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Terraform AWS ARC VPN Module Usage Guide

Introduction

Purpose of the Document

This document provides guidelines and instructions for users looking to implement Terraform ARC module for managing a AWS Client VPN.

What is AWS Client VPN ?

AWS Client VPN is a managed remote access VPN solution used by your remote workforce to securely access resources within both AWS and your on-premises network. Fully elastic, it automatically scales up, or down, based on demand.

Module Overview

The terraform-aws-arc-vpn The VPN setup allows users to securely connect to the AWS VPC from anywhere, using the created client VPN.

Prerequisites

Before using this module, ensure you have the following:

  • AWS credentials configured.
  • Terraform installed.
  • A working knowledge of AWS Client VPN

Getting Started

Module Source

To use the module in your Terraform configuration, include the following source block:

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module "client_vpn" {
  source  = "sourcefuse/arc-vpn/aws"
  version = "0.0.8"
  # insert the required variables here
}

Integration with Existing Terraform Configurations

Integrate the module with your existing Terraform mono repo configuration, follow the steps below:

  1. Create a new folder in terraform/ named client_vpn.
  2. Create the required files, see the examples to base off of.
  3. Configure with your backend
    • Create the environment backend configuration file: config.<environment>.hcl
      • region: Where the backend resides
      • key: <working_directory>/terraform.tfstate
      • bucket: Bucket name where the terraform state will reside
      • dynamodb_table: Lock table so there are not duplicate tfplans in the mix
      • encrypt: Encrypt all traffic to and from the backend

Required AWS Permissions

Ensure that the AWS credentials used to execute Terraform have the necessary permissions to create - Client VPN Endpoint - Virtual Private Gateway

Module Configuration

Input Variables

For a list of input variables, see the README Inputs section.

Output Values

For a list of outputs, see the README Outputs section.

Module Usage

Basic Usage

Client VPN

For basic Client VPN usage, see the example folder.

This example will create:

  • CA Certificate
  • Root Certificate
  • VPN Setup: It uses the sourcefuse/arc-vpn/aws module to create a VPN setup. This includes:

    - Certificate-based authentication using the self-signed root certificate.

    - Authorize all groups to access the VPN.

    - Specifying the private subnets where the VPN endpoints will be created.

    - Specifying the target network CIDR block, which is the VPC's CIDR block.

    - Created a self-signed server certificate.

    - Setting up the client VPN with a specified client CIDR block, VPN name, and VPN gateway name.

The VPN setup allows users to securely connect to the AWS VPC from anywhere, using the created client VPN. The self-signed certificates are used to authenticate the users.

How to create AWS Client VPN file
  • Download and install AWS Client VPN Application download
  • Download the AWS Client VPN Configuration File - Navigate to VPC > Client VPN endpoints - Select the endpoint and click Download Client Configuration
  • Incase authentication is using certificate - Open the Client Configuration file in an editor. - Append the certificate data as show below to the configuration file 
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    <cert>
    Copy from SSM PARAM self-signed-cert-ca.pem
</cert>

<key>
    Copy from SSM PARAM self-signed-cert-ca.key
</key>

Site to Site VPN

For basic Site to Site VPN usage, see the example folder.

This example will create:

  • Customer Gateway (AWS Customer Gateway Resource) - Represents the on-premises customer gateway device. - Configured with BGP ASN, IP address, and optional certificate.
  • VPN Gateway (AWS Virtual Private Gateway Resource) - An AWS-side gateway for the VPN connection, attached to a specified VPC. - Optionally configured with Amazon-side ASN and availability zone. VPN Connection (AWS VPN Connection Resource) - Establishes the encrypted IPsec VPN tunnel between the customer gateway and VPN gateway (or Transit Gateway). - Supports configurations for static or BGP routing, encryption algorithms, and logging. - Tunnel configurations (e.g., inside CIDR, pre-shared keys, encryption and integrity algorithms) are managed for two tunnels (primary and secondary). - The module can create a connection to an existing Transit Gateway instead of a VPN Gateway. Logs and Monitoring - Enables detailed logging for the tunnels (e.g., CloudWatch logs) with configurable retention periods and output formats.

Tips and Recommendations

To authenticate AWS Client VPN, integration with Active Directory (AD) is supported. This allows user authentication via AD credentials, enhancing security and centralizing access control within your organization's existing infrastructure.

Troubleshooting

Reporting Issues

If you encounter a bug or issue, please report it on the GitHub repository.

Security Considerations

AWS VPC

Understand the security considerations related to Client VPN when using this module.

Best Practices for Client VPN

Follow best practices to ensure secure Client VPN. Client VPN Security on AWS

Contributing and Community Support

Contributing Guidelines

Contribute to the module by following the guidelines outlined in the CONTRIBUTING.md file.

Reporting Bugs and Issues

If you find a bug or issue, report it on the GitHub repository.

License

License Information

This module is licensed under the Apache 2.0 license. Refer to the LICENSE file for more details.

Open Source Contribution

Contribute to open source by using and enhancing this module. Your contributions are welcome!