A local backend stores a Terraform workspace’s state files directly on the computer running Terraform. It is the default when no other backend is configured, making it convenient for testing and local development but unsuitable for shared production work. section 1.2.5 section 2.3.1
Initializing with local state
Run terraform init in a new Terraform project. Terraform initializes the default local backend before installing providers and modules, leaving state management on the local system. section 1.4.2
Listing 1.1 Initializing a Terraform project
$ terraform init #1 Initializing the backend... #2 Initializing provider plugins... #3 - Finding HashiCorp/aws versions matching "~> 4.0"... #4 - Installing HashiCorp/aws v4.41.0... #5 - Installed HashiCorp/aws v4.41.0 (signed by HashiCorp) #6 Terraform has created a lock file .terraform.lock.hcl to record the provider selections it made above. Include this file in your version control repository so that Terraform can guarantee to make the same selections by default when you run "terraform init" in the future. Terraform has been successfully initialized! You may now begin working with Terraform. Try running "terraform plan" to see any changes that are required for your infrastructure. All Terraform commands should now work. If you ever set or change modules or backend configuration for Terraform, rerun this command to reinitialize your working directory. If you forget, other commands will detect it and remind you to do so if necessary.
The initialization listing shows the local backend step alongside provider installation and lock-file creation. section 1.4.2
Use the local backend when its operational limits are acceptable:
- It is easy to start with because no remote state service or additional backend configuration is required. section 1.2.5 section 6.4
- It does not scale to teams because the workspace can be acted on only from the computer holding the state. section 1.2.5
- It is not resilient or necessarily secure: hardware failure can remove the state, and access depends on the machine’s protections. section 6.4
- Use another backend for production environments, reviewing its requirements for availability, security, and state locking. section 2.3.1 section 6.4
