A Guide for Automating Deployments of Virtual Machines in Proxmox

In an era where digital environments are getting more complex by the day, the importance of automating Virtual Machine (VM) deployments cannot be overstated. Manual VM installations and configurations can be a daunting, time-consuming task. Thankfully, tools such as Terraform and Ansible come to the rescue, providing a streamlined way to automate these processes. Automation plays a key role in enhancing efficiency, saving a substantial amount of time, and eliminating the possibility of human error. In this blog, we will dive into how you can automate VM deployments in Proxmox using Terraform and Ansible.

Overview of Terraform and Ansible:

Terraform is an open-source infrastructure as code tool that helps you provision, deploy, and remove virtual machines on a variety of platforms. Although popularly applied in provisioning cloud environments, Terraform’s versatility extends to Proxmox.

On the other hand, Ansible serves as an automation framework that simplifies the VM deployment process. We think it’s the simplest way to automate apps and IT infrastructure. For referencing the ansible playbooks, check out our git repo.

Setting up the Environment:

Before you can automate VM deployments, you need to set up the environment. The “init-proxmox.yml” playbook plays a crucial role in this process. It sets up the server and installs the Terraform dependencies. However, remember to tweak this playbook according to the specifics of your production environment.

Creating a Template:

Next thing, is to create a template. Templates make automating deployments a breeze. For this article, we are leveraging the “ubuntu cloud init” template to spin-up VMs rapidly. This template needs to be customized based on your specific requirements. Here is a link to the git repo for the referenced code.

Understanding the Terraform Plan:

The Terraform plan file is the blueprint for your VMs. It provides all the necessary variables and options, including node selection, VM name, its description, and networking settings. One primary feature of this plan is the template clone, instrumental in developing VM copies.

Configuring the Playbooks:

Next, we configure the playbooks used in the automation process. Pay particular attention to the “deploy-vm.yml” playbook. It imports the roles necessary and executes the Terraform plan. Its robustness allows you to define multiple VMs in the inventory file with their state.

Deploying and Removing VMs:

With the playbook and the environment ready, you can now deploy VMs using the “deploy VM” playbook. Run the playbook and monitor the VM creation progress in Proxmox. For time efficiency, the playbook operates in parallel, deploying multiple VMs simultaneously. To remove VMs, you can utilize the “remove-gateway.yml” playbook. Always remember to confirm the deletion before initiating the process.

To conclude, automating VM deployments in Proxmox with Terraform and Ansible brings a ton of benefits. Notably, it saves time and scales deployments efficiently. We encourage you to explore and customize the provided playbooks to meet your use-case requirements. Embrace automation to unlock the potential of your Proxmox environment. If you want more information on Proxmox and virtualization with 45Drives, there are comprehensive articles located on our knowledgebase.

Links:

• Git Repo Code: https://github.com/45Drives/terraform-ansible-demo
• Creating a template: https://github.com/UntouchedWagons/Ubuntu-CloudInit-Docs