = (known after apply)
      + availability_zone                    = (known after apply)
      + cpu_core_count                       = (known after apply)
      + cpu_threads_per_core                 = (known after apply)
      + disable_api_stop                     = (known after apply)
      + disable_api_termination              = (known after apply)
      + ebs_optimized                        = (known after apply)
      + get_password_data                    = false
      + host_id                              = (known after apply)
      + host_resource_group_arn              = (known after apply)
      + iam_instance_profile                 = (known after apply)
      + id                                   = (known after apply)
      + instance_initiated_shutdown_behavior = (known after apply)
      + instance_lifecycle                   = (known after apply)
      + instance_state                       = (known after apply)
      + instance_type                        = "t3.micro"
      + ipv6_address_count                   = (known after apply)
      + ipv6_addresses                       = (known after apply)
      + key_name                             = (known after apply)
      + monitoring                           = (known after apply)
      + outpost_arn                          = (known after apply)
      + password_data                        = (known after apply)
      + placement_group                      = (known after apply)
      + placement_partition_number           = (known after apply)
      + primary_network_interface_id         = (known after apply)
      + private_dns                          = (known after apply)
      + private_ip                           = (known after apply)
      + public_dns                           = (known after apply)
      + public_ip                            = (known after apply)
      + secondary_private_ips                = (known after apply)
      + security_groups                      = (known after apply)
      + source_dest_check                    = true
      + spot_instance_request_id             = (known after apply)
      + subnet_id                            = "subnet-08f9b791cd447b460"
      + tags                                 = {
          + "Name" = "Ubuntu EC2 Server"
        }
      + tags_all                             = {
          + "Name" = "Ubuntu EC2 Server"
        }
      + tenancy                              = (known after apply)
      + user_data                            = (known after apply)
      + user_data_base64                     = (known after apply)
      + user_data_replace_on_change          = false
      + vpc_security_group_ids               = (known after apply)

      + capacity_reservation_specification (known after apply)

      + cpu_options (known after apply)

      + ebs_block_device (known after apply)

      + enclave_options (known after apply)

      + ephemeral_block_device (known after apply)

      + instance_market_options (known after apply)

      + maintenance_options (known after apply)

      + metadata_options (known after apply)

      + network_interface (known after apply)

      + private_dns_name_options (known after apply)

      + root_block_device (known after apply)
    }

Plan: 1 to add, 0 to change, 0 to destroy.

Run a terraform apply to execute the updates that Terraform needs to make.

terraform apply

Plan: 1 to add, 0 to change, 0 to destroy.

Do you want to perform these actions?
  Terraform will perform the actions described above.
  Only 'yes' will be accepted to approve.

  Enter a value:

When prompted to apply the changes, respond with yes.

Do you want to perform these actions?
  Terraform will perform the actions described above.
  Only 'yes' will be accepted to approve.

  Enter a value: yes

aws_instance.web_server: Creating...
aws_instance.web_server: Still creating... [10s elapsed]
aws_instance.web_server: Still creating... [20s elapsed]
aws_instance.web_server: Still creating... [30s elapsed]
aws_instance.web_server: Still creating... [40s elapsed]
aws_instance.web_server: Still creating... [50s elapsed]
aws_instance.web_server: Creation complete after 59s [id=i-0d544e90777ca8c2f]

Apply complete! Resources: 1 added, 0 changed, 0 destroyed.

Step 5: Show New State

To view the applied configuration utilize the terraform show command to view the resources created. Look for the aws_instance.web_server which is now present within Terraform's managed state.
Here is an example of the terraform state you will get :

# aws_instance.web_server:
resource "aws_instance" "web_server" {
    ami                                  = "ami-057c5c24c7bbc7eb3"
    arn                                  = "arn:aws:ec2:us-east-1:238447548277:instance/i-0169d1bad56113642"        
    associate_public_ip_address          = true
    availability_zone                    = "us-east-1b"
    cpu_core_count                       = 1
    cpu_threads_per_core                 = 2
    disable_api_stop                     = false
    disable_api_termination              = false
    ebs_optimized                        = false
    get_password_data                    = false
    hibernation                          = false
    host_id                              = null
    iam_instance_profile                 = null
    id                                   = "i-0169d1bad56113642"
    instance_initiated_shutdown_behavior = "stop"
    instance_lifecycle                   = null
    instance_state                       = "running"
    instance_type                        = "t3.micro"
    ipv6_address_count                   = 0
    ipv6_addresses                       = []
    key_name                             = null
    monitoring                           = false
    outpost_arn                          = null
    password_data                        = null
    placement_group                      = null
    placement_partition_number           = 0
    primary_network_interface_id         = "eni-01b71bec6954803c4"
    private_dns                          = "ip-10-0-101-50.ec2.internal"
    private_ip                           = "10.0.101.50"
    public_dns                           = null
    public_ip                            = "3.88.172.134"
    secondary_private_ips                = []
    security_groups                      = []
    source_dest_check                    = true
    spot_instance_request_id             = null
    subnet_id                            = "subnet-08f9b791cd447b460"
    tags                                 = {
        "Name" = "Ubuntu EC2 Server"
    }
    tags_all                             = {
        "Name" = "Ubuntu EC2 Server"
    }
    tenancy                              = "default"
    user_data_replace_on_change          = false
    vpc_security_group_ids               = [
        "sg-06ee794766efde534",
    ]

    capacity_reservation_specification {
        capacity_reservation_preference = "open"
    }

    cpu_options {
        amd_sev_snp      = null
        core_count       = 1
        threads_per_core = 2
    }

    credit_specification {
        cpu_credits = "unlimited"
    }

    enclave_options {
        enabled = false
    }

    maintenance_options {
        auto_recovery = "default"
    }

    metadata_options {
        http_endpoint               = "enabled"
        http_protocol_ipv6          = "disabled"
        http_put_response_hop_limit = 1
        http_tokens                 = "optional"
        instance_metadata_tags      = "disabled"
    }

    private_dns_name_options {
        enable_resource_name_dns_a_record    = false
        enable_resource_name_dns_aaaa_record = false
        hostname_type                        = "ip-name"
    }

    root_block_device {
        delete_on_termination = true
        device_name           = "/dev/sda1"
        encrypted             = false
        iops                  = 100
        kms_key_id            = null
        tags                  = {}
        tags_all              = {}
        throughput            = 0
        volume_id             = "vol-015b8a6071400d3e2"
        volume_size           = 8
        volume_type           = "gp2"
    }
}

Run a terraform state list to list all of the items in Terraform's managed state.

PS C:\Users\km_te\OneDrive\Documents\Terraform> terraform state list
data.aws_ami.ubuntu
data.aws_availability_zones.available
aws_eip.nat_gateway_eip
aws_instance.web_server
aws_internet_gateway.internet_gateway
aws_nat_gateway.nat_gateway
aws_route_table.private_route_table
aws_route_table.public_route_table
aws_route_table_association.private["private_subnet_1"]
aws_route_table_association.private["private_subnet_2"]
aws_route_table_association.private["private_subnet_3"]
aws_route_table_association.public["public_subnet_1"]
aws_route_table_association.public["public_subnet_2"]
aws_route_table_association.public["public_subnet_3"]
aws_subnet.private_subnets["private_subnet_1"]
aws_subnet.private_subnets["private_subnet_2"]
aws_subnet.private_subnets["private_subnet_3"]
aws_subnet.public_subnets["public_subnet_1"]
aws_subnet.public_subnets["public_subnet_2"]
aws_subnet.public_subnets["public_subnet_3"]
aws_vpc.vpc

Step 6: Delete the AWS resources using Terraform to clean up our AWS environment

To destroy your resources, execute the following command in the terminal. You should see Terraform refresh the state of each resource and subsequently destroy it in the proper order.

terraform destroy -auto-approve

All the previously created resources will be deleted , for example for the EC2 instance :

and That’s it !

Resources used :

If you want to Access my Notes and the Flashcards I am building you can find them here and it’s going to be updated as long as I move forward in the challenge : https://shadowed-bubble-139.notion.site/30-Day-Terraform-Challenge-dec28b59677845218d72dd4163751c87?pvs=4

That’s all I have for today folks. Thank you for reading and/or following along! I hope this blog was helpful and worth your while. Stay tuned for my next project on this journey into the cloud.

Let’s connect on LinkedIn! 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/meriemterki/