github.com/nicgrayson/terraform@v0.4.3-0.20150415203910-c4de50829380/website/source/docs/configuration/resources.html.md (about) 1 --- 2 layout: "docs" 3 page_title: "Configuring Resources" 4 sidebar_current: "docs-config-resources" 5 description: |- 6 The most important thing you'll configure with Terraform are resources. Resources are a component of your infrastructure. It might be some low level component such as a physical server, virtual machine, or container. Or it can be a higher level component such as an email provider, DNS record, or database provider. 7 --- 8 9 # Resource Configuration 10 11 The most important thing you'll configure with Terraform are 12 resources. Resources are a component of your infrastructure. 13 It might be some low level component such as a physical server, 14 virtual machine, or container. Or it can be a higher level 15 component such as an email provider, DNS record, or database 16 provider. 17 18 This page assumes you're familiar with the 19 [configuration syntax](/docs/configuration/syntax.html) 20 already. 21 22 ## Example 23 24 A resource configuration looks like the following: 25 26 ``` 27 resource "aws_instance" "web" { 28 ami = "ami-123456" 29 instance_type = "m1.small" 30 } 31 ``` 32 33 ## Description 34 35 The `resource` block creates a resource of the given `TYPE` (first 36 parameter) and `NAME` (second parameter). The combination of the type 37 and name must be unique. 38 39 Within the block (the `{ }`) is configuration for the resource. The 40 configuration is dependent on the type, and is documented for each 41 resource type in the 42 [providers section](/docs/providers/index.html). 43 44 There are **meta-parameters** available to all resources: 45 46 * `count` (int) - The number of identical resources to create. 47 This doesn't apply to all resources. For details on using variables in 48 conjunction with count, see [Using Variables with 49 `count`](#using-variables-with-count) below. 50 51 * `depends_on` (list of strings) - Explicit dependencies that this 52 resource has. These dependencies will be created before this 53 resource. The dependencies are in the format of `TYPE.NAME`, 54 for example `aws_instance.web`. 55 56 * `lifecycle` (configuration block) - Customizes the lifecycle 57 behavior of the resource. The specific options are documented 58 below. 59 60 The `lifecycle` block allows the following keys to be set: 61 62 * `create_before_destroy` (bool) - This flag is used to ensure 63 the replacement of a resource is created before the original 64 instance is destroyed. As an example, this can be used to 65 create an new DNS record before removing an old record. 66 67 ------------- 68 69 Within a resource, you can optionally have a **connection block**. 70 Connection blocks describe to Terraform how to connect to the 71 resource for 72 [provisioning](/docs/provisioners/index.html). This block doesn't 73 need to be present if you're using only local provisioners, or 74 if you're not provisioning at all. 75 76 Resources provide some data on their own, such as an IP address, 77 but other data must be specified by the user. 78 79 The full list of settings that can be specified are listed on 80 the [provisioner connection page](/docs/provisioners/connection.html). 81 82 ------------- 83 84 Within a resource, you can specify zero or more **provisioner 85 blocks**. Provisioner blocks configure 86 [provisioners](/docs/provisioners/index.html). 87 88 Within the provisioner block is provisioner-specific configuration, 89 much like resource-specific configuration. 90 91 Provisioner blocks can also contain a connection block 92 (documented above). This connection block can be used to 93 provide more specific connection info for a specific provisioner. 94 An example use case might be to use a different user to log in 95 for a single provisioner. 96 97 <a id="using-variables-with-count"></a> 98 99 ## Using Variables With `count` 100 101 When declaring multiple instances of a resource using [`count`](#count), it is 102 common to want each instance to have a different value for a given attribute. 103 104 You can use the `${count.index}` 105 [interpolation](/docs/configuration/interpolation.html) along with a mapping [variable](/docs/configuration/variables.html) to accomplish this. 106 107 For example, here's how you could create three [AWS Instances](/docs/providers/aws/r/instance.html) each with their own static IP 108 address: 109 110 ``` 111 variable "instance_ips" { 112 default = { 113 "0" = "10.11.12.100" 114 "1" = "10.11.12.101" 115 "2" = "10.11.12.102" 116 } 117 } 118 119 resource "aws_instance" "app" { 120 count = "3" 121 private_ip = "${lookup(var.instance_ips, count.index)}" 122 # ... 123 } 124 ``` 125 126 ## Syntax 127 128 The full syntax is: 129 130 ``` 131 resource TYPE NAME { 132 CONFIG ... 133 [count = COUNT] 134 [depends_on = [RESOURCE NAME, ...]] 135 [LIFECYCLE] 136 137 [CONNECTION] 138 [PROVISIONER ...] 139 } 140 ``` 141 142 where `CONFIG` is: 143 144 ``` 145 KEY = VALUE 146 147 KEY { 148 CONFIG 149 } 150 ``` 151 152 where `LIFECYCLE` is: 153 154 ``` 155 lifecycle { 156 [create_before_destroy = true|false] 157 } 158 ``` 159 160 where `CONNECTION` is: 161 162 ``` 163 connection { 164 KEY = VALUE 165 ... 166 } 167 ``` 168 169 where `PROVISIONER` is: 170 171 ``` 172 provisioner NAME { 173 CONFIG ... 174 175 [CONNECTION] 176 } 177 ```