Terraform, developed by HashiCorp, is a leading Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tool that enables developers to define and provision infrastructure using declarative configuration files. When working with Microsoft Azure, Terraform utilizes providers to interact with Azure's resources. Two primary providers facilitate this interaction: AzureRM and AzAPI. Understanding their differences and appropriate use cases is crucial for effective Azure infrastructure management. AzureRM Provider The Azure Resource Manager (AzureRM) provider is the traditional and widely adopted Terraform provider for Azure. It offers a comprehensive set of resources and data sources, allowing users to manage various Azure services. The AzureRM provider abstracts the underlying Azure REST APIs, providing a more user-friendly and Terraform-centric interface. Key Features of AzureRM:
The Azure API (AzAPI) provider is a newer addition to the Terraform ecosystem. It offers a lower-level interface to Azure services by directly interacting with Azure's REST APIs. This provider is particularly useful for accessing Azure features and services that are not yet available in the AzureRM provider. Key Features of AzAPI:
When deciding which provider to use, consider the following factors:
To illustrate the practical applications of the AzureRM and AzAPI providers in Terraform, let's explore examples of deploying an Azure Storage Account using each provider. Example 1: Deploying an Azure Storage Account with the AzureRM Provider The AzureRM provider offers a high-level abstraction for managing Azure resources, simplifying the deployment process. Here's how you can define a Storage Account using AzureRM: provider "azurerm" { features {} } resource "azurerm_resource_group" "example" { name = "example-resources" location = "West Europe" } resource "azurerm_storage_account" "example" { name = "examplestorageacct" resource_group_name = azurerm_resource_group.example.name location = azurerm_resource_group.example.location account_tier = "Standard" account_replication_type = "LRS" } In this configuration:
Example 2: Deploying an Azure Storage Account with the AzAPI Provider The AzAPI provider enables direct interaction with Azure's REST APIs, offering flexibility to manage resources not yet supported by AzureRM. Here's how you can define a Storage Account using AzAPI: provider "azapi" {
subscription_id = "<your-subscription-id>" } resource "azapi_resource" "example" { type = "Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts@2021-04-01" name = "examplestorageacct" location = "westeurope" parent_id = azapi_resource_group.example.id body = jsonencode({ sku: { name: "Standard_LRS" }, kind: "StorageV2", properties: {} }) } resource "azapi_resource_group" "example" { name = "example-resources" location = "westeurope" } In this configuration:
Conclusion Both AzureRM and AzAPI providers offer unique approaches to managing Azure infrastructure with Terraform. AzureRM provides a simplified and user-friendly interface for well-established services, while AzAPI offers granular control and immediate access to new Azure features. Choosing the appropriate provider depends on your project's requirements and the specific Azure services you intend to utilize.
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Mohammad Al Rousan is a Microsoft MVP (Azure), Microsoft Certified Solution Expert (MCSE) in Cloud Platform & Azure DevOps & Infrastructure, An active community blogger and speaker. Al Rousan has over 11 years of professional experience in IT Infrastructure and very passionate about Microsoft technologies and products. Top 10 Microsoft Azure Blogs
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