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TERRAFORM

How To Merge Terraform Tags

To begin with, why tag resources?

Of course, the show can be run even without the tags. However, when you use them, it:

Helps in better organization by categorizing resources based on criteria like environment, application, and team.

Aids in cost allocation, enabling more effective tracking of expenses across different projects or departments.

Simplifies automation processes by making it easier to manage and deploy resources programmatically.

Enhances security by allowing you to identify and control access to resources based on tags.

Achieves efficient lifecycle management as tags help track the usage and status of resources throughout their lifespan.

Having said that, How to Define Default Tags in Terraform ?

Defining default tags in Terraform is a great way to promote consistency and save yourself from repetitive work.

You can set these tags at the provider level, which then apply to all resources managed by that provider.

Check this example:

variable "default_tags" {
  default = {
    Environment = "Production"
    Department  = "Engineering"
  }
}

What’s next ? Let’s see how to override tags at the resource level ?

Sometimes, you need to override those default tags or add new ones for specific resources.

This can be done by specifying the tags argument within the resource definition.

For example:

variable "override_tags" {
  default = {
    Environment = "Staging"
    Project     = "WebsiteRevamp"
  }

Before discussing how to merge the two, I would like to introduce 1440, which I consume daily to feed my curiosity.

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How to Merge Default and Override Tags ?

Terraform allows you to merge default and override tags using the merge function.

This is useful for combining tags from different sources.

Here’s an example of how to do this:

resource "aws_instance" "example" {
  ami           = "ami-0abcdef1234567890"
  instance_type = "t3.medium"

  tags = merge(
    var.default_tags,
    var.override_tags
  )
}

The merged output will include the overridden and additional tags while retaining the default ones that are not overridden.

I would also like to share how to avoid common tagging pitfalls ?

1. Inconsistent tag naming conventions can make tags harder to manage - Stick to a clear naming convention.

2. Having identical tag keys and values in both default and resource tags can cause errors in Terraform.

3. Partial tag matches between default and resource tags can result in perpetual diffs during Terraform plan.

Remember,

Tagging makes tracking easier.

If done incorrectly, the benefit itself becomes an impediment.

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