Terraform state file
A file that persistently records Terraform’s representation of managed infrastructure resources and their attributes, linking configuration to real-world instances.
Terraform in Depth: Infrastructure as Code with Terraform and OpenTofu
A file containing Terraform's persisted representation of managed infrastructure and configuration state.
- How it is used
- Links configured resources to real objects so Terraform can refresh state and plan infrastructure changes.
- How deep it goes
- Explains the local JSON layout, identifiers, resources, outputs, and checks, then gives backend safeguards without detailing each backend’s configuration.
- Examples
- Uses a locally stored JSON state file generated by a child-module random_password resource and a sensitive root output.
- What you can do after
- Operate/configure it by inspecting state, choosing protective backend settings, and using Terraform tools rather than routinely editing state directly.
Bootstrapping Microservices, Second Edition: With Docker, Kubernetes, GitHub Actions, and Terraform
A Terraform state file is a local or remote file that records the state of infrastructure managed by Terraform, including associated resource values.
- How it is used
- Tracks managed infrastructure between Terraform applies and supports environment-specific deployments through CI/CD.
- How deep it goes
- Explains creation, refresh, ownership, inspection, sensitive storage, and remote multi-environment use without detailing state commands or locking.
- Examples
- Shows cat or type inspection, an Azure resource group JSON record, plaintext sensitive output, and environment-specific cloud storage.
- What you can do after
- Operate Terraform state by inspecting records, protecting sensitive values, separating environments, and configuring remote CI/CD storage.
Related concepts
- data structurekind of · A data structure is an organized representation of data and its relationships that supports defined operations for storing, accessing, or modifying it.
- Terraformproduced by · Terraform is an open-source infrastructure-as-code tool for defining, provisioning, and managing infrastructure resources through declarative configuration.
- databasekind of · A database is an organized collection of persistent data managed by software for storage, retrieval, querying, and modification.
- terraform applyproduced by · terraform apply is a Terraform command that executes planned changes to create, modify, or delete managed infrastructure resources.
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