liveBook · Manning

Terraform Automation and Collaboration Software

As explained in Terraform in Depth: Infrastructure as Code with Terraform and OpenTofu

Terraform Automation and Collaboration Software is a category of platforms that automate and coordinate Terraform workflows, including state management, collaboration, and deployment.

Terraform Automation and Collaboration Software, usually called TACOS, addresses the operational work around Terraform: integrating changes, coordinating reviews, managing state, and deploying approved infrastructure updates. These platforms connect Terraform workflows to Git repositories and can provide hosted or self-managed execution. section 1.1.3 section 6.4.1

A TACOS platform commonly combines these capabilities:

  • GitHub and GitLab integration for publishing modules from Git tags and triggering infrastructure workflows. section 1.1.3
  • Speculative plans that show the likely effect of pull-request changes before deployment. section 1.1.3
  • Deployment of approved changes as they are merged, alongside state management and, in some products, private module registries. section 1.1.3 section 8.6.3
  • Integration with broader CI/CD systems such as GitHub Actions, CircleCI, or Jenkins for testing, formatting, and linting. section 1.1.3

A pull-request deployment workflow

A team stores Terraform code in GitHub and connects the repository to a TACOS platform. A pull request produces a speculative plan for review; merging the approved change starts deployment. The platform manages remote state and may expose earlier state versions through a web interface. External backups remain necessary even when the platform manages state transparently. section 1.1.3 section 8.6.3

Table 6.1 Terraform backends (view table figure)

Backend

System

Workspaces

Notes

local

Local Filesystem

Yes

Should never be used in production.

azurerm

Azure

Yes

A good option if you’re already using Azure.

consul

Consul

Yes

A good option for self-hosting, especially if Consul is configured for high availability.

cos

Tencent

Yes

A good option if you’re already using Tencent.

gcs

Google Cloud Storage

Yes

A good option if you’re already using GCP.

http

Custom HTTP API

No

Allows developers to build their own backend with a simple HTTP-based API.

kubernetes

Kubernetes Secrets

Yes

Avoid using before the Terraform release v1.6 due to limits in how large the state can become in those earlier versions.

oss

Alibaba Cloud

Yes

Uses the Alibaba Cloud Table Store for locking.

pg

PostgreSQL

Yes

Allows users to store state in a SQL database.

s3

AWS S3

Yes

Requires DynamoDB for locking, which makes it unsuitable for Wasabi or other S3 emulation systems.

remote

Terraform Enterprise

Yes

Originally created for Terraform Enterprise, this backend is being replaced by the cloud block.

cloud

TACOS

No

The cloud block is more than just a backend, as it allows for controlling operations as well.

Compare Terraform backend choices by storage system, workspace support, and operational notes when a dedicated TACOS platform is not being used. section 6.4.1

How Terraform in Depth: Infrastructure as Code with Terraform and OpenTofu covers it

How deep it goes
Explains platform capabilities and operational tradeoffs, but defers detailed CI/CD implementation and vendor-by-vendor differentiation.
Examples
Uses GitHub and GitLab integrations, speculative pull-request plans, merged deployments, state-version interfaces, Env0, and Spacelift.
What it assumes
Assumes Terraform workflows, Git-based collaboration, CI/CD, and backend concepts while distinguishing their roles.
What you can do after
Operate/configure Terraform workflows through TACOS platforms while selecting suitable state storage and retaining external backups.
How it connects
Connects Terraform with CI/CD, GitOps, remote state, backends, private module registries, and OpenTofu.
Cover of Terraform in Depth: Infrastructure as Code with Terraform and OpenTofu
liveBookmanning.com
Read Terraform in Depth: Infrastructure as Code with Terraform and OpenTofu on liveBook Get the book at manning.com

Related concepts

This explainer was generated by Manning's knowledge graph from the text of Terraform in Depth: Infrastructure as Code with Terraform and OpenTofu. The section links point to the parts of the book it draws on.