Quick Start Guide

Get up and running with IaC Console in minutes.

This guide will help you set up the complete IaC Console tool suite and deploy your first infrastructure using Secure Agent Mode.

What You’ll Need

• A computer running Linux or macOS
• AWS, Azure, or GCP credentials (stored locally on your machine)
• 10 minutes of your time

Step 1: Create an Account

Sign up for a free account at app.iacconsole.com to access the Web UI and CMDB.

Why? The account gives you access to:

• Configuration Management Database (CMDB) for storing Dimensions
• AI Assistant for intelligent infrastructure generation
• Web interface for team collaboration
• Audit logs and governance features

Step 2: Install the CLI (Open Source)

Download the free, open-source CLI tool to execute Terraform/OpenTofu locally - grab pre-built binaries for macOS or Linux from GitHub Releases.

Alternatively, if you have Go installed, you can build from source:

go install github.com/alt-dima/iacconsole-cli@latest

Why? The CLI:

• Executes Terraform/OpenTofu on your machine (credentials never leave)
• Connects to the Web UI via Secure Agent Mode
• Automatically injects Dimensions from CMDB
• Manages state backends (S3/GCS) automatically

Step 3: Initialize Your Workspace

Create a directory for your infrastructure code:

mkdir my-infrastructure
cd my-infrastructure
iacconsole-cli init

This creates the recommended directory structure:

my-infrastructure/
├── .iacconsolerc           # Configuration file
├── units/                  # Your Terraform Units
│   └── myorg/
│       └── example-vpc/    # Example Unit
├── inventory/              # Your Dimensions (configs)
│   └── myorg/
│       └── env/
│           ├── dev.json
│           └── prod.json
└── shared-modules/         # Reusable Terraform modules

Step 4: Configure API Access

Set your API credentials to connect the CLI to the CMDB:

export IACCONSOLE_API_URL='https://your-account-id:your-password@api.iacconsole.com'

Important: Your API credentials are only used to fetch/update Dimensions in CMDB. Cloud credentials (AWS/Azure/GCP) are never transmitted.

Step 5: Create Your First Unit

A Unit is reusable Terraform/OpenTofu code. Create a simple S3 bucket unit:

mkdir -p units/myorg/s3-bucket
cd units/myorg/s3-bucket

Create main.tf:

# units/myorg/s3-bucket/main.tf
resource "aws_s3_bucket" "main" {
  bucket = var.iacconsole_env_data.bucket_name

  tags = {
    Environment = var.iacconsole_env_name
    ManagedBy   = "IaC Console"
  }
}

No variable definitions needed! The CLI auto-generates them.

Step 6: Define Dimensions

Dimensions are environment-specific configurations. Create dimension files in your CMDB or locally:

// inventory/myorg/env/dev.json
{
  "bucket_name": "my-app-dev-bucket-unique-id"
}

// inventory/myorg/env/prod.json
{
  "bucket_name": "my-app-prod-bucket-unique-id"
}

Step 7: Start the Agent & Deploy

Launch the CLI in Agent Mode to connect your local machine to the Web UI:

iacconsole-cli agent

The agent will:

1. Establish a secure WebSocket connection to IaC Console
2. Wait for deployment commands from the Web UI
3. Execute Terraform/OpenTofu locally using your cloud credentials
4. Stream output back to the browser in real-time

Now open the Web UI at app.iacconsole.com:

• Navigate to Deployments
• Select your organization, unit, and dimensions
• Click Plan to preview changes
• Click Apply to deploy

Your credentials never leave your machine! The agent executes locally.

Step 8: Use the AI Assistant (Optional)

The Web UI includes an AI Assistant that can:

• Generate Terraform code from natural language descriptions
• Suggest architecture improvements and best practices
• Review your code for security issues
• Explain what existing code does

Try it:

1. Open the AI Assistant in the Web UI
2. Ask: “Create a VPC with public and private subnets”
3. Review the generated code
4. Save it as a new Unit

What You’ve Learned

✅ Complete Tool Suite — CLI, CMDB, Web UI working together
✅ Secure Agent Mode — Local execution with browser-based management
✅ DRY Infrastructure — One Unit, multiple environments via Dimensions
✅ Zero Credential Upload — AWS/Azure/GCP keys stay on your machine
✅ AI-Powered Assistance — Intelligent code generation and reviews

Next Steps

For Individual Engineers

• Advocate to your CTO: Present the value proposition (avoid building internal tooling)
• Show team benefits: Transparency, audit trails, governance
• Highlight ROI: 1-5 engineer teams work more effectively

For Students & Teachers

• Educational Programs — Learn IaC with free tools and resources
• Build portfolio projects — Use IaC Console for capstone projects
• Career preparation — Learn tools used by professional teams

Technical Deep Dives

• CLI Reference — Complete guide to all commands
• Code vs Config — Understanding Units and Dimensions
• IaC Console vs Terraform — Feature comparison
• Migration Guide — Moving from plain Terraform

Demo Video

See IaC Console in action: