How to test Infrastructure as Code?

Short answer

Test Infrastructure as Code using static analysis, unit tests, and integration tests. Tools like Terraform validate, Terratest, and Checkov catch errors early.

Steps

1. Run terraform validate and terraform plan.
2. Use static analysis tools like Checkov or TFLint.
3. Write integration tests with Terratest.
4. Apply in a sandbox environment before production.

Example

terraform validate
terraform plan -out=plan.tfplan
checkov -d .

Tips

• Automate testing in CI pipelines.
• Use policy as code with OPA or Sentinel.
• Test rollbacks as well as deployments.

Common issues

• Integration tests are slow and expensive.
• Static analysis may produce false positives.
• Drift detection is not a replacement for testing.