Terraform Backend

1. Backend Config:

• Backends determine where Terraform State is stored
  • must run terraform init to restart
  • terraform init -migrate-state to migrate where state is stored
• Stored as a backend block within terraform block
• Responsible for State locking
  • not all backends support state locking
• Available backends:
  • Cant load additional backends as plugins
• Using backend block:
  • This tells Terraform where to store as backend
  • A config can only have 1 backend block
  • cant refer to named value
  • when using Terraform Cloud, it doesnt need to have backend block
• Can set backend to refer to an existing Terraform State file
• Can set backend dynamically with terraform init —backend-config
• Workspace prefix
  • workspaces { prefix = “application-” }
  • terraform workspace new prod
  • creates a new workspace application-prod

2. Available backends:

• Local

  •   terraform {
        backend "local" {
          path = "terraform/state/terraform.tfstate"
        }
      }

• Remote

  •     terraform {
      	  backend "remote" {
      		organization = "example_corp"
      	
      		workspaces {
      		  name = "my-app-prod"
      		}
      	  }
      	}

• azurerm
• consul
• cos
• gcs
• http
• Kubernetes
• s3