Provision AKS with Terraform

This folder contains a compact AKS example for learning how Terraform provisions a managed Kubernetes control plane and its default node pool on Azure.

What this example teaches

• How the azurerm_kubernetes_cluster resource models AKS.
• Which cluster settings usually appear first in a learning project: region, DNS prefix, node pool, identity, networking, and RBAC.
• How Terraform can provision platform infrastructure before application teams deploy workloads.
• How managed Kubernetes still relies on Terraform state and planning discipline.

Files to inspect

• main.tf: AKS resource group and cluster definition.
• outputs.tf: values you can surface after the cluster is created.

Suggested workflow

1. Read the cluster settings and map them to AKS concepts you already know.
2. Run terraform plan before applying so you understand the managed resources being requested.
3. Review how the node pool, identity, and network profile affect the cluster shape.
4. After provisioning, connect this example back to the Kubernetes lessons in the other smart-learning track.

Notes before reuse

• Use variables for region, cluster size, and naming once you move past the learning phase.
• Add remote state, tagging standards, and policy checks in team environments.
• Keep Terraform focused on cluster provisioning while Helm or Kubernetes manifests handle in-cluster apps where appropriate.