# Configuration

### Provider Block

The TeraSwitch provider requires configuration before you can manage resources. Add the following to your Terraform configuration:

```hcl
terraform {
  required_providers {
    teraswitch = {
      source  = "TeraSwitch/teraswitch"
      version = "~> 0.0.7"
    }
  }
}

provider "teraswitch" {
  api_key    = var.teraswitch_api_key
  project_id = var.teraswitch_project_id
}
```

### Configuration Arguments

| Argument     | Type   | Required | Description                                    |
| ------------ | ------ | -------- | ---------------------------------------------- |
| `api_key`    | string | Yes      | Your TeraSwitch API key for authentication     |
| `project_id` | number | Yes      | The project ID where resources will be created |

### Authentication Methods

#### Environment Variables (Recommended)

Set environment variables to keep credentials out of your configuration files:

```bash
export TERASWITCH_API_KEY="your-api-key"
export TERASWITCH_PROJECT_ID="12345"
```

With environment variables set, you can simplify your provider block:

```hcl
provider "teraswitch" {
  # Credentials loaded from environment
}
```

#### Terraform Variables

Use input variables for flexibility across environments:

```hcl
variable "teraswitch_api_key" {
  description = "TeraSwitch API key"
  type        = string
  sensitive   = true
}

variable "teraswitch_project_id" {
  description = "TeraSwitch project ID"
  type        = number
}

provider "teraswitch" {
  api_key    = var.teraswitch_api_key
  project_id = var.teraswitch_project_id
}
```

Pass values via a `.tfvars` file or command line:

```bash
terraform apply -var="teraswitch_api_key=xxx" -var="teraswitch_project_id=123"
```

{% hint style="danger" %}
Never commit API keys to version control. Add `*.tfvars` and any files containing credentials to your `.gitignore`.
{% endhint %}

#### Secrets Managers

For production environments, integrate with secrets management solutions:

**HashiCorp Vault:**

```hcl
data "vault_generic_secret" "teraswitch" {
  path = "secret/teraswitch"
}

provider "teraswitch" {
  api_key    = data.vault_generic_secret.teraswitch.data["api_key"]
  project_id = data.vault_generic_secret.teraswitch.data["project_id"]
}
```

**AWS Secrets Manager:**

```hcl
data "aws_secretsmanager_secret_version" "teraswitch" {
  secret_id = "teraswitch-credentials"
}

locals {
  tsw_creds = jsondecode(data.aws_secretsmanager_secret_version.teraswitch.secret_string)
}

provider "teraswitch" {
  api_key    = local.tsw_creds.api_key
  project_id = local.tsw_creds.project_id
}
```

### Multiple Provider Configurations

Use provider aliases to manage resources across multiple projects:

```hcl
provider "teraswitch" {
  alias      = "production"
  api_key    = var.teraswitch_api_key
  project_id = var.production_project_id
}

provider "teraswitch" {
  alias      = "staging"
  api_key    = var.teraswitch_api_key
  project_id = var.staging_project_id
}

resource "teraswitch_cloud_compute" "prod_web" {
  provider = teraswitch.production
  # ... configuration
}

resource "teraswitch_cloud_compute" "staging_web" {
  provider = teraswitch.staging
  # ... configuration
}
```

### Obtaining Credentials

#### API Key

1. Log in to the [TeraSwitch Console](https://console.tsw.io)
2. Navigate to **Account** > **API Tokens**
3. Click **Create Token**
4. Copy the generated token immediately (it won't be shown again)

See [API Tokens](/account/api-tokens.md) for detailed instructions.

#### Project ID

Your project ID is visible in the console URL when viewing a project:

```
https://console.tsw.io/projects/12345/...
                              ^^^^^
                              Project ID
```

You can also find it on the project settings page.

### Best Practices

1. **Use environment variables** for local development
2. **Use secrets managers** for production and CI/CD
3. **Never commit credentials** to version control
4. **Rotate API keys** periodically
5. **Use separate API keys** for different environments (dev, staging, prod)
6. **Limit API key permissions** where possible

{% hint style="info" %}
Consider using Terraform workspaces or separate state files for different environments to prevent accidental changes to production resources.
{% endhint %}


---

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