Infrastructure-as-code on HPE GreenLake using Terraform

Setting up a API Client access

Next, you need to create a new API Client access dedicated to Terraform. You can do this from the HPE GreenLake console under your settings icon, identity & Access, and then the API Clients tab.

Create a new API Client (hpedev-hackshack-terraform in the screen capture above), and make sure the Tenant Contributor and Tenant Owner roles are assigned on your space. Make note of the client id and the Issuer URL as shown in the capture below.

Note: You need to remember the API Client secret key, as it’s not displayed anymore after creation.

Finally, you’ll need your Tenant ID as shown from the HPE GreenLake console under your profile icon, API Access

With this you can now build a resource file that defines the following environment variables:

export HPEGL_TENANT_ID=<Your Tenant ID>
export HPEGL_USER_ID=<Client ID of the API Client>
export HPEGL_USER_SECRET=<Secret Key displayed when you created the API Client>
export HPEGL_IAM_SERVICE_URL=<Issuer URL>

And execute it on your machine to set these environment variables.

Querying for infrastructure components

Your next step with the TF file is to query the HPE GreenLake provider to collect information needed to create your first VM instance. From the documentation, you can see that you need to gather the following information:

• Cloud ID
• Group ID
• Layout ID
• Plan ID
• Instance type code
• Network ID
• Resource Pool ID
• Template ID
• Folder Code

For this, you will use the Terraform data statements. For example, the following statement retrieves the Cloud ID and stores it (in variable called cloud), which we can later use with: data.hpegl_vmaas_cloud.cloud.id

# Retrieve cloud id
data "hpegl_vmaas_cloud" "cloud" {
     name = "HPE GreenLake VMaaS Cloud-Trial4 "
   }

Using a similar technique, you can retrieve the rest of the data you need:

# And a few networks
data "hpegl_vmaas_network" "blue_net" {
     name = "Blue-Network"
   }
data "hpegl_vmaas_network" "green_net" {
     name = "Green-network"
   }
 
data "hpegl_vmaas_cloud_folder" "compute_folder" {
   cloud_id = data.hpegl_vmaas_cloud.cloud.id
   name     = "ComputeFolder"
   }
 
# Locate a resource pool
data "hpegl_vmaas_resource_pool" "cl_resource_pool" {
     cloud_id = data.hpegl_vmaas_cloud.cloud.id
     name = "ComputeResourcePool"
   }
 
# And a group
data "hpegl_vmaas_group" "default_group" {
  name = "HPEDEV-HackShackTenant-Group"
}
 
# Locate a plan
data "hpegl_vmaas_plan" "g1_small" {
     name = "G1-Small"
   }
 
# A layout
data "hpegl_vmaas_layout" "vmware" {
  name               = "VMware VM with vanilla CentOS"
  instance_type_code = "glhc-vanilla-centos"
}
 
# And a template
data "hpegl_vmaas_template" "vanilla" {
     name = "vanilla-centos7-x86_64-09072020"
   }

You can get information about each of the data statements supported by the hpegl provider from GitHub.

Creating a VM resource

The last step is to use a Terraform resource statement to request the creation of a new VM instance:

resource "hpegl_vmaas_instance" "DidierTest1" {
     name               = "DidierTest1"
     cloud_id           = data.hpegl_vmaas_cloud.cloud.id
     group_id           = data.hpegl_vmaas_group.default_group.id
     layout_id          = data.hpegl_vmaas_layout.vmware.id
     plan_id            = data.hpegl_vmaas_plan.g1_small.id
     instance_type_code = data.hpegl_vmaas_layout.vmware.instance_type_code
 
     network {
         id = data.hpegl_vmaas_network.green_net.id
     }
 
     volume {
         name         = "root_vol"
         size         = 15
         datastore_id = "auto"
     }
 
     config {
         resource_pool_id = data.hpegl_vmaas_resource_pool.cl_resource_pool.id
         template_id      = data.hpegl_vmaas_template.vanilla.id
         no_agent         = true
         asset_tag        = "vm_terraform"
         folder_code      = data.hpegl_vmaas_cloud_folder.compute_folder.code
     }
 
     power = "poweron"
   }

Note: You can get information about each of the resource statements supported by the hpegl provider from GitHub.

Terraform ready to plan

To validate your configuration file, I recommend running the plan command as you add sections to your file. The terraform plan command will check for syntax errors and provide information about what will be created when the terraform apply method is used.

Didiers-MacBook-Pro:Terraform lalli$ terraform plan
 
Terraform used the selected providers to generate the following execution plan. Resource actions are
indicated with the following symbols:
  + create
 
Terraform will perform the following actions:
 
  # hpegl_vmaas_instance.DidierTest1 will be created
  + resource "hpegl_vmaas_instance" "DidierTest1" {
      + cloud_id           = 1
      + containers         = (known after apply)
      + group_id           = 3
      + history            = (known after apply)
      + hostname           = (known after apply)
      + id                 = (known after apply)
      + instance_type_code = "glhc-vanilla-centos"
      + layout_id          = 1159
      + name               = "DidierTest1"
      + plan_id            = 402
      + power              = "poweron"
      + server_id          = (known after apply)
      + status             = (known after apply)
 
      + config {
          + asset_tag        = "vm_terraform"
          + folder_code      = "1"
          + no_agent         = true
          + resource_pool_id = 1
          + template_id      = 573
        }
 
      + network {
          + id          = 6
          + internal_id = (known after apply)
          + is_primary  = (known after apply)
          + name        = (known after apply)
        }
 
      + volume {
          + datastore_id = "auto"
          + id           = (known after apply)
          + name         = "root_vol"
          + root         = true
          + size         = 10
        }
    }
 
Plan: 1 to add, 0 to change, 0 to destroy.

If you agree with the plan, and what is going to be created, you can move to the last step, i.e. applying the configuration.

Terraform ready to apply

The command you need to use is now: terraform apply. This will rerun the plan command, then prompt you to confirm before it starts building what’s in the plan:

Do you want to perform these actions?
  Terraform will perform the actions described above.
  Only 'yes' will be accepted to approve.
 
  Enter a value: yes
 
hpegl_vmaas_instance.DidierTest1: Creating...
hpegl_vmaas_instance.DidierTest1: Still creating... [10s elapsed]
hpegl_vmaas_instance.DidierTest1: Still creating... [20s elapsed]
hpegl_vmaas_instance.DidierTest1: Still creating... [30s elapsed]
hpegl_vmaas_instance.DidierTest1: Still creating... [40s elapsed]
hpegl_vmaas_instance.DidierTest1: Still creating... [50s elapsed]
hpegl_vmaas_instance.DidierTest1: Still creating... [1m0s elapsed]
hpegl_vmaas_instance.DidierTest1: Still creating... [1m10s elapsed]
hpegl_vmaas_instance.DidierTest1: Still creating... [1m20s elapsed]
hpegl_vmaas_instance.DidierTest1: Still creating... [1m30s elapsed]
hpegl_vmaas_instance.DidierTest1: Still creating... [1m40s elapsed]
hpegl_vmaas_instance.DidierTest1: Still creating... [1m50s elapsed]
hpegl_vmaas_instance.DidierTest1: Still creating... [2m0s elapsed]
hpegl_vmaas_instance.DidierTest1: Creation complete after 2m9s [id=145]
 
Apply complete! Resources: 1 added, 0 changed, 0 destroyed.

If you open your HPE GreenLake console to monitor the VM resources, you will see the effect of the terraform apply command:

Cleaning it all up

In Terraform, clean-up can be done using the destroy command. This will automatically use the HPE GreenLake provider to clean the infrastructure in HPE GreenLake.

Didiers-MacBook-Pro:Terraform lalli$ terraform destroy
hpegl_vmaas_instance.DidierTest1: Refreshing state... [id=145]
 
Terraform used the selected providers to generate the following execution plan. Resource actions are indicated with the following symbols:
  - destroy
 
Terraform will perform the following actions:
 
  # hpegl_vmaas_instance.DidierTest1 will be destroyed
  - resource "hpegl_vmaas_instance" "DidierTest1" {
      - cloud_id           = 1 -> null
      - containers         = [
          - {
              - container_type = [
                  - {
                      - name = "vanilla-centos7-node"
                    },
                ]
              - external_fqdn  = "didiertest1.localdomain"
              - hostname       = "didiertest1"
              - id             = 145
              - ip             = "172.17.70.29"
              - max_cores      = 1
              - max_memory     = 4294967296
              - max_storage    = 16106127360
              - name           = "DidierTest1_145"
              - server         = [
                  - {
                      - compute_server_type = [
                          - {
                              - external_delete = true
                              - managed         = true
                              - name            = "VMware Linux VM"
                            },
                        ]
                      - date_created        = "2022-02-23T14:42:10Z"
                      - id                  = 151
                      - last_updated        = "2022-02-23T22:05:33Z"
                      - owner               = [
                          - {
                              - username = "hpedev-hackshack-terraform"
                            },
                        ]
                      - platform            = ""
                      - platform_version    = ""
                      - server_os           = [
                          - {
                              - name = "centOS 7 64-bit"
                            },
                        ]
                      - ssh_host            = "172.17.70.29"
                      - ssh_port            = 22
                      - visibility          = "private"
                    },
                ]
            },
        ] -> null
      - group_id           = 3 -> null
      - history            = [
          - {
              - account_id   = 2
              - created_by   = [
                  - {
                      - display_name = "hpedev-hackshack-terraform"
                      - username     = "hpedev-hackshack-terraform"
                    },
                ]
              - date_created = "2022-02-23T14:42:11Z"
              - display_name = "DidierTest1"
              - duration     = 54873
              - end_date     = "2022-02-23T14:43:06Z"
              - id           = 1191
              - instance_id  = 145
              - last_updated = "2022-02-23T14:43:06Z"
              - percent      = 100
              - process_type = [
                  - {
                      - code = "provision"
                      - name = "provision"
                    },
                ]
              - reason       = ""
              - start_date   = "2022-02-23T14:42:11Z"
              - status       = "complete"
              - status_eta   = 0
              - unique_id    = "dc48d7f7-f564-46b7-b60f-67eaf5193f38"
              - updated_by   = [
                  - {
                      - display_name = "hpedev-hackshack-terraform"
                      - username     = "hpedev-hackshack-terraform"
                    },
                ]
            },
        ] -> null
      - id                 = "145" -> null
      - instance_type_code = "glhc-vanilla-centos" -> null
      - layout_id          = 1159 -> null
      - name               = "DidierTest1" -> null
      - plan_id            = 402 -> null
      - power              = "poweron" -> null
      - server_id          = 151 -> null
      - status             = "running" -> null
 
      - config {
          - asset_tag        = "vm_terraform" -> null
          - create_user      = false -> null
          - folder_code      = "group-v41" -> null
          - no_agent         = true -> null
          - resource_pool_id = 2 -> null
          - template_id      = 573 -> null
        }
 
      - network {
          - id           = 7 -> null
          - interface_id = 0 -> null
          - internal_id  = 197 -> null
          - is_primary   = true -> null
          - name         = "eth0" -> null
        }
 
      - volume {
          - datastore_id = "auto" -> null
          - id           = 282 -> null
          - name         = "root_vol" -> null
          - root         = false -> null
          - size         = 15 -> null
        }
    }
 
Plan: 0 to add, 0 to change, 1 to destroy.
 
Do you really want to destroy all resources?
  Terraform will destroy all your managed infrastructure, as shown above.
  There is no undo. Only 'yes' will be accepted to confirm.
 
  Enter a value:
 
  Enter a value: yes
 
hpegl_vmaas_instance.DidierTest1: Destroying... [id=145]
hpegl_vmaas_instance.DidierTest1: Still destroying... [id=145, 10s elapsed]
hpegl_vmaas_instance.DidierTest1: Still destroying... [id=145, 20s elapsed]
hpegl_vmaas_instance.DidierTest1: Still destroying... [id=145, 30s elapsed]
hpegl_vmaas_instance.DidierTest1: Still destroying... [id=145, 40s elapsed]
hpegl_vmaas_instance.DidierTest1: Still destroying... [id=145, 50s elapsed]
hpegl_vmaas_instance.DidierTest1: Still destroying... [id=145, 1m0s elapsed]
hpegl_vmaas_instance.DidierTest1: Destruction complete after 1m7s
 
Destroy complete! Resources: 1 destroyed.

What’s next?

In this blog post, I covered how to get started with the Terraform provider for HPE GreenLake, explained how to collect data from the platform, and showed how to request the creation of a VM instance. In my next article, I will apply changes to the configuration of the infrastructure configuration file and demonstrate how the desired state is automatically tracked by Terraform and applied to HPE GreenLake.

• Learn more about Terraform
• Learn more about HPE GreenLake
• Learn more about the HPE GreenLake Terraform provider

Find other tutorials and articles on HPE GreenLake on the HPE DEV blog.