Meet the experts: Terraform Module Design
October 15, 2024 | 4:15 PM ET – 5PM ET – Ensemble Ballroom
October 16, 2024 | 3:30 PM ET – 3:45 PM ET – Hallway track Q&A
Speakers: Ned Bellavance, Drew Mullen & Bruno Schaatsbergen
Companies: Ned in the Cloud LLC, River Point Technology, HashiCorp
As organizations continue to adopt cloud infrastructure and automate their processes, the need for efficient, scalable, and maintainable infrastructure-as-code (IaC) solutions has never been more pressing. Terraform, HashiCorp’s flagship IaC tool, is at the forefront of this movement, allowing engineers to define, provision, and manage infrastructure with ease. However, building and managing Terraform in a way that is reusable, scalable, and maintainable can be a challenge—especially as organizations grow and their infrastructure becomes more complex.
That’s where Terraform modules come into play. These self-contained packages of Terraform configuration files enable developers to build infrastructure in a modular, reusable way. Yet, not all modules are created equal. Poor design can lead to inefficiencies, increased complexity, and a host of operational headaches.
For anyone interested in optimizing their Terraform use or looking to gain an edge in managing large, complex infrastructures, the session “Meet the Experts: Terraform Module Design” at HashiConf 2024 is an absolute must-attend.
In this dynamic panel discussion, Ned Bellavance (Ned in the Cloud LLC), Drew Mullen (River Point Technology), and Bruno Schaatsbergen (HashiCorp) will share their hard-earned expertise on the topic. Together, these experts will dive deep into best practices, design patterns, and lessons learned from working on some of the most popular Terraform modules available in the public registry.
Here’s why this session stands out and what you can expect to learn from attending.
Why Terraform Module Design Matters
Terraform’s popularity stems from its ability to codify infrastructure in a simple, declarative way. But while it’s easy to get started with Terraform, creating Terraform modules that are flexible, reusable, and maintainable can be tricky.
As your infrastructure grows and becomes more complex, manually replicating configuration across environments or teams becomes untenable. That’s where the true power of modules comes in. They allow you to abstract away complexities and create reusable building blocks that standardize infrastructure provisioning.
However, creating well-designed modules requires more than just wrapping code into a reusable block. A well-designed Terraform module must:
- Encapsulate Best Practices:
Modules should ensure consistency and compliance with best practices, reducing human error and drift between environments.
- Promote Reusability:
A good module can be used across multiple teams or projects, enhancing collaboration and saving development time.
- Simplify Maintenance:
As infrastructure evolves, maintaining clear, concise modules makes it easier to update or extend your setup without introducing complexity.
- Enhance Flexibility:
Modules should be designed to offer sensible defaults while allowing customization when needed.
This is precisely what the panelists will explore: how to craft Terraform modules that scale effectively and remain easy to maintain over time, without sacrificing flexibility.
What You’ll Learn from the Experts
1. Best Practices for Terraform Module Design
The foundation of any great Terraform module is its design. Get practical advice and expert insights that will help you avoid common pitfalls and create modules that are not only easier to use but also easier to scale and maintain over time.
2. Design Patterns for Terraform Modules
Building on the basics, the panel will delve into advanced design patterns that make Terraform modules more powerful and adaptable.
3. Lessons from the Field
One of the most valuable aspects of this session is the chance to learn from the personal experiences of the panelists. Each has played a key role in developing some of the most popular Terraform modules in the public registry, and they will share their real-world experiences while
Meet the Experts: Your Panelists
Ned Bellavance (Founder, Ned in the Cloud LLC)
Ned is a well-known thought leader in the cloud space, with deep expertise in infrastructure-as-code. As the founder of Ned in the Cloud LLC and the host of the popular “Day Two Cloud” podcast, Ned brings a wealth of knowledge on how to scale and automate cloud operations. He’s also an experienced educator and public speaker, known for breaking down complex cloud topics into digestible, actionable advice.
Drew Mullen (Principal Solutions Architect, River Point Technology)
Drew is a recognized expert in cloud-native infrastructure, with a focus on helping enterprises adopt and scale cloud technologies. At River Point Technology, Drew works with Fortune 500 companies to design and implement cloud architectures that are reliable, secure, and scalable. His experience with Terraform spans years, making him a key contributor to open-source modules and a mentor for organizations seeking to optimize their IaC practices.
Bruno Schaatsbergen (Senior Engineer, HashiCorp)
As a Senior Engineer at HashiCorp, Bruno is deeply involved in the development and maintenance of Terraform itself. His contributions to the Terraform ecosystem have helped shape the way developers think about infrastructure automation. Bruno’s technical depth, combined with his understanding of the challenges faced by enterprises adopting Terraform at scale, make him an invaluable voice on this panel.
Why You Should Attend
The “Meet the Experts: Terraform Module Design” session is not just for experienced Terraform users—it’s for anyone who wants to improve how they build and manage infrastructure with Terraform. Whether you’re a developer looking to learn best practices or an architect tasked with managing large, multi-cloud environments, this panel will offer valuable insights.
Attendees can expect to leave with practical knowledge on:
– How to build modules that scale.
– Avoiding common design pitfalls.
– Contributing to both public and internal Terraform modules.
We hope to see you at HashiConf 2024. If you need help with Terraform or any of the HashiCorp suite of products, contact the experts at River Point Technology today.
Meet the experts: Terraform Module Design
October 15, 2024 | 4:15 PM ET – 5PM ET – Ensemble Ballroom
October 16, 2024 | 3:30 PM ET – 3:45 PM ET – Hallway track Q&A
Speakers: Ned Bellavance, Drew Mullen & Bruno Schaatsbergen
Companies: Ned in the Cloud LLC, River Point Technology, HashiCorp
