Deploying WordPress and MySQL on Kubernetes using Terraform

In this guide, we’ll walk through deploying a WordPress application with MySQL for Database on Taikun CloudWorks using Terraform. This approach enables infrastructure as code and allows for consistent, repeatable deployments with just a single click.

Prerequisites

Terraform installed (version 0.12 or later)
Taikun CloudWorks account
Basic understanding of Terraform and Kubernetes

Setting Up the Terraform Configuration

First, let’s set up our Terraform configuration with the required provider:

Bash

terraform {
  required_providers {
    taikun = {
      source  = "itera-io/taikun"
      version = "1.9.1" // Use the latest version
    }
  }
}

// Define connection to Taikun CloudWorks
provider "taikun" {
  email    = "[email protected]"
  password = "your-password"
}

Creating OpenStack Cloud Credentials

We’ll start by defining our OpenStack cloud credentials in Taikun CloudWorks:

Bash

resource "taikun_cloud_credential_openstack" "wordpress_credentials" {
  name                = "wordpress-openstack-cc"
  user                = "your-username"
  password            = "your-password"
  url                 = "openstack-url"
  domain              = "your-domain"
  project_name        = "your-project"
  public_network_name = "public-network"
  region              = "your-region"
  lock                = false
}

Configuring Kubernetes Cluster

Next, we’ll create a Kubernetes cluster with the necessary components:

HCL

// Create a kubernetes cluster
resource "taikun_project" "proj1" {
  name                = "tf-acc-oneclick"
  cloud_credential_id = taikun_cloud_credential_openstack.foo.id
  flavors             = concat(local.flavors_small, local.flavors_big)

  server_bastion {
    name      = "tf-acc-bastion"
    disk_size = 30
    flavor    = local.flavors_small[0]
  }
  server_kubemaster {
    name      = "tf-acc-master"
    disk_size = 30
    flavor    = local.flavors_small[0]
  }
  server_kubeworker {
    name      = "tf-acc-worker"
    disk_size = 100
    flavor    = local.flavors_big[0]
  }
}

Creating a Catalog and Adding WordPress with MySQL

Now, let’s create a catalog and add both WordPress and MySQL applications:

HCL

// Create a catalog with WordPress and MySQL applications
resource "taikun_catalog" "cat01" {
  name        = "oneclick-catalog"
  description = "Created by terraform for oneclick deployment."
  projects    = [taikun_project.proj1.id]

  application {
    name       = "wordpress"
    repository = "taikun-managed-apps"
  }
  application {
    name       = "mysql"
    repository = "taikun-managed-apps"
  }
}

Deploying MySQL Instance

First, let’s deploy the MySQL instance that WordPress will use:

HCL

// Create MySQL instance first
resource "taikun_app_instance" "mysql01" {
  name           = "terraform-mysql01"
  namespace      = "wordpress-ns"
  project_id     = taikun_project.proj1.id
  catalog_app_id = local.mysql_app_id
  depends_on     = [taikun_project.proj1]
}

Deploying WordPress Instance with MySQL Connection

Now, let’s deploy WordPress and configure it to use the MySQL instance:

HCL

// Create WordPress instance with MySQL connection
resource "taikun_app_instance" "wordpress01" {
  name           = "terraform-wp01"
  namespace      = "wordpress-ns"
  project_id     = taikun_project.proj1.id
  catalog_app_id = local.wp_app_id
  depends_on     = [taikun_project.proj1, taikun_app_instance.mysql01]
}

// App ID selectors
locals {
  wp_app_id = [for app in tolist(taikun_catalog.cat01.application) :
  app.id if app.name == "wordpress" && app.repository == "taikun-managed-apps"][0]

  mysql_app_id = [for app in tolist(taikun_catalog.cat01.application) :
  app.id if app.name == "mysql" && app.repository == "taikun-managed-apps"][0]
}

Understanding the WordPress-MySQL Connection

The configuration above sets up:

A dedicated MySQL instance with:

A root password
A specific database for WordPress
A dedicated user for WordPress
Persistent storage for database files

WordPress configured to:

Use the external MySQL database instead of the built-in MariaDB
Connect to MySQL using Kubernetes service DNS
Use persistent storage for WordPress files

Connection Details

The MySQL connection is established using Kubernetes internal DNS. The format ${service_name}.${namespace}.svc.cluster.local ensures WordPress can reliably connect to MySQL within the cluster.

Security Considerations

For production deployments, consider:

Secrets Management:

Use Kubernetes secrets or HashiCorp Vault for sensitive values
Rotate database passwords regularly
Use environment variables for sensitive configuration

Database Security:

Enable MySQL SSL/TLS connections
Implement database backup strategies
Set up proper database user permissions

Network Security:

Use network policies to restrict pod-to-pod communication
Enable MySQL bind-address restrictions
Implement proper firewall rules

Flavor Configuration

Define the compute resources for your cluster:

HCL

// Flavors configuration. Filtering data sources
data "taikun_flavors" "small" {
  cloud_credential_id = taikun_cloud_credential_openstack.foo.id
  min_cpu             = 2
  max_cpu             = 2
  min_ram             = 4
  max_ram             = 4
}
data "taikun_flavors" "big" {
  cloud_credential_id = taikun_cloud_credential_openstack.foo.id
  min_cpu             = 4
  max_cpu             = 4
  min_ram             = 8
  max_ram             = 8
}
locals {
  flavors_small = [for flavor in data.taikun_flavors.small.flavors : flavor.name]
  flavors_big   = [for flavor in data.taikun_flavors.big.flavors : flavor.name]
}

Deployment Steps

Save all the above configurations in a .tf file
Initialize Terraform:

Bash

   terraform init

Review the deployment plan:

Bash

   terraform plan

Apply the configuration:

Bash

   terraform apply

Expected Output:

Bash

Do you want to perform these actions?
  Terraform will perform the actions described above.
  Only 'yes' will be accepted to approve.

  Enter a value: yes

taikun_cloud_credential_openstack.foo: Creating...
taikun_cloud_credential_openstack.foo: Creation complete after 3s [id=1240]
data.taikun_flavors.small: Reading...
data.taikun_flavors.big: Reading...
data.taikun_flavors.big: Read complete after 1s [id=1240]
data.taikun_flavors.small: Read complete after 1s [id=1240]
taikun_project.proj1: Creating...
taikun_project.proj1: Still creating... [10s elapsed]
taikun_project.proj1: Still creating... [20s elapsed]
taikun_project.proj1: Still creating... [30s elapsed]
taikun_project.proj1: Still creating... [40s elapsed]
taikun_project.proj1: Still creating... [50s elapsed]
taikun_project.proj1: Still creating... [1m0s elapsed]
.
.
.
taikun_project.proj1: Still creating... [9m0s elapsed]
taikun_project.proj1: Creation complete after 9m8s [id=2322]
taikun_catalog.cat01: Creating...
taikun_catalog.cat01: Creation complete after 4s [id=652]
taikun_app_instance.mysql01: Creating...
taikun_app_instance.mysql01: Still creating... [10s elapsed]
taikun_app_instance.mysql01: Still creating... [20s elapsed]
taikun_app_instance.mysql01: Still creating... [30s elapsed]
taikun_app_instance.mysql01: Still creating... [40s elapsed]
taikun_app_instance.mysql01: Still creating... [50s elapsed]
taikun_app_instance.mysql01: Still creating... [1m0s elapsed]
taikun_app_instance.mysql01: Still creating... [1m10s elapsed]
taikun_app_instance.mysql01: Still creating... [1m20s elapsed]
taikun_app_instance.mysql01: Still creating... [1m30s elapsed]
taikun_app_instance.mysql01: Creation complete after 1m37s [id=1653]
taikun_app_instance.wordpress01: Creating...
taikun_app_instance.wordpress01: Still creating... [10s elapsed]
taikun_app_instance.wordpress01: Still creating... [20s elapsed]
taikun_app_instance.wordpress01: Still creating... [30s elapsed]
taikun_app_instance.wordpress01: Still creating... [40s elapsed]
taikun_app_instance.wordpress01: Still creating... [50s elapsed]
taikun_app_instance.wordpress01: Still creating... [1m0s elapsed]
taikun_app_instance.wordpress01: Still creating... [1m10s elapsed]
taikun_app_instance.wordpress01: Still creating... [1m20s elapsed]
taikun_app_instance.wordpress01: Still creating... [1m30s elapsed]
taikun_app_instance.wordpress01: Still creating... [1m40s elapsed]
taikun_app_instance.wordpress01: Creation complete after 1m47s [id=1654]

Apply complete! Resources: 5 added, 0 changed, 0 destroyed.

What Happens Behind the Scenes?

When you run terraform apply, the following actions occur:

Adds OpenStack cloud credentials in Taikun CloudWorks
Provisions a Kubernetes cluster with:
- A bastion host for secure access
- A Kubernetes master node
- A worker node for running applications
Sets up a catalog with WordPress and MySQL applications
Deploys WordPress with MySQL using Taikun Cloudworks’s managed apps

Accessing Your WordPress Site

Once the deployment is complete, you can access your WordPress site through the URL provided by CloudWorks. The URL will be available in your CloudWorks dashboard or through the Terraform output.

WordPress URL can be accessed by executing commands found in the WordPress application logs, as illustrated below:

In Taikun CloudWorks, create a Kubeconfig to access the terminal, or download the Kubeconfig for later use.

Access the URL here

Output

Clean Up

To remove all resources, run:

Bash

terraform destroy

The Terraform script for application setup on CloudWorks is available in our GitHub repository here: Sample Terraform script

Best Practices

Security:

Never commit credentials to version control
Use environment variables or secure vaults for sensitive data
Enable HTTPS for production deployments

Resource Sizing:

Adjust flavor sizes based on your workload requirements
Consider using auto-scaling for production environments

Backup:

Implement regular backup solutions for your WordPress data
Store backups in a separate location

Conclusion

Using Taikun Terraform Provider provides the easiest way to deploy WordPress applications. This infrastructure-as-code approach ensures consistency and repeatability while simplifying the deployment process to a single command.

Remember to consult the Taikun documentation for the latest updates and best practices for production deployments.

Taikun CloudWorks is a one-stop solution for your Kubernetes workloads. Try Taikun CloudWorks today. Book your free demo today, and let our team simplify, enhance, and streamline your infrastructure management.

Rohit Ghumare

Principal Product Evangelist at Taikun | CNCF Ambassador | Docker Captain | Google Developer Expert for Infrastructure Modernization in Google Cloud

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Platform

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Deploying WordPress and MySQL on Kubernetes using Terraform

Prerequisites

Setting Up the Terraform Configuration

Creating OpenStack Cloud Credentials

Configuring Kubernetes Cluster

Creating a Catalog and Adding WordPress with MySQL

Deploying MySQL Instance

Deploying WordPress Instance with MySQL Connection

Understanding the WordPress-MySQL Connection

Connection Details

Security Considerations

Flavor Configuration

Deployment Steps

What Happens Behind the Scenes?

Accessing Your WordPress Site

Output

Clean Up

Best Practices

Conclusion

Rohit Ghumare

Platform

Solutions