Getting started with Terraform CDK and TypeScript

In this post, I will do a walkthrough about provisioning AWS resources using Terraform CDK.

1. Install Terraform CDK npm module

npm install -g cdktf-cli

2. Initialize your Terraform CDK repository

mkdir thulir-infra
cd thulir-infra

cdktf init --template="typescript" --local

The output will look like this,

% cdktf init --template="typescript" --local
Note: By supplying '--local' option you have chosen local storage mode for storing the state of your stack.
This means that your Terraform state file will be stored locally on disk in a file 'terraform.tfstate' in the root of your project.

We will now set up the project. Please enter the details for your project.
If you want to exit, press ^C.

Project Name: (default: 'thulir-infra') 
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added 2 packages, and audited 54 packages in 952ms

5 packages are looking for funding
  run `npm fund` for details

found 0 vulnerabilities
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  npm install @cdktf/provider-null

  You can also build any module or provider locally. Learn more https://cdk.tf/modules-and-providers

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3. Install AWS Provider

npm install @cdktf/provider-aws --save

4. Synthesize the application

% cdktf synth
Generated Terraform code for the stacks: thulir-infra

5. Get the Terraform Plan

% cdktf diff
Stack: thulir-infra

Diff: 0 to create, 0 to update, 0 to delete.
%

6. Add some AWS resources

Open the main.tf and add a Kinesis stream.

import { Construct } from 'constructs';
import { App, TerraformStack } from 'cdktf';
import { AwsProvider, KinesisStream } from "@cdktf/provider-aws";

class MyStack extends TerraformStack {
  constructor(scope: Construct, name: string) {
    super(scope, name);

    new AwsProvider(this, "aws", {
      region: "us-east-1",
    });

    new KinesisStream(this, "thulir-iot-data-collector", {
      name: "thulir-iot-data-collector",
      shardCount: 1
    })
  }
}

const app = new App();
new MyStack(app, 'thulir-infra');
app.synth();

7. Generate the plan, validate and apply

% cdktf diff 
Stack: thulir-infra
Resources
 + AWS_KINESIS_STREAM   thulir-iot-data-col aws_kinesis_stream.thulir-iot-data-coll
                        lector              ector

Diff: 1 to create, 0 to update, 0 to delete.
% 

% cdktf apply
Deploying Stack: thulir-infra
Resources
  AWS_KINESIS_STREAM   thulir-iot-data-col aws_kinesis_stream.thulir-iot-data-coll
                        lector              ector

Summary: 1 created, 0 updated, 0 destroyed.
% 

8. Destroy the resources

% cdktf destroy
Destroying Stack: thulir-infra
Resources
  AWS_KINESIS_STREAM   thulir-iot-data-col aws_kinesis_stream.thulir-iot-data-coll
                        lector              ector

Summary: 1 destroyed.
%