How to Deploy an s3 bucket using Terraform via GitHub Actions in 6 steps

Deploying an Amazon S3 bucket using Terraform via GitHub Actions allows you to automate your infrastructure as code process. Here's a step-by-step tutorial:

1. Setting up your Terraform Configuration

main.tf:

provider "aws" {
  region  = "us-west-1"
  version = "~> 3.0"
}

resource "aws_s3_bucket" "my_bucket" {
  bucket = "my-unique-bucket-name"
  acl    = "private"
}

Ensure you have the necessary providers configured, and specify the S3 bucket configuration.

2. Set Up GitHub Repository

1. Create a new repository on GitHub.
2. Push the above Terraform configuration to the repository.

3. AWS Credentials

You'll need AWS credentials (AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID and AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY) for Terraform to interact with AWS.

Never push these secrets to GitHub or expose them in logs. Instead, use GitHub Secrets:

1. Go to your GitHub repository.
2. Click on the Settings tab.
3. Go to the Secrets section.
4. Add AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID and AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY.

4. GitHub Actions Configuration

In your repository, create a new file: .github/workflows/terraform.yml

name: 'Terraform'

on:
  push:
    branches:
      - main

jobs:
  terraform:
    name: 'Terraform'
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest

    steps:
    - name: Checkout
      uses: actions/checkout@v2

    - name: Set up Terraform
      uses: hashicorp/setup-terraform@v1

    - name: Terraform Initialize
      env:
        AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID: ${{ secrets.AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID }}
        AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY: ${{ secrets.AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY }}
      run: terraform init

    - name: Terraform Validate
      run: terraform validate

    - name: Terraform Plan
      env:
        AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID: ${{ secrets.AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID }}
        AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY: ${{ secrets.AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY }}
      run: terraform plan

    - name: Terraform Apply
      env:
        AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID: ${{ secrets.AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID }}
        AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY: ${{ secrets.AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY }}
      run: terraform apply -auto-approve

This workflow does the following:

1. Checks out your repository.
2. Sets up Terraform.
3. Initializes Terraform.
4. Validates Terraform configurations.
5. Creates a Terraform plan.
6. Applies the Terraform configuration.

5. Commit and Push

Once you've set up the GitHub Actions workflow, commit and push the .github/workflows/terraform.yml file to your GitHub repository.

6. Verify

After pushing the GitHub Actions configuration:

1. Go to the Actions tab in your GitHub repository.
2. You should see the Terraform workflow running.
3. Once it's completed, you can verify in AWS that your S3 bucket has been created.

Important Notes:

• Always ensure that your AWS credentials are securely stored and not hard-coded or exposed.
• If you're working on a team or in a production environment, you might want to add approval steps before the terraform apply to ensure changes are reviewed.
• Ensure your bucket name is unique globally.
• Adjust the AWS region in the Terraform configuration if needed.
• Consider using state backends like S3 or Terraform Cloud to manage and store your Terraform state.

This is a basic tutorial, and there are many nuances to consider for production-grade infrastructure deployment, including managing Terraform state, handling secrets, and more.

If you are considering using GitHub Actions for production-grade infrastructure deployment - Digger simplifies running Terraform & OpenTofu in the CI/CD system of your choice. Digger has:

• Private runners by default - no sharing of secrets with a 3rd party
• Is scalable & reliable - Digger reuses your existing CI/CD system for compute
• Faster Deployments - Digger has parallel runs enabled on all plans
• Easy to get started - No need to host and maintain an extra server.
• Audit Trails  - Digger Maintains an audit trail of all deployments & changes.
• Policies -  Enforce project and organisation level policies (Via OPA) for compliance.
• RBAC -  Control who can view, modify, and deploy infrastructure based on their role.
• Single Sign-On (SSO) via SAML - User authentication and access management with  SSO through SAML integration.

Try it here or join Digger’s slack for more information.