Hey everyone! I just started my new position as a cloud architect, and I'm in my second week now. Honestly, I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed and would love to hear from those of you who have been in this role for a while. The main source of my stress is the amount of Terraform code we're dealing with—some projects have hundreds of lines for full infrastructure deployment! How do you handle this level of complexity at scale? Do you write most of that code yourself, or do you find yourself reusing modules, copying from existing code, or relying on AI tools to help out? Also, when things go south, how do you troubleshoot? Do you remember all the code you've written, or is it more about digging through the scripts each time? I feel pretty solid on the architecture side (VPC, IAM, security, etc.), and I have a good idea of what needs to be set up, but I really lean on AI for Terraform code writing, which leaves me wondering if that's a normal practice. Here are my main questions: - How much Terraform do you actually write yourself? - What does your typical workflow look like in a day? - How long did it take before you felt comfortable managing large infrastructure codebases? I'd appreciate some honest insights that go beyond just 'practice more.' Also, I'm curious about how many tasks you usually handle in a day—I'm concerned I'm taking on too much and would like to know what a typical workload looks like. Thanks!
4 Answers
Honestly, in a cloud architect role, you might not be writing too much production code. It's more about collaborating with devops teams to ensure the right infrastructure is in place. Your efforts would be better spent on design and strategy rather than on the hands-on builds. Architects typically outline the vision and let the engineering or operations teams handle the coding aspects.
Isn't that the truth! Focusing on the architecture rather than coding means you can adapt your approach to meet the needs of the project better.
Just remember that you’ll get the hang of it with time. Writing modules and understanding your infrastructure will come naturally as you practice. Take it one step at a time—like the saying goes, you eat an elephant one bite at a time! Keep your Terraform linear to streamline your processes and make things easier as you learn.
Thanks for the advice! I definitely need to take a step back and focus on manageable tasks.
That’s a good mindset to have! I need to remind myself to not get overwhelmed—focusing on small wins helps!
When working with Terraform, it's crucial to write reusable modules instead of reinventing the wheel every time, so you’ll want to get familiar with the project directory structure. Understanding how your files are organized will help you find where to add or edit functionality. I write Terraform almost daily, but typically, I’m creating new modules or making tweaks to existing ones. It's all about keeping your project tidy, or else you’ll face challenges due to messy state files that can be tough to manage. Learn to leverage modules effectively, and that should relieve some of the pressure!
How do you share modules across different projects? Do you have separate repos for each project, or do you consolidate them?
As a junior, I also find it challenging to write Terraform by myself. I usually relay everything to AI, and I'd like to know how you developed your skills for writing modules on your own.
It really varies from week to week. Sometimes I'll write a large module, other weeks, I'm primarily using existing ones. Just recently, I made a module with about 700 lines of code, and then I deployed multiple instances of it in just a few lines—so it accumulates fast! In an average week, I might write around 500 lines of code. I have a pretty structured workflow: I pull from the main branch, run tests, and merge as needed. On a good day, I handle 3-5 tasks, ranging from setting permissions to resolving errors, which can range significantly in size.
When issues arise, how do you go about troubleshooting? Do you remember your previous code, or is it trial and error?
What do you do when you’re working on tasks? Do you try to keep code simple so others can use it?
Exactly! An architect's role is more about creating designs rather than writing the nitty-gritty. Your skills will grow in collaboration.