--- lastproofread: '2026-03-16' --- (terraformaws)= # Deploy VyOS on AWS with Terraform and Ansible You can use Terraform to quickly deploy VyOS-based infrastructure on AWS and remove infrastructure when it's no longer needed. Additionally, you can use Ansible for provisioning. ```{eval-rst} .. image:: /_static/images/aws.webp :width: 50% :align: center :alt: Network Topology Diagram ``` On this page you'll learn how to: - Create the necessary files for Terraform and Ansible. - Use Terraform to create a single instance on AWS and use Ansible for provisioning. ## Prepare to deploy VyOS with Terraform on AWS To create a single instance and install your configuration using Terraform, Ansible, and AWS, follow these steps: ### AWS 1. Create an account with AWS and get your `access_key` and `secret_key`. 2. Create a key [pair] and download your `.pem` key. ```{eval-rst} .. image:: /_static/images/keypairs.webp :width: 50% :align: center :alt: Network Topology Diagram ``` 3. Create a security [group] for the new VyOS instance and open all traffic. ```{eval-rst} .. image:: /_static/images/sg.webp :width: 50% :align: center :alt: Network Topology Diagram ``` ```{eval-rst} .. image:: /_static/images/traffic.webp :width: 50% :align: center :alt: Network Topology Diagram ``` ### Terraform ```{eval-rst} 1. Create an UNIX or Windows instance. 2. Download and install `Terraform `__. 3. Create a folder, for example ``/root/awsterraform``: .. code-block:: none mkdir /root/awsterraform .. stop_vyoslinter 4. Copy all files into your Terraform project (``vyos.tf``, ``var.tf``, ``terraform.tfvars``, ``version.tf``). See `Structure of files in Terraform for AWS <#structure-of-files-in-terraform-for-aws>`__ for more details. .. start_vyoslinter 5. Run the following commands: .. code-block:: none cd / terraform init ``` ### Ansible ```{eval-rst} 1. Create a UNIX instance whenever you need. 2. Download and install Ansible 3. Create a folder, for example ``/root/aws/``. .. stop_vyoslinter 4. Copy all files into your Ansible project (``ansible.cfg``, ``instance.yml``, ``mykey.pem``, and ``all``). See `Structure of files in Ansible for AWS <#structure-of-files-in-ansible-for-aws>`__ for more details. You can obtain ``mykey.pem`` by creating a key `pair `__ in AWS and downloading your ``.pem`` key. .. start_vyoslinter ``` ### Deploy with Terraform Run the following commands on your Terraform instance: ```none cd / terraform plan terraform apply yes ``` ## Create an AWS instance and check its configuration ```none root@localhost:~/awsterraform# terraform apply Terraform used the selected providers to generate the following execution plan. Resource actions are indicated with the following symbols: + create Terraform will perform the following actions: # aws_instance.myVyOSec2 will be created + resource "aws_instance" "myVyOSec2" { + ami = "ami-************62c2d" + arn = (known after apply) + associate_public_ip_address = (known after apply) + availability_zone = (known after apply) + cpu_core_count = (known after apply) + cpu_threads_per_core = (known after apply) + disable_api_stop = (known after apply) + disable_api_termination = (known after apply) + ebs_optimized = (known after apply) + get_password_data = false + host_id = (known after apply) + host_resource_group_arn = (known after apply) + iam_instance_profile = (known after apply) + id = (known after apply) + instance_initiated_shutdown_behavior = (known after apply) + instance_lifecycle = (known after apply) + instance_state = (known after apply) + instance_type = "t2.micro" + ipv6_address_count = (known after apply) + ipv6_addresses = (known after apply) + key_name = "awsterraform" + monitoring = (known after apply) + outpost_arn = (known after apply) + password_data = (known after apply) + placement_group = (known after apply) + placement_partition_number = (known after apply) + primary_network_interface_id = (known after apply) + private_dns = (known after apply) + private_ip = (known after apply) + public_dns = (known after apply) + public_ip = (known after apply) + secondary_private_ips = (known after apply) + security_groups = [ + "awsterraformsg", ] + source_dest_check = true + spot_instance_request_id = (known after apply) + subnet_id = (known after apply) + tags = { + "name" = "VyOS System" } + tags_all = { + "name" = "VyOS System" } + tenancy = (known after apply) + user_data = (known after apply) + user_data_base64 = (known after apply) + user_data_replace_on_change = false + vpc_security_group_ids = (known after apply) } # local_file.ip will be created + resource "local_file" "ip" { + content = (known after apply) + content_base64sha256 = (known after apply) + content_base64sha512 = (known after apply) + content_md5 = (known after apply) + content_sha1 = (known after apply) + content_sha256 = (known after apply) + content_sha512 = (known after apply) + directory_permission = "0777" + file_permission = "0777" + filename = "ip.txt" + id = (known after apply) } # null_resource.SSHconnection1 will be created + resource "null_resource" "SSHconnection1" { + id = (known after apply) } # null_resource.SSHconnection2 will be created + resource "null_resource" "SSHconnection2" { + id = (known after apply) } Plan: 4 to add, 0 to change, 0 to destroy. Changes to Outputs: + my_IP = (known after apply) Do you want to perform these actions? Terraform will perform the actions described above. Only 'yes' will be accepted to approve. Enter a value: yes aws_instance.myVyOSec2: Creating... aws_instance.myVyOSec2: Still creating... [10s elapsed] aws_instance.myVyOSec2: Still creating... [20s elapsed] aws_instance.myVyOSec2: Still creating... [30s elapsed] aws_instance.myVyOSec2: Still creating... [40s elapsed] aws_instance.myVyOSec2: Creation complete after 44s [id=i-09edfca15aac2fe0a] null_resource.SSHconnection1: Creating... null_resource.SSHconnection2: Creating... null_resource.SSHconnection1: Provisioning with 'file'... null_resource.SSHconnection2: Provisioning with 'remote-exec'... null_resource.SSHconnection2 (remote-exec): Connecting to remote host via SSH... null_resource.SSHconnection2 (remote-exec): Host: 10.217.80.104 null_resource.SSHconnection2 (remote-exec): User: root null_resource.SSHconnection2 (remote-exec): Password: true null_resource.SSHconnection2 (remote-exec): Private key: false null_resource.SSHconnection2 (remote-exec): Certificate: false null_resource.SSHconnection2 (remote-exec): SSH Agent: false null_resource.SSHconnection2 (remote-exec): Checking Host Key: false null_resource.SSHconnection2 (remote-exec): Target Platform: unix local_file.ip: Creating... local_file.ip: Creation complete after 0s [id=e8e91f2e24579cd28b92e2d152c0c24c3bf4b52c] null_resource.SSHconnection2 (remote-exec): Connected! null_resource.SSHconnection1: Creation complete after 0s [id=7070868940858935600] null_resource.SSHconnection2 (remote-exec): PLAY [integration of terraform and ansible] ************************************ null_resource.SSHconnection2 (remote-exec): TASK [Wait 300 seconds, but only start checking after 60 seconds] ************** null_resource.SSHconnection2: Still creating... [10s elapsed] null_resource.SSHconnection2: Still creating... [20s elapsed] null_resource.SSHconnection2: Still creating... [30s elapsed] null_resource.SSHconnection2: Still creating... [40s elapsed] null_resource.SSHconnection2: Still creating... [50s elapsed] null_resource.SSHconnection2: Still creating... [1m0s elapsed] null_resource.SSHconnection2 (remote-exec): ok: [54.xxx.xxx.xxx] null_resource.SSHconnection2 (remote-exec): TASK [Configure general settings for the vyos hosts group] ********************* null_resource.SSHconnection2: Still creating... [1m10s elapsed] null_resource.SSHconnection2 (remote-exec): changed: [54.xxx.xxx.xxx] null_resource.SSHconnection2 (remote-exec): PLAY RECAP ********************************************************************* null_resource.SSHconnection2 (remote-exec): 54.xxx.xxx.xxx : ok=2 changed=1 unreachable=0 failed=0 skipped=0 rescued=0 ignored=0 null_resource.SSHconnection2: Creation complete after 1m16s [id=4902256962410024771] Apply complete! Resources: 4 added, 0 changed, 0 destroyed. Outputs: my_IP = "54.xxx.xxx.xxx" ``` After running all the commands, your VyOS instance is deployed on AWS with your specified configuration. To delete the instance, type the following command: ```none terraform destroy ``` ## Troubleshooting 1. If Ansible doesn't connect via SSH to your AWS instance, verify that your SSH key is in the path `/root/aws/`. You might need to increase the timeout in `instance.yml` from 300 seconds to 500 seconds or more, depending on your location. Make sure that the security group allows access to the instance. 2. If Terraform doesn't connect via SSH to your Ansible instance, verify the correct login and password in the `VyOS.tf` file. ```{eval-rst} .. code-block:: none connection { type = "ssh" user = "root" # open root access using login and password on your Ansible password = var.password # check password in the file terraform.tfvars isn't empty host = var.host # check the correct IP address of your Ansible host } ``` Make sure Ansible can ping from Terraform. ## Structure of files in Terraform for AWS ```none . ├── vyos.tf # The main script ├── var.tf # The file of all variables in "vyos.tf" ├── versions.tf # File for the changing version of Terraform. └── terraform.tfvars # The value of all variables (passwords, login, ip addresses and so on) ``` ## File contents of Terraform for AWS `vyos.tf` ```none ############################################################################## # Build a VyOS VM from the Marketplace. # Find the necessary AMI image_ in AWS. # # The vyos.tf script uses default values (you can change them as # needed) # AWS Region = "us-east-1" # AMI = "standard AMI of VyOS from AWS Marketplace" # Size of VM = "t2.micro" # AWS Region = "us-east-1" # After deploying the AWS instance and getting an IP address, the IP address is copied into the file #"ip.txt" and copied to the Ansible node for provisioning. ############################################################################## provider "aws" { access_key = var.access secret_key = var.secret region = var.region } variable "region" { default = "us-east-1" description = "AWS Region" } variable "ami" { default = "ami-**************3b3" # ami image please enter your details description = "Amazon Machine Image ID for VyOS" } variable "type" { default = "t2.micro" description = "Size of VM" } # my resource for VyOS resource "aws_instance" "myVyOSec2" { ami = var.ami key_name = "awsterraform" # Please enter your details from 1.2 of Preparation steps for deploying VyOS on AWS security_groups = ["awsterraformsg"] # Please enter your details from 1.3 of Preparation steps for deploying VyOS on AWS instance_type = var.type tags = { name = "VyOS System" } } ############################################################################## # Specific variable (to getting type "terraform plan"): # aws_instance.myVyOSec2.public_ip - the information about public IP address # of our instance, needs for provisioning and SSH connection from Ansible ############################################################################## output "my_IP"{ value = aws_instance.myVyOSec2.public_ip } ############################################################################## # The IP address of the AWS instance is copied to the ip.txt file # on the local Terraform system. The ip.txt file contains the public # IP address in the format: xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx ############################################################################## resource "local_file" "ip" { content = aws_instance.myVyOSec2.public_ip filename = "ip.txt" } #connecting to the Ansible control node using SSH connection ############################################################################## # The "SSHconnection1" and "SSHconnection2" steps retrieve ip.txt # from the Terraform node and run the Ansible playbook remotely. ############################################################################## resource "null_resource" "SSHconnection1" { depends_on = [aws_instance.myVyOSec2] connection { type = "ssh" user = "root" password = var.password host = var.host } # Copy the ip.txt file to the Ansible control node from the local # system provisioner "file" { source = "ip.txt" destination = "/root/aws/ip.txt" # The folder of your Ansible project } } resource "null_resource" "SSHconnection2" { depends_on = [aws_instance.myVyOSec2] connection { type = "ssh" user = "root" password = var.password host = var.host } # Run Ansible playbook on remote Linux OS provisioner "remote-exec" { inline = [ "cd /root/aws/", "ansible-playbook instance.yml" # more detailed in "File contents of Ansible for AWS" ] } } ``` `var.tf` ```none variable "password" { description = "pass for Ansible" type = string sensitive = true } variable "host"{ description = "The IP of my Ansible" type = string } variable "access" { description = "my access_key for AWS" type = string sensitive = true } variable "secret" { description = "my secret_key for AWS" type = string sensitive = true } ``` `versions.tf` ```none terraform { required_providers { aws = { source = "hashicorp/aws" version = "~> 5.0" } } } ``` `terraform.tfvars` ```none password = "" # password for Ansible SSH host = "" # IP of my Ansible access = "" # access_key for AWS secret = "" # secret_key for AWS ``` ## Structure of files in Ansible for AWS ```none . ├── group_vars └── all ├── ansible.cfg ├── mykey.pem └── instance.yml ``` ## File contents of Ansible for AWS `ansible.cfg` ```none [defaults] inventory = /root/aws/ip.txt host_key_checking= False private_key_file = /root/aws/awsterraform.pem # check the name remote_user=vyos ``` `mykey.pem` ```none Copy your key.pem from AWS ``` `instance.yml` ```none ############################################################################## # About tasks: # "Wait 300 seconds, but only start checking after 60 seconds" - # attempts SSH connection every 60 seconds until 300 seconds # "Configure general settings for the VyOS hosts group" - # provisions the AWS VyOS node # Add all necessary VyOS commands under the "lines:" block ############################################################################## - name: integration of terraform and ansible hosts: all gather_facts: 'no' tasks: - name: "Wait 300 seconds, but only start checking after 60 seconds" wait_for_connection: delay: 60 timeout: 300 - name: "Configure general settings for the VyOS hosts group" vyos_config: lines: - set system name-server xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx save: true ``` `group_vars/all` ```none ansible_connection: ansible.netcommon.network_cli ansible_network_os: vyos.vyos.vyos ansible_user: vyos ``` ## Source files on GitHub All files related to deploying VyOS on AWS with Terraform and Ansible can be found in the [vyos-automation] repository. % stop_vyoslinter [group]: https://docs.aws.amazon.com/cli/latest/userguide/cli-services-ec2-sg.html [pair]: https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSEC2/latest/UserGuide/create-key-pairs.html [vyos-automation]: % start_vyoslinter