Quickstart: Create an Azure SQL Database server and database using Terraform

Creating a single database is the quickest and simplest option to create a database in Azure SQL Database. This quickstart shows you how to create a single database using Terraform.

Terraform enables the definition, preview, and deployment of cloud infrastructure. Using Terraform, you create configuration files using HCL syntax. The HCL syntax allows you to specify the cloud provider - such as Azure - and the elements that make up your cloud infrastructure. After you create your configuration files, you create an execution plan that allows you to preview your infrastructure changes before they're deployed. Once you verify the changes, you apply the execution plan to deploy the infrastructure.

In this article, you learn how to:

Prerequisites

• Install and configure Terraform

Implement the Terraform code

1. Create a directory in which to test and run the sample Terraform code and make it the current directory.

2. Create a file named providers.tf and insert the following code:

   terraform {
     required_version = ">=1.0"
     required_providers {
       azurerm = {
         source  = "hashicorp/azurerm"
         version = "~>3.0"
       }
       random = {
         source  = "hashicorp/random"
         version = "~>3.0"
       }
     }
   }
   provider "azurerm" {
     features {}
   }
   

3. Create a file named main.tf and insert the following code:

   resource "random_pet" "rg_name" {
     prefix = var.resource_group_name_prefix
   }
   
   resource "azurerm_resource_group" "rg" {
     name     = random_pet.rg_name.id
     location = var.resource_group_location
   }
   
   resource "random_pet" "azurerm_mssql_server_name" {
     prefix = "sql"
   }
   
   resource "random_password" "admin_password" {
     count       = var.admin_password == null ? 1 : 0
     length      = 20
     special     = true
     min_numeric = 1
     min_upper   = 1
     min_lower   = 1
     min_special = 1
   }
   
   locals {
     admin_password = try(random_password.admin_password[0].result, var.admin_password)
   }
   
   resource "azurerm_mssql_server" "server" {
     name                         = random_pet.azurerm_mssql_server_name.id
     resource_group_name          = azurerm_resource_group.rg.name
     location                     = azurerm_resource_group.rg.location
     administrator_login          = var.admin_username
     administrator_login_password = local.admin_password
     version                      = "12.0"
   }
   
   resource "azurerm_mssql_database" "db" {
     name      = var.sql_db_name
     server_id = azurerm_mssql_server.server.id
   }
   

4. Create a file named variables.tf and insert the following code:

   variable "resource_group_location" {
     type        = string
     description = "Location for all resources."
     default     = "eastus"
   }
   
   variable "resource_group_name_prefix" {
     type        = string
     description = "Prefix of the resource group name that's combined with a random ID so name is unique in your Azure subscription."
     default     = "rg"
   }
   
   variable "sql_db_name" {
     type        = string
     description = "The name of the SQL Database."
     default     = "SampleDB"
   }
   
   variable "admin_username" {
     type        = string
     description = "The administrator username of the SQL logical server."
     default     = "azureadmin"
   }
   
   variable "admin_password" {
     type        = string
     description = "The administrator password of the SQL logical server."
     sensitive   = true
     default     = null
   }
   

5. Create a file named outputs.tf and insert the following code:

   output "resource_group_name" {
     value = azurerm_resource_group.rg.name
   }
   
   output "sql_server_name" {
     value = azurerm_mssql_server.server.name
   }
   
   
   output "admin_password" {
     sensitive = true
     value     = local.admin_password
   }
   

Initialize Terraform

Run terraform init to initialize the Terraform deployment. This command downloads the Azure provider required to manage your Azure resources.

terraform init -upgrade

Key points:

• The -upgrade parameter upgrades the necessary provider plugins to the newest version that complies with the configuration's version constraints.

Create a Terraform execution plan

Run terraform plan to create an execution plan.

terraform plan -out main.tfplan

Key points:

• The terraform plan command creates an execution plan, but doesn't execute it. Instead, it determines what actions are necessary to create the configuration specified in your configuration files. This pattern allows you to verify whether the execution plan matches your expectations before making any changes to actual resources.
• The optional -out parameter allows you to specify an output file for the plan. Using the -out parameter ensures that the plan you reviewed is exactly what is applied.

Apply a Terraform execution plan

Run terraform apply to apply the execution plan to your cloud infrastructure.

terraform apply main.tfplan

Key points:

• The example terraform apply command assumes you previously ran terraform plan -out main.tfplan.
• If you specified a different filename for the -out parameter, use that same filename in the call to terraform apply.
• If you didn't use the -out parameter, call terraform apply without any parameters.

Verify the results

Clean up resources

When you no longer need the resources created via Terraform, do the following steps:

1. Run terraform plan and specify the destroy flag.

   terraform plan -destroy -out main.destroy.tfplan
   

   Key points:

   • The terraform plan command creates an execution plan, but doesn't execute it. Instead, it determines what actions are necessary to create the configuration specified in your configuration files. This pattern allows you to verify whether the execution plan matches your expectations before making any changes to actual resources.
   • The optional -out parameter allows you to specify an output file for the plan. Using the -out parameter ensures that the plan you reviewed is exactly what is applied.

2. Run terraform apply to apply the execution plan.

   terraform apply main.destroy.tfplan
   

Troubleshoot Terraform on Azure

Troubleshoot common problems when using Terraform on Azure

Next steps