This is part of a collection of articles covering an Introduction to Advanced Terraform, it is deliberately of a certain style, you can find out more in the first post.

When working with Terraform, managing state files is crucial for tracking and maintaining your infrastructure. In this article, we'll explore two approaches to managing state: using remote state with Amazon S3 and leveraging Terraform Cloud.

Remote State with Amazon S3

By default, Terraform stores the state file locally on the machine running Terraform. However, this approach has limitations when collaborating with a team or running Terraform in a CI/CD pipeline, not to mention the risk of losing the state file because it's stored on a local machine. To overcome these challenges, you can store the state file remotely using a backend such as Amazon S3.

To configure remote state with Amazon S3, follow these steps:

  1. Create an S3 bucket to store your Terraform state files.
  2. Configure your Terraform backend in your main.tf file:
terraform {
  backend "s3" {
    bucket = "your-bucket-name"
    key    = "path/to/your/state.tfstate"
    region = "us-west-2"
  }
}
  1. Run terraform init to initialize the S3 backend and migrate your state to the remote storage.

By storing the state file in S3, multiple team members can access and modify the state simultaneously. S3 also provides versioning and encryption features to ensure the security and integrity of your state files.

Terraform Cloud

Terraform Cloud is a managed service provided by HashiCorp that takes remote state management to the next level. It offers a centralized platform for storing state files, collaborating with teams, and automating Terraform runs.

Key features of Terraform Cloud include:

  • Remote State Management: Terraform Cloud securely stores and manages your state files in the cloud.
  • Collaboration: Teams can work together on Terraform projects, with features like workspace permissions and state sharing.
  • Run Automation: Terraform Cloud can automatically trigger Terraform runs based on version control system (VCS) events or API calls.
  • Policy Enforcement: You can define and enforce policies to ensure consistency and compliance across your Terraform configurations.

To get started with Terraform Cloud, follow these steps:

  1. Sign up for a Terraform Cloud account at https://app.terraform.io/signup.
  2. Create an organization and a workspace for your Terraform project.
  3. Configure your Terraform configuration to use the Terraform Cloud backend:
terraform {
  backend "remote" {
    organization = "your-organization-name"
    workspaces {
      name = "your-workspace-name"
    }
  }
}
  1. Run terraform init to initialize the remote backend and authenticate with Terraform Cloud.

With Terraform Cloud, you can enjoy the benefits of remote state management, collaboration, and automation, all within a user-friendly platform.

Conclusion

Managing Terraform state is essential for maintaining a reliable and reproducible infrastructure. Remote state with Amazon S3 provides a simple and effective way to store state files remotely, enabling collaboration and CI/CD integration.

Terraform Cloud takes it a step further by offering a comprehensive platform for state management, collaboration, and automation. It simplifies the workflow and provides additional features like policy enforcement and run automation.

Choose the approach that best fits your team's needs and workflow. Whether you opt for remote state with S3 or leverage the power of Terraform Cloud, managing your state files effectively will enhance your Terraform experience and streamline your infrastructure management process.