Modules for reusability in GCP - Mini Project: Build & Apply

Modules for reusability

📖 Scenario: You are working on a Google Cloud Platform project where you need to create reusable infrastructure components. Using Terraform modules helps you avoid repeating code and makes your infrastructure easier to manage.

🎯 Goal: Build a simple Terraform module for creating a Google Cloud Storage bucket, then use that module in your main Terraform configuration to create a bucket with specific settings.

📋 What You'll Learn

Create a Terraform module with a variable for the bucket name

Use the module in the main Terraform configuration

Pass the bucket name to the module

Configure the bucket with versioning enabled

💡 Why This Matters

🌍 Real World

Terraform modules help cloud engineers reuse infrastructure code across projects, saving time and reducing errors.

💼 Career

Knowing how to create and use Terraform modules is a key skill for cloud infrastructure roles, enabling scalable and maintainable deployments.

1

Create the Terraform module folder and main.tf

Create a folder called gcs_bucket_module and inside it create a file main.tf with a resource google_storage_bucket named bucket. Set the bucket name to the variable bucket_name. Do not enable versioning yet.

GCP

# Create the folder gcs_bucket_module and inside it create main.tf
# Define resource google_storage_bucket named bucket
# Set bucket name to variable bucket_name
# Your code here

Need a hint?

Use resource "google_storage_bucket" "bucket" {} and inside set name = var.bucket_name.

2

Add a variable for the bucket name in the module

Inside the gcs_bucket_module folder, create a file variables.tf and define a variable called bucket_name of type string with no default value.

GCP

resource "google_storage_bucket" "bucket" {
  name = var.bucket_name
}

# Define variable bucket_name of type string
# Your code here

Need a hint?

Use variable "bucket_name" { type = string } to declare the variable.

3

Use the module in the main Terraform configuration

In your main Terraform configuration file main.tf (outside the module folder), add a module block named my_bucket that uses the source ./gcs_bucket_module. Pass the bucket name my-unique-bucket-123 to the module variable bucket_name.

GCP

resource "google_storage_bucket" "bucket" {
  name = var.bucket_name
}

variable "bucket_name" {
  type = string
}

# In main.tf outside the module folder, add module block named my_bucket
# Use source "./gcs_bucket_module"
# Pass bucket_name = "my-unique-bucket-123"
# Your code here

Need a hint?

Use module "my_bucket" { source = "./gcs_bucket_module" bucket_name = "my-unique-bucket-123" }.

4

Enable versioning in the module's storage bucket resource

Modify the google_storage_bucket resource in gcs_bucket_module/main.tf to enable versioning by adding the block versioning { enabled = true } inside the resource.

GCP

resource "google_storage_bucket" "bucket" {
  name = var.bucket_name
  # Add versioning block here
}

variable "bucket_name" {
  type = string
}

module "my_bucket" {
  source      = "./gcs_bucket_module"
  bucket_name = "my-unique-bucket-123"
}

Need a hint?

Add versioning { enabled = true } inside the google_storage_bucket resource.