Managing DNS with Terraform

Terraform is a powerful infrastructure as code (IaC) tool that allows you to manage your infrastructure resources, including DNS records, through declarative configuration files. In this section, we'll explore how to use Terraform to manage DNS records and page rules in Cloudflare for our automated homelab deployment.

Configuring the Terraform Provider

To start managing DNS with Terraform, you need to configure the Cloudflare provider in your Terraform configuration file. Here's an example of how to set up the provider:

terraform {
  required_providers {
    cloudflare = {
      source = "cloudflare/cloudflare"
      version = "~> 4.22"
    }
  }
}
 
provider "cloudflare" {
  api_token = var.cloudflare_api_token
}

In this example, we specify the required provider as cloudflare and set the version constraint to ~> 4.22. We also configure the provider with the cloudflare_api_token variable, which should be securely stored and provided during the Terraform execution.

Creating DNS Records for Subdomains

Terraform allows you to create DNS records for your subdomains easily. Here's an example of how to create a CNAME record for a subdomain:

resource "cloudflare_record" "speedtest_dns" {
  zone_id = var.cloudflare_zone_id
  name    = var.speedtest_subdomain
  value   = "${var.nuc1_tunnel_uuid}.cfargotunnel.com"
  type    = "CNAME"
  proxied = true
}

In this example, we create a cloudflare_record resource for the speedtest subdomain. The zone_id and name are set using variables, and the value is set to the corresponding Cloudflare Tunnel UUID. The type is set to "CNAME", and proxied is set to true to enable Cloudflare's proxy features.

You can create similar records for other subdomains by defining additional cloudflare_record resources with the appropriate variables and values.

Setting Up Page Rules and Caching

Terraform also allows you to configure page rules and caching settings in Cloudflare. Here's an example of how to create a page rule to force HTTPS:

resource "cloudflare_page_rule" "force_ssl" {
  zone_id = var.cloudflare_zone_id
  target  = "*.${var.cloudflare_zone_name}/*"
  actions {
    always_use_https = true
  }
  priority = 2
}

In this example, we create a cloudflare_page_rule resource to force HTTPS for all subdomains. The zone_id is set using a variable, and the target is set to match all subdomains and paths. The actions block specifies the action to always use HTTPS, and the priority is set to determine the order of evaluation.

You can define additional page rules for tasks like redirecting requests, setting cache settings, and more. Refer to the Cloudflare Terraform provider documentation (opens in a new tab) for more details on available actions and settings.

Subdomain Configuration

Caching and Performance Optimization

By leveraging Terraform to manage your DNS records and page rules in Cloudflare, you can ensure consistent and automated configuration of your homelab's domain and subdomains. This enables seamless access to your homelab services while benefiting from Cloudflare's performance and security features.

With Terraform, you can version control your DNS configuration, easily replicate settings across environments, and collaborate with others on infrastructure changes. It provides a reliable and efficient way to manage your homelab's DNS infrastructure.

Configuring Backups Subdomain Configuration