Terraform for AWS: Cloud-Native Infrastructure

AWS and Terraform are a powerful combination, but AWS’s complexity means there are specific patterns, gotchas, and best practices that aren’t obvious from general Terraform knowledge. This guide bridges that gap, covering the AWS-specific techniques that separate basic resource creation from production-ready, well-architected infrastructure.

From VPC design patterns to multi-account strategies, this guide covers the real-world challenges you’ll face when managing AWS infrastructure at scale with Terraform.

What You’ll Learn

• AWS Provider Mastery: Authentication, regions, and provider configuration patterns
• VPC and Networking: Well-architected network designs and connectivity patterns
• IAM and Security: Least-privilege access, cross-account roles, and security automation
• Multi-Account Strategies: Organization setup, account management, and cross-account patterns
• Cost Optimization: Tagging strategies, resource lifecycle, and cost controls
• AWS-Specific Modules: Reusable patterns for common AWS architectures
• Monitoring and Compliance: CloudTrail, Config, and compliance automation
• Advanced Services: Integration with AWS services like EKS, RDS, and Lambda

Guide Structure

1. AWS Provider Setup - Authentication, regions, and configuration patterns
2. VPC and Networking - Well-architected network designs and connectivity
3. IAM and Security - Identity management and security automation
4. Multi-Account Strategies - Organization setup and cross-account patterns
5. Cost Optimization - Tagging, lifecycle management, and cost controls
6. AWS-Specific Modules - Reusable patterns for common architectures
7. Monitoring and Compliance - Observability and compliance automation
8. Advanced Integration - EKS, RDS, Lambda, and complex service patterns

Prerequisites

• Completion of Terraform Fundamentals guide or equivalent experience
• Basic AWS knowledge (VPCs, EC2, IAM concepts)
• AWS CLI configured with appropriate permissions
• Understanding of cloud networking concepts

Key Takeaways

By the end of this guide, you’ll understand how to architect, implement, and maintain AWS infrastructure using Terraform following AWS Well-Architected principles. You’ll know the specific patterns that work well on AWS, how to avoid common pitfalls, and how to build infrastructure that scales with your organization’s needs.