Azure/BICEP - Please suggest me how can I can accomplish below scenarios. #4168

HariRajan2014 · 2021-08-26T18:04:17Z

HariRajan2014
Aug 26, 2021

I have main.bicep calling two modules. The first module is for creating an RG and the rg name should have a proper naming standard. I have created a variable and created the custom name for that based on our standard. Since I need to use the same rg name again in other modules I haven't found any straightforward option so I declared it as output.

Q1. Is that the right approach or is there any better way of doing the same?.
Q2. Can I output the resource group as an object so that I can extract its properties from another module?

Please find the code here

### main.bicep

targetScope='subscription'
@description('Input parameters for the primary region connectivity.')
param PrimaryRegion object = {
  i_priLocation: 'eastus2'
  i_environment: 'production'
  i_costcentre: 'corp'
}
param resourceTags object = {

  CostCenter: '1000100'
}

param role string 


module hubresourcegroup 'modules/azresourcegroup.bicep' = {
  name: 'hub-resourcegroup'
  scope: subscription()
  params:{

    environmentName:PrimaryRegion.i_environment
    rglocation:PrimaryRegion.i_priLocation
    resourcetags:resourceTags
    resourcerole:role

  }
}
var hubrgname  =  hubresourcegroup.outputs.outrgname
var hubrgid  =  hubresourcegroup.outputs.outrgid

### azresourcegroup.bicep

param rglocation string 
param resourcetags object
param environmentName string
param resourcerole string


var rgname = '${resourcerole}-${environmentName}-${rglocation}-rg'

// set the target scope for this file
targetScope = 'subscription'

resource resorceGroup 'Microsoft.Resources/resourceGroups@2021-04-01' = {
  name: rgname
  location: rglocation
  tags: resourcetags
 
}

output outrgname string = resorceGroup.name
output outrgid string = resorceGroup.id
output outrg object = resorceGroup

The next module which I am calling is to create a network watcher resource and the previously created rg.name must be an input for the same. But I am unable to switch the scope here to resource group context as bicep is not accepting first module output as an input parameter for it. It is only accepting if I declare another variable in the naming

### This is the error "This expression is being used in an assignment to the "scope" property of the "module" type, which requires a value that can be calculated at the start of the deployment. You are referencing a variable which cannot be calculated at the start ("hubrgnameout" -> "hubresourcegroup"). Properties of hubresourcegroup which can be calculated at the start include "name".bicep(BCP120)"

Here is the code for the same

targetScope='subscription'
@description('Input parameters for the primary region connectivity.')
param PrimaryRegion object = {
  i_priLocation: 'eastus2'
  i_environment: 'production'
  i_costcentre: 'corp'
}
param resourceTags object = {

  CostCenter: '1000100'
}

param role string 


module hubresourcegroup 'modules/azresourcegroup.bicep' = {
  name: 'hub-resourcegroup'
  scope: subscription()
  params:{

    environmentName:PrimaryRegion.i_environment
    rglocation:PrimaryRegion.i_priLocation
    resourcetags:resourceTags
    resourcerole:role

  }
}
var hubrgnameoutput  =  hubresourcegroup.outputs.outrgname
var hubrgid  =  hubresourcegroup.outputs.outrgid



var hubrgname = '${role}-${PrimaryRegion.i_environment}-${PrimaryRegion.i_priLocation}-rg'



module hubnetworkwatcher 'modules/aznetworkwatcher.bicep' = {
  name: 'hub-networkwatcher'
  scope: resourceGroup(hubrgnameoutput )
  params:{

    environmentName:PrimaryRegion.i_environment
    rglocation:PrimaryRegion.i_priLocation
    resourcetags:resourceTags
    resourcerole:role

  }
}

This code is working, if I define hubrgname as below. But it is not a clean way of doing that.

var hubrgnameoutput  =  hubresourcegroup.outputs.outrgname
var hubrgid  =  hubresourcegroup.outputs.outrgid



var hubrgname = '${role}-${PrimaryRegion.i_environment}-${PrimaryRegion.i_priLocation}-rg'



module hubnetworkwatcher 'modules/aznetworkwatcher.bicep' = {
  name: 'hub-networkwatcher'
  scope: resourceGroup(hubrgname)
  params:{

    environmentName:PrimaryRegion.i_environment
    rglocation:PrimaryRegion.i_priLocation
    resourcetags:resourceTags
    resourcerole:role

  }

}

I have two questions here.

Q2. How I can do this more elegantly?
Q3. Is there any way a variable can declare as global something like that so that I can reuse it without declaring it as output from the module?

Answered by brwilkinson

Aug 26, 2021

I would recommend to simply bring the variable to your main.bicep

var rgname = '${resourcerole}-${environmentName}-${rglocation}-rg'

That way you can easily reference it where you need it.

or what I prefer is:

var deployment = '${resourcerole}-${environmentName}-${rglocation}'
var rgName = '${deployment}-rg'

Here your deployment states your naming standard that will be the base for naming other resources. So it's easily to derive the rgname if you know the deployment.

This is something you can view in these templates, however look for:

var Deployment = '${Prefix}-${Global.OrgName}-${Global.Appname}-${Environment}${DeploymentID}'

View full answer

brwilkinson · 2021-08-26T18:34:43Z

brwilkinson
Aug 26, 2021
Maintainer

I would recommend to simply bring the variable to your main.bicep

var rgname = '${resourcerole}-${environmentName}-${rglocation}-rg'

That way you can easily reference it where you need it.

or what I prefer is:

var deployment = '${resourcerole}-${environmentName}-${rglocation}'
var rgName = '${deployment}-rg'

Here your deployment states your naming standard that will be the base for naming other resources. So it's easily to derive the rgname if you know the deployment.

This is something you can view in these templates, however look for:

var Deployment = '${Prefix}-${Global.OrgName}-${Global.Appname}-${Environment}${DeploymentID}'

3 replies

HariRajan2014 Aug 27, 2021
Author

Thanks, I actually did that option by declaring the naming standard as an variable object in main and did the string interpolation as below

var environmentNameSettings = {
  primary: {
    v_hubrgname: '${role}-${PrimaryRegion.i_prienvironment}-${PrimaryRegion.i_priLocation}-${PrimaryRegion.i_prirole}-core-rg'
    v_vnetName: '${role}-${PrimaryRegion.i_prienvironment}-${PrimaryRegion.i_priLocation}-${PrimaryRegion.i_prirole}-main-vnet'

  }
  secondary: {
    v_hubrgname: '${role}-${SecondaryRegion.i_secenvironment}-${SecondaryRegion.i_secLocation}-${SecondaryRegion.i_secrole}-core-rg'
    v_vnetName: '${role}-${SecondaryRegion.i_secenvironment}-${SecondaryRegion.i_secLocation}-${SecondaryRegion.i_secrole}-main-vnet'
}

Thanks for suggesting the option below as it reduces the lines.

var deployment = '${resourcerole}-${environmentName}-${rglocation}'
var rgName = '${deployment}-rg'


var PrimaryRegionNamingStandard = '${role}-${PrimaryRegion.i_prienvironment}-${PrimaryRegion.i_priLocation}-${PrimaryRegion.i_prirole}'
var SecondaryRegionNamingStandard = '${SecondaryRegion.i_secenvironment}-${SecondaryRegion.i_secLocation}-${SecondaryRegion.i_secrole}'
var environmentNameSettings = {  primary: {    v_hubrgname: '${PrimaryRegionNamingStandard}-core-rg'    v_vnetName: '${PrimaryRegionNamingStandard}-main-vnet'}

So this is my understanding now , please correct me if I am wrong . Sorry Just trying to learn bicep :).

I can use declared output as an input of another module , only for the scope it won't work and gives below error.
"This expression is being used in an assignment to the "scope" property of the "module" type, which requires a value that can be calculated at the start of the deployment. You are referencing a variable which cannot be calculated at the start ("hubrgnameout" -> "hubresourcegroup"). Properties of hubresourcegroup which can be calculated at the start include "name".bicep(BCP120)"

brwilkinson Aug 27, 2021
Maintainer

hey @HariRajan2014 yes sorry to skip over that part.

Essentially some things/properties in Bicep and ARM template must be available at deployment time for certain validation etc.

I go into some details on the Resource Graph in the thread below.
#4114 (reply in thread)

if you are after more info, please feel free to post extra questions/clarification or in case I missed anything.

There are some training links on that thread as well, since you mention you are new to Bicep.

HariRajan2014 Aug 27, 2021
Author

Thanks @brwilkinson - I will follow the same and really appreciate your great help.

HariRajan2014 · 2021-08-29T10:48:45Z

HariRajan2014
Aug 29, 2021
Author

Hi, Could you please help me with this scenario and thanks.

From main. bicep I am calling many modules and my plan is to create a vnet and then subnet using a loop but I can't emit provisioned vnet as a resource in the module output. I am getting this error "The property "parent" expected a value of type "resource" but the provided value is of type "object".bicep(BCP036)". Please let me is there any way I can declare the output as a resource-type object , currently it only supports string, array, object, etc..

MAIN.BICEP

module primaryhubvnet 'modules/aznetworking.bicep' = {
  name: 'primary-hub-vnet'
  scope: resourceGroup(environmentNameSettings.primary.v_hubrgname)
  params:{

    rglocation:PrimaryRegion.i_priLocation
    resourcetags:resourceTags
    vnetname:environmentNameSettings.primary.v_vnetName
    addressPrefix: PrimaryRegion.i_privNEtaddressPrefix
    idnsservers: primarydnsserver
  }
  dependsOn: [

        primaryhubresourcegroup
        primaryhubnetworkwatcher
  ]
}

var vnetout = primaryhubvnet.outputs.vnetresource**

Please pay attention to this vnetout which is the output of the below module. Basically, I need to reference the provisioned vnet resource as an input of another module call for provisioning subnet.

the called aznetworking.bicep is below

`resource vnet 'Microsoft.Network/virtualNetworks@2020-06-01' = {
  name: vnetname
  location: rglocation
  tags: resourcetags
  properties: {
    addressSpace: {
      addressPrefixes: [
        addressPrefix
      ]
    }
    dhcpOptions: {
      dnsServers: idnsservers
    }
    enableVmProtection: false
    enableDdosProtection: false
 
  }
}

output vnetresource object = vnet

Now in the main. bicep file, I am calling a module to create subnets.


`var vnetout  =  primaryhubvnet.outputs.vnetresource


module primarysubnetsinhubvnet 'modules/azsubnetsforvnets.bicep' = {
  name: 'primary-subnets-in-hubvnet'
  scope: resourceGroup(environmentNameSettings.primary.v_hubrgname)
  params:{

    subnets: subnets

    **parentvnet:vnetout**
  }
  dependsOn: [

    primaryhubvnet
  ]
}
`

Here it won't accept the provisioned vnet as a resource and gives the below error. Is that something planning to release or the way I conceptualize it wrong? thanks

The property "parent" expected a value of type "resource" but the provided value is of type "object".bicep(BCP036)

`

3 replies

HariRajan2014 Aug 29, 2021
Author

Since the above approach which is separate module for vnet and subnets was failing, I have followed this method and declared the subnet input parameter in the main module and called the vnet module. I have referenced one of your answer ref #3449

But for learning and understanding perspective, I still would like to know please how I can accomplish the above scenario basically how I can reference a module provisioned resource as an input for another resource in a Different module. thanks

brwilkinson Aug 29, 2021
Maintainer

you use an existing reference for any resource.

resource VNET 'Microsoft.Network/virtualNetworks@2020-11-01' existing = {
  name: '${Deployment}-vn'
}

brwilkinson Aug 29, 2021
Maintainer

if you look in: https://github.com/brwilkinson/AzureDeploymentFramework/tree/main/ADF/bicep

There is a subscription level deployment:

00-ALL-SUB.bicep

A Resource group level deployment:

01-ALL-RG.bicep

The above orchestrate/deploy Everything in one hit.

However each individual template can also be deployed independently as well.

VNET.bicep

All information that gets passed into these deployments is in a single file (one file per resource group):
E.g. you will see the subnets info in there.
https://github.com/brwilkinson/AzureDeploymentFramework/blob/main/ADF/tenants/AOA/azuredeploy.1.ACU1.T5.parameters.json

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Azure/BICEP - Please suggest me how can I can accomplish below scenarios. #4168

HariRajan2014 Aug 26, 2021

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