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In this guide, we’ll walk through provisioning an AWS Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) using a community-maintained Terraform module and Terragrunt. By the end, you’ll have a reusable Terragrunt configuration for deploying VPCs across multiple environments (e.g., development, production) with consistency and best practices.

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Overview

We’ll leverage a Terraform Registry module for AWS VPC creation, which offers a battle-tested, configurable blueprint. Terragrunt will orchestrate calls to Terraform, handling remote state and DRY configurations for each environment. Key benefits:
  • Reuse and standardization via community module
  • Automated remote state management
  • Environment-specific inputs for custom network topologies

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Prerequisites

  • Terraform v1.0+ installed
  • Terragrunt v0.35+ installed
  • AWS CLI configured with appropriate IAM permissions

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Terragrunt Directory Layout

Create a directory structure like: 
infrastructure/
└── live/
    ├── development/
    │   └── vpc/
    │       └── terragrunt.hcl
    └── production/
        └── vpc/
            └── terragrunt.hcl
Each terragrunt.hcl will reference the community VPC module and supply environment-specific variables.

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terragrunt.hcl Example

Below is a minimal terragrunt.hcl for the development environment: 
terraform {
  source = "git::https://github.com/terraform-aws-modules/terraform-aws-vpc.git?ref=v3.14.2"
}

include {
  path = find_in_parent_folders()
}

inputs = {
  name                 = "dev-vpc"
  cidr                 = "10.0.0.0/16"
  azs                  = ["us-east-1a", "us-east-1b"]
  public_subnets       = ["10.0.1.0/24", "10.0.2.0/24"]
  private_subnets      = ["10.0.101.0/24", "10.0.102.0/24"]
  enable_dns_hostnames = true
  tags = {
    Environment = "development"
    Project     = "networking"
  }
}
Be sure to adjust cidr, azs, subnet ranges, and tags to match each environment’s constraints and compliance requirements.

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Deployment Steps

  1. Change into your environment’s VPC directory: 
    cd infrastructure/live/development/vpc
  2. Initialize Terragrunt (which bootstraps Terraform modules and remote state): 
    terragrunt init
  3. Preview the planned changes: 
    terragrunt plan
  4. Apply the configuration to create/update the VPC: 
    terragrunt apply
CommandDescription
terragrunt initDownload modules and configure remote state
terragrunt planShow proposed infrastructure changes
terragrunt applyExecute changes to provision or update resources

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Next Steps

  • Repeat the terragrunt apply process for the production directory.
  • Integrate other network components (NAT gateways, security groups).
  • Reference Terraform AWS VPC module documentation for advanced options.

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