Data Fusion Upgrade/Rollback and Patch revision through Terraform

[Balaji01]

Dear Experts,

i have created a Data Fusion instance through Terraform code, how i can upgrade/rollback and patch revision using the terraform code? in the below link i can able to view through Console and gcloud option, Are we have the option available through Terraform?

what is the best practice or approach recommended by Google to can you guide me the relevant reference link.

https://cloud.google.com/data-fusion/docs/how-to/upgrade-to-patch-revision

https://cloud.google.com/data-fusion/docs/how-to/upgrading

Last Month instance created

today created Data Fusion instance(dated 06-Mar-2024)

[ms4446 · Accepted solution]

While Terraform is a powerful tool for managing and provisioning infrastructure, it's important to note that certain specific operations for Google Cloud Data Fusion, such as upgrading, rolling back, and patching instances, are not directly supported through Terraform code as of my last update. Here's a more detailed approach and additional insights for handling these tasks:

Upgrading and Patching Data Fusion Instances

For operations like upgrading to a newer version or patching a Data Fusion instance, the primary methods remain through the Google Cloud Console or the gcloud command-line interface. These methods are well-documented by Google:

• Upgrading to a newer version: Upgrading Data Fusion Documentation

• Patching a Data Fusion instance: Patching Data Fusion Documentation

Best Practices for Managing Data Fusion with Terraform

• Maintain Separate Environments: It's crucial to have distinct testing and production environments. This practice allows you to safely test upgrades, patches, and configurations without risking your production data and services.

• Version Control Your Terraform Code: Implementing version control (e.g., using Git) for your Terraform configurations is essential. It enables you to track and manage changes over time, revert to previous states if necessary, and facilitates collaboration within your team.

• Monitor Terraform and Data Fusion Compatibility: Keep an eye on the compatibility between the Terraform provider for Google Cloud and the Data Fusion service, especially when planning upgrades or applying patches. The Terraform provider may lag behind the latest features or versions introduced by Google Cloud.

While Terraform provides a robust framework for infrastructure as code (IaC), managing certain specific operations of Google Cloud Data Fusion instances, like upgrades or patches, requires a more manual approach using the Google Cloud Console or gcloud CLI. Integrating these tools with your Terraform workflows, possibly through automation scripts or CI/CD pipelines, can offer a comprehensive solution for managing your cloud infrastructure efficiently. This hybrid approach allows you to leverage the strengths of Terraform for infrastructure management while also addressing the specific needs of Google Cloud Data Fusion instances through Google's recommended practices.

Remember, the overarching goal is to maintain efficiency, reliability, and security within your cloud infrastructure. Balancing automation with manual interventions, where necessary, can help achieve a resilient and manageable cloud environment.

[ms4446 · Accepted solution]

While Terraform is a powerful tool for managing and provisioning infrastructure, it's important to note that certain specific operations for Google Cloud Data Fusion, such as upgrading, rolling back, and patching instances, are not directly supported through Terraform code as of my last update. Here's a more detailed approach and additional insights for handling these tasks:

Upgrading and Patching Data Fusion Instances

For operations like upgrading to a newer version or patching a Data Fusion instance, the primary methods remain through the Google Cloud Console or the gcloud command-line interface. These methods are well-documented by Google:

• Upgrading to a newer version: Upgrading Data Fusion Documentation

• Patching a Data Fusion instance: Patching Data Fusion Documentation

Best Practices for Managing Data Fusion with Terraform

• Maintain Separate Environments: It's crucial to have distinct testing and production environments. This practice allows you to safely test upgrades, patches, and configurations without risking your production data and services.

• Version Control Your Terraform Code: Implementing version control (e.g., using Git) for your Terraform configurations is essential. It enables you to track and manage changes over time, revert to previous states if necessary, and facilitates collaboration within your team.

• Monitor Terraform and Data Fusion Compatibility: Keep an eye on the compatibility between the Terraform provider for Google Cloud and the Data Fusion service, especially when planning upgrades or applying patches. The Terraform provider may lag behind the latest features or versions introduced by Google Cloud.

While Terraform provides a robust framework for infrastructure as code (IaC), managing certain specific operations of Google Cloud Data Fusion instances, like upgrades or patches, requires a more manual approach using the Google Cloud Console or gcloud CLI. Integrating these tools with your Terraform workflows, possibly through automation scripts or CI/CD pipelines, can offer a comprehensive solution for managing your cloud infrastructure efficiently. This hybrid approach allows you to leverage the strengths of Terraform for infrastructure management while also addressing the specific needs of Google Cloud Data Fusion instances through Google's recommended practices.

Remember, the overarching goal is to maintain efficiency, reliability, and security within your cloud infrastructure. Balancing automation with manual interventions, where necessary, can help achieve a resilient and manageable cloud environment.

[Balaji01]

Thanks for provided your inputs,   creating instance through Terraform code and upgrading to a newer version or patching a Data Fusion instance through the Google Cloud Console or the gcloud command-line interface will not have any impact ? 

After updated new cloud data fusion version through console, if we update or modify using terraform code will be handled automatically ? because terraform not maintained manually updated details, how to handle this situation?

[ms4446 · Accepted solution]

When you manage cloud resources with Terraform, especially in scenarios where some operations (like upgrading or patching a Data Fusion instance) are performed outside of Terraform (e.g., through the Google Cloud Console or the gcloud CLI), it's important to understand how Terraform interacts with these changes to avoid potential conflicts or drift between your Terraform state and the actual cloud environment.

Terraform maintains a state file that represents the last-known state of your resources. When you make changes outside of Terraform (directly through the console or CLI), these changes do not automatically update Terraform's state file. This discrepancy can lead to several issues:

• Terraform Drift: The term "drift" refers to the difference between the actual state of your cloud environment and the state recorded by Terraform. Drift can cause Terraform to attempt to revert your resources to the state defined in your Terraform configuration the next time you apply a plan, potentially undoing manual changes.

• Inconsistencies: If Terraform is not aware of the manual changes, it might plan and apply future changes based on outdated information, leading to errors or unintended consequences.

To manage the situation where Data Fusion instances are upgraded or patched manually, consider the following approaches:

1. Import the Updated Resource: If significant changes are made outside Terraform, you can use the terraform import command to update the Terraform state with the current state of the resource. This command requires knowledge of the resource ID and the correct Terraform resource address. However, importing works well for initial inclusion of the resource into Terraform's management and might not always suit updates.

2. Refresh the Terraform State: Before running terraform plan or terraform apply after making manual changes, you can run terraform refresh. This command updates the Terraform state file to match the real-world resources. However, be cautious, as this will not change your Terraform configuration files; it only updates the state to reflect the current state of resources in the cloud.

3. Terraform Plan and Apply with Care: After updating the state, always run terraform plan to see what Terraform intends to change before applying. If the plan tries to undo the manual changes, you'll need to update your Terraform configuration files to match the desired state of your resources.

4. Update Terraform Configuration: Ideally, after any manual change, you should update your Terraform configuration to reflect the new desired state. This ensures that your Terraform code remains the source of truth for your infrastructure.

Best Practices

• Avoid Manual Changes When Possible: Strive to manage all changes through Terraform to keep your infrastructure as code in sync with your actual infrastructure.

• Regularly Review and Update Terraform Configurations: Keep your Terraform configurations up-to-date with any new features or changes in the services you use.

• Use Terraform Workspaces for Different Environments: This can help manage different states for different environments (e.g., development, staging, production) and minimize the risk of applying changes to the wrong environment.

While Terraform is a powerful tool for infrastructure management, manual changes made through the Google Cloud Console or gcloud CLI require careful handling to ensure that Terraform's state remains accurate. By following the practices outlined above, you can manage these situations effectively and maintain a consistent and reliable infrastructure as code environment.

[Balaji01]

Thanks for your inputs, but not able to find any relevant or support document from google to handle this type of scenario. let me explore and try to check this approach.