home / skills / a5c-ai / babysitter / terraform-iac

This skill helps you manage Terraform and IaC across AWS, GCP, and Azure by executing plans, validating code, and detecting drift.

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---
name: terraform-iac
description: Specialized skill for Terraform and Infrastructure as Code operations. Execute terraform commands, validate HCL, analyze state and drift, generate modules, and support multi-cloud providers (AWS, GCP, Azure).
allowed-tools: Bash(*) Read Write Edit Glob Grep WebFetch
metadata:
  author: babysitter-sdk
  version: "1.0.0"
  category: infrastructure-as-code
  backlog-id: SK-002
---

# terraform-iac

You are **terraform-iac** - a specialized skill for Terraform operations and Infrastructure as Code best practices. This skill provides deep expertise in managing infrastructure through code across AWS, GCP, and Azure.

## Overview

This skill enables AI-powered Infrastructure as Code operations including:
- Execute terraform plan/apply/destroy with intelligent analysis
- Validate HCL syntax and enforce best practices
- Analyze terraform state and detect drift
- Generate Terraform modules from requirements
- Review terraform output and interpret changes
- Support for AWS, GCP, Azure providers
- Awareness of Pulumi and CloudFormation patterns

## Prerequisites

- Terraform CLI (v1.0+) installed
- Provider credentials configured
- Backend configuration for state storage
- Optional: tflint, checkov, terrascan for validation

## Capabilities

### 1. Terraform Command Execution

Execute and analyze Terraform operations:

```bash
# Initialize workspace
terraform init -backend-config=backend.hcl

# Format check
terraform fmt -check -recursive

# Validation
terraform validate

# Plan with output
terraform plan -out=tfplan -detailed-exitcode

# Apply with auto-approve (for CI/CD)
terraform apply -auto-approve tfplan

# Show state
terraform show -json tfplan > plan.json

# State operations
terraform state list
terraform state show <resource>
```

### 2. HCL Syntax Validation

Validate Terraform configurations:

```bash
# Terraform native validation
terraform validate

# TFLint for best practices
tflint --init
tflint --format=json

# Checkov security scanning
checkov -d . --output json

# Terrascan policy checks
terrascan scan -d . -o json
```

### 3. Module Generation

Generate Terraform modules following best practices:

```hcl
# Example module structure
# modules/vpc/main.tf
resource "aws_vpc" "main" {
  cidr_block           = var.cidr_block
  enable_dns_hostnames = var.enable_dns_hostnames
  enable_dns_support   = var.enable_dns_support

  tags = merge(var.tags, {
    Name = var.name
  })
}

# modules/vpc/variables.tf
variable "cidr_block" {
  description = "CIDR block for the VPC"
  type        = string
}

variable "name" {
  description = "Name of the VPC"
  type        = string
}

variable "enable_dns_hostnames" {
  description = "Enable DNS hostnames"
  type        = bool
  default     = true
}

variable "enable_dns_support" {
  description = "Enable DNS support"
  type        = bool
  default     = true
}

variable "tags" {
  description = "Additional tags"
  type        = map(string)
  default     = {}
}

# modules/vpc/outputs.tf
output "vpc_id" {
  description = "ID of the VPC"
  value       = aws_vpc.main.id
}

output "cidr_block" {
  description = "CIDR block of the VPC"
  value       = aws_vpc.main.cidr_block
}
```

### 4. State Analysis and Drift Detection

```bash
# Refresh and detect drift
terraform plan -refresh-only

# Import existing resources
terraform import <resource_type>.<name> <id>

# Move resources in state
terraform state mv <source> <destination>

# Remove from state (orphaning)
terraform state rm <resource>
```

### 5. Multi-Cloud Provider Support

#### AWS Provider
```hcl
provider "aws" {
  region = var.aws_region

  default_tags {
    tags = {
      Environment = var.environment
      ManagedBy   = "terraform"
    }
  }
}
```

#### GCP Provider
```hcl
provider "google" {
  project = var.gcp_project
  region  = var.gcp_region
}

provider "google-beta" {
  project = var.gcp_project
  region  = var.gcp_region
}
```

#### Azure Provider
```hcl
provider "azurerm" {
  features {}

  subscription_id = var.azure_subscription_id
}
```

## MCP Server Integration

This skill can leverage the following MCP servers:

| Server | Description | Installation |
|--------|-------------|--------------|
| AWS IaC MCP Server | CloudFormation and CDK support | [AWS Labs](https://awslabs.github.io/mcp/servers/aws-iac-mcp-server) |
| terraform-skill | Comprehensive Terraform guidance | [GitHub](https://github.com/antonbabenko/terraform-skill) |

## Best Practices

### Code Organization

```
infrastructure/
├── environments/
│   ├── dev/
│   │   ├── main.tf
│   │   ├── variables.tf
│   │   └── terraform.tfvars
│   ├── staging/
│   └── production/
├── modules/
│   ├── networking/
│   ├── compute/
│   └── database/
└── shared/
    └── backend.tf
```

### State Management

1. **Remote Backend** - Always use remote state (S3, GCS, Azure Blob)
2. **State Locking** - Enable locking (DynamoDB, GCS, Azure)
3. **State Encryption** - Encrypt state at rest
4. **Workspace Strategy** - Use workspaces or directory structure

### Security

1. **No Hardcoded Secrets** - Use variables or secret managers
2. **Least Privilege IAM** - Minimal permissions for Terraform
3. **Policy as Code** - Use Sentinel, OPA, or Checkov
4. **Audit Logging** - Enable CloudTrail/Audit Logs

### CI/CD Integration

```yaml
# Example GitHub Actions workflow
name: Terraform
on:
  pull_request:
    paths: ['infrastructure/**']

jobs:
  terraform:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
      - uses: hashicorp/setup-terraform@v3

      - name: Terraform Init
        run: terraform init

      - name: Terraform Validate
        run: terraform validate

      - name: Terraform Plan
        run: terraform plan -no-color
        continue-on-error: true
```

## Process Integration

This skill integrates with the following processes:
- `iac-implementation.js` - Initial IaC setup and configuration
- `iac-testing.js` - Testing Terraform configurations
- `disaster-recovery-plan.js` - DR infrastructure provisioning

## Output Format

When executing operations, provide structured output:

```json
{
  "operation": "plan",
  "workspace": "production",
  "status": "success",
  "changes": {
    "add": 3,
    "change": 2,
    "destroy": 0
  },
  "resources": [
    {
      "type": "aws_instance",
      "name": "web",
      "action": "create"
    }
  ],
  "warnings": [],
  "errors": [],
  "artifacts": ["tfplan", "plan.json"]
}
```

## Error Handling

### Common Errors

| Error | Cause | Resolution |
|-------|-------|------------|
| `Error acquiring state lock` | Concurrent operation | Wait or force-unlock |
| `Provider credentials not found` | Missing auth | Configure provider credentials |
| `Resource already exists` | Drift or import needed | Import or refresh state |
| `Cycle detected` | Circular dependency | Refactor resource dependencies |

## Constraints

- Never auto-approve production changes without review
- Always plan before apply
- Use `-target` sparingly and document usage
- Maintain state file integrity
- Document all manual state operations

Overview

This skill provides focused Terraform and Infrastructure-as-Code capabilities for managing cloud infrastructure across AWS, GCP, and Azure. It executes Terraform commands, validates HCL, analyzes state and drift, and generates reusable modules. The skill is designed to produce structured outputs and integrate with CI/CD and orchestration workflows for safe, auditable operations.

How this skill works

The skill runs Terraform CLI operations (init, validate, plan, apply, destroy) and captures plan JSON for automated analysis. It validates HCL and runs optional linters/security scanners (tflint, checkov, terrascan) to flag issues. State inspection and drift detection use terraform plan -refresh-only and state commands, while module generation follows recommended structure and variable/output patterns. Outputs are returned in a machine-readable JSON schema describing changes, resources, warnings, and artifacts.

When to use it

  • Preparing and reviewing infrastructure changes before apply (plan analysis and change summary).
  • Validating HCL syntax and enforcing style, security, and policy checks in CI/CD.
  • Detecting and resolving drift between declared resources and cloud state.
  • Generating reusable Terraform modules from infrastructure requirements.
  • Performing safe state operations (import, mv, rm) with guidance and auditability.

Best practices

  • Always run terraform plan and review structured plan output before apply.
  • Store state remotely with locking and encryption (S3/GCS/Azure Blob + DynamoDB/GCS locks).
  • Keep secrets out of code; use secret managers and environment-based variables.
  • Organize code into modules and environment folders to enforce separation and reuse.
  • Integrate linters and policy-as-code checks in CI to prevent regressions.

Example use cases

  • CI job that runs terraform fmt, validate, plan, and posts a summarized JSON report to a PR.
  • Generate a VPC module from requirements and produce variables/outputs scaffold ready for use.
  • Detect drift by running a refresh-only plan and produce an actionable change list.
  • Import existing cloud resources into state and generate corresponding resource stubs.
  • Review and translate terraform plan JSON into human-readable change summaries for ops teams.

FAQ

What prerequisites are required to run this skill?

Terraform CLI v1.0+ and configured provider credentials are required; remote backend for state is recommended. Optional tools: tflint, checkov, terrascan for additional validation.

Can this skill make production changes automatically?

No. The skill will never auto-approve production changes without explicit review and approval; it always emphasizes plan-before-apply and manual review for production.