In the previous series of blogs in Spacelift, we have so far, spinned up AWS resources using Terraform configuration and demonstrated how Spacelift manages state locking. In this blog, we will check what is the purpose of creating tasks in Spacelift.

Tasks in Spacelift, are configurable and reusable actions that can be executed as part of the CI/CD pipeline for Terraform stacks. They provide a way to perform specific actions or operations within the infrastructure workflow, offering flexibility and automation beyond the standard Terraform commands.

Use cases of Tasks in Spacelift:

Custom Script Execution:

Tasks allows users to run custom scripts or commands as a part of deployment pipeline. For instance, you can execute shell scripts, Python code, or any other commands necessary for performing actions related to infrastructure deployment, configuration, or validation.

External Tool Integration

Tasks enable integration with external tools or services by allowing users to trigger actions in other systems within the CI/CD workflow. This integration could involve invoking APIs, triggering external services, or interfacing with third-party tools to complement infrastructure changes.

Environment Setup and Configuration

Tasks can be used for setting up the necessary environment configurations before executing Terraform commands. This might include installing dependencies, initializing specific services, or configuring environments as a preparatory step for the Terraform deployment.

Automated testing and validation

Tasks can incorporate automated tests or validations to ensure that the infrastructure changes comply with defined criteria or constraints. This could involve running tests against infrastructure configurations to validate functionality, security, or compliance standards.

Post-Deployment Actions

Tasks can be used for post-deployment actions such as notifications, reporting, or triggering subsequent workflows based on the success or failure of the deployment process.

Tasks in Spacelift can be tailored and combined flexibly within the CI/CD pipeline for Terrform stacks. They enhance automation capabilities by allowing users to extend and customize the deployment workflow to suit specific infrastructure management requirements.

Let’s look at a basic example of invoking tasks in our stack.

Click on Tasks.

Now enter any terraform command you want to run. For example, terraform state list.

Click on Perform

Lets try to destroy all the resources. Type: terraform destroy -auto-approve

Click on publish

Your resources have been successfully destroyed.

We can lock the state if we don’t want any further commits to invoke a build.

Click on Lock

This will lock the state. You can unlock it by clicking in Unlock tab.

Hey, readers! Thank you for sticking up till the end. This was a brief on spinning AWS resources using Spacelift and Terraform. If you have any questions/feedbacks regarding this blog, I am reachable at vidushi.bansal@nashtechglobal.com. You can find more of my blogs here.