Terraform Testing and Validation: Quality Infrastructure Code

Infrastructure code needs the same quality assurance practices as application code, but testing infrastructure presents unique challenges. How do you unit test a VPC? How do you validate that your security policies actually work? How do you catch configuration errors before they reach production?

This guide covers the complete spectrum of Terraform testing and validation, from static analysis and policy validation to integration testing with real cloud resources.

What You’ll Learn

• Static Analysis: Linting, formatting, and syntax validation
• Unit Testing: Testing modules and configurations in isolation
• Integration Testing: Testing with real cloud resources using Terratest
• Policy Validation: Implementing policy as code with OPA and Sentinel
• Security Testing: Vulnerability scanning and compliance validation
• Performance Testing: Load testing and resource optimization validation
• CI/CD Integration: Automated testing in deployment pipelines

Guide Structure

1. Static Analysis and Linting - Code quality and syntax validation
2. Unit Testing Strategies - Testing modules without cloud resources
3. Integration Testing - Real-world testing with Terratest and cloud resources
4. Policy as Code - Implementing governance with OPA and Sentinel
5. Security and Compliance - Vulnerability scanning and compliance automation
6. Performance and Cost Testing - Resource optimization and cost validation
7. CI/CD Integration - Automated testing in deployment pipelines

Prerequisites

• Completion of Terraform Fundamentals guide
• Basic understanding of testing concepts
• Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines
• Go programming knowledge (helpful for Terratest)

Key Takeaways

By the end of this guide, you’ll have a comprehensive testing strategy for your Terraform code that catches errors early, validates security policies, and ensures your infrastructure meets quality standards before deployment.