Terraform EC2 and Virtual Machine Creation Guide

Terraform EC2 and Virtual Machine Creation Guide#

Learn how to create virtual machines using Terraform with image selection, instance size, network security, SSH keys, tags, variables, and safe deployment practices.

Example AWS EC2 instance#

resource "aws_instance" "web" { ami = var.ami_id instance_type = var.instance_type subnet_id = var.subnet_id tags = { Name = "terraform-web" } }

Variables#

variable "instance_type" { type = string default = "t3.micro" }

Security group reminder#

Only open required ports. For SSH, restrict access to trusted IP ranges.

Common mistakes#

• Hardcoding AMI/image IDs without documentation.
• Opening SSH to the world.
• Not using tags.
• Using production keys in test projects.
• Destroying important instances accidentally.

Best practices#

• Use variables for image, size, subnet, and environment.
• Use data sources to lookup images.
• Use least-privilege security rules.
• Tag all instances.
• Use remote state for team projects.

Related guides#

• Terraform Learning Path
• Terraform Data Sources Explained