How to Import an Azure SQL Server into Terraform

Import Azure SQL Server with Terraback (recommended)

Terraback reverse-engineers your live infrastructure: it reads the Azure SQL resource with read-only credentials, generates the HCL, and produces the exact import block. Two commands take you from a live Azure SQL Server to managed Terraform.

terraback scan all azure --subscription-id YOUR_ID

terraback azure import --method bulk

The Terraform import block

Terraback emits a Terraform 1.5+ import block like the one below. Because the block lives in your configuration, the import is reviewable in a pull request and repeatable across environments.

import {
  to = azurerm_mssql_server.main
  id = "/subscriptions/00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000/resourceGroups/prod-rg/providers/Microsoft.Sql/servers/prod-sqlsrv"
}

Example azurerm_mssql_server configuration

Here is a realistic Azure SQL Server block. Terraback generates a fuller version from your actual resource attributes; this is a minimal, valid starting point.

resource "azurerm_mssql_server" "main" {
  name                         = "prod-sqlsrv"
  resource_group_name          = "prod-rg"
  location                     = "eastus"
  version                      = "12.0"
  administrator_login          = "sqladmin"
  administrator_login_password = var.sql_admin_password
}

Gotchas when importing a Azure SQL Server

• This is the logical SQL server (Microsoft.Sql/servers), not a VM; the name must be globally unique and lowercase.
• administrator_login_password is never returned by Azure; supply it from a variable after import.
• Databases, firewall rules, and AD admin settings are separate azurerm_mssql_database / azurerm_mssql_firewall_rule / azurerm_mssql_server_microsoft_support_auditing_policy resources.
• administrator_login is immutable once set; only Azure AD-only auth changes the model.

Doing it manually with terraform import

The native approach is to write the azurerm_mssql_server block by hand, then run terraform import azurerm_mssql_server.example <import-id> for every resource, one at a time. That works for a handful of resources, but it does not scale: you author all the HCL yourself and repeat the command for each item. Terraback generates the HCL and the import blocks for your whole account in one pass.

Import other Azure resources