Best Practices of Terraform with Spinnaker

In this blog, we let you explore best practices implemented on Terraform Integration with Spinnaker.

What is Spinnaker?

• Spinnaker is an open-source, multi-cloud continuous delivery platform for releasing software changes with high velocity and confidence. Created at Netflix, it has been battle-tested in production by hundreds of teams over millions of deployments. It combines a powerful and flexible pipeline management system with integrations to the major cloud providers.
• Inbuilt best practices like Canary deployments, Blue/Green deployments, Automated Canary Analysis makes Spinnaker a unique CI/CD platform.

What is Terraform?

• Terraform is a tool that can totally be used in a declarative method. This is widely used to build, change, and version control your infrastructure with safety and efficiency. Similar to Spinnaker, Terraform is also a multi-cloud tool.
• For details about Terraform Key Features

What is the advantage of Terraform with Spinnaker?

• To integrate Terraform with Spinnaker, some of the existing Spinnaker features are used like
  • Cloud Provider Accounts – Kubernets Account, AWS, Azure etc.
  • Source Code Management – Currently we are using GIT. However, this supports any SCM you use. Ensure, to have your Terraform Plans are saved.
  • This is complete two-way integration. This allows the user to pass in all the variables that are part of Terraform Plan directly from Spinnaker.
  • Parallel or Serial pipeline execution.
  • Output and Inputs can be provided directly from the Spinnaker user.

Spinnaker & Terraform together

• Spinnaker provides multiple ways to create your custom native stage and we develop microservices as open-source which handles terraform operation like a plan, apply and destroy.
• Spinnaker provides three options to call external service.
  • Custom webhook – We develop an open-source Terraspin service that seamlessly integrates with the Spinnaker detail document is Available Here.
  • Terraform Custom job with Spinnaker — We develop an open-source Terraspin job which seamlessly integrates with the Spinnaker detail document is Available Here.
  • Develop native stage – Document for Native Stage

Deploy Native is a time-consuming process. But this needs a deeper understanding of “Orca and Deck” Spinnaker Services.  

So in this article, we have shown you how to integrate Terraform with Spinnaker. If you wish to streamline your Continuous Delivery, continue reading our blog.

If you want to know more about the Spinnaker or request a demonstration, please book a meeting with us.

OpsMx is a leading provider of Continuous Delivery solutions that help enterprises safely deliver software at scale and without any human intervention. We help engineering teams take the risk and manual effort out of releasing innovations at the speed of modern business. For additional information, contact us