tf-research

name	tf-research
description	Research strategies for AWS documentation, provider docs, and public registry patterns. Use when researching AWS services, investigating provider resources, or studying public registry modules for design patterns.
source	image

Terraform Research Heuristics

Parallel Research Pattern

Focus	Primary MCP Tools	Question Type
Provider resources	search_providers + get_provider_details	How do the main resources work? Arguments, attributes, gotchas?

| Registry patterns | search_modules + get_module_details | How do popular modules structure their interface? | | Edge cases | search_documentation (troubleshooting) | What breaks? Common mistakes? |

Research Priority Order

When developing module resources, research in this order:

1. Provider Documentation — Understand resource arguments, attributes, and behavior

2. Public Registry Patterns — Study well-regarded modules for design conventions and interfaces

3. Private Registry — Check if the organization has existing modules to learn from or avoid duplication

4. AWS Documentation — Verify service behavior, limits, and best practices (e.g., security controls)

5. Security-Adjacent Resources — For each resource in the module, research what companion resources AWS recommends for security (e.g., bucket policies for TLS enforcement, ownership controls, access logging). Use search_documentation("[service] security best practices").

Provider Documentation Strategy

1. Use single-word service slug: "vpc", "instance", "bucket"
2. Select data type: resources for deploying, data-sources for reading
3. Review documentation for required vs optional arguments
4. Note computed attributes for outputs

Resource Investigation Checklist

For each resource in the module:

• Required arguments identified
• Optional arguments with secure defaults identified
• Computed attributes documented (for outputs)
• Timeouts documented
• Import support verified
• Known issues or caveats noted

Public Registry Pattern Study

Strategy

Study well-regarded public modules to learn design patterns:

1. Search for popular modules implementing similar infrastructure
2. Study their variable interfaces (what they expose, naming conventions)
3. Study their output interfaces (what they export)
4. Note conditional creation patterns (count, for_each with enable variables)
5. Note how they handle tags, naming, and security defaults

Key Patterns to Look For

• Variable naming: How do mature modules name their inputs?
• Output structure: What attributes do consumers typically need?
• Conditional creation: How are optional features toggled?
• Dynamic blocks: How are repeatable nested configs handled?
• Locals: How are computed values organized?
• Submodules: When and how are submodules used?

MCP Tools (registry)

• search_modules(query) — Search public registry for design pattern reference
• get_module_details(moduleID) — Get module documentation, inputs, outputs
• search_private_modules(query) — Check org private registry for existing modules
• get_private_module_details(moduleID) — Get private module details

Research Output Format

For each research question, document:

### [Component/Resource Name]

**AWS Service**: [service name]
**Terraform Resources**: [list of resources to use]

**Key Arguments**:
- `argument_name` (required/optional) — description, secure default if applicable

**Key Outputs**:
- `output_name` (`type`) — description

**Security Considerations**:
- [encryption, access control, logging requirements]

**Design Decisions**:
- [conditional creation approach, variable interface, defaults]

**References**:
- [Cloud Service Provider documentation URL]
- [Provider doc URL]
- [Public module pattern URL if studied]
- [CIS/NIST/OWASP citation]

Common Research Pitfalls

1. Assuming resource behavior — Always verify with provider docs. Resource arguments and defaults change between provider versions.
2. Missing computed attributes — Check what the resource exports. Some attributes are only available after apply.
3. Ignoring deprecation warnings — Provider docs note deprecated arguments. Use the recommended replacement.
4. Over-constraining provider versions — Modules should use >= constraints, not ~>, to maximize consumer compatibility.