1. Install Terraform
Download and install the Terraform binary from the official website or choose the suitable package manager for your operating system.
2. Configure Provider
Define the cloud provider you want to use (e.g., AWS, Azure, GCP) by setting up the appropriate provider configuration in a Terraform file. This includes specifying access credentials or authentication information.
3. Define Infrastructure
Create a new Terraform file with the .tf extension. In this file, you write the desired state of your infrastructure using Terraform's declarative language called HashiCorp Configuration Language (HCL). Define resources such as instances, networks, storage, and others, along with their configurations.
4. Initialize the Directory
Open a terminal in the directory containing the Terraform file and run terraform init. This command initializes your working directory, downloads the required provider plugins, and sets up the backend if specified in the configuration.
5. Preview Changes
Run terraform plan to see a preview of the changes Terraform will make. It shows what resources will be created, modified, or destroyed based on the current state and your configuration.
6. Apply Changes
If the plan looks correct, execute terraform apply to apply the changes and provision the infrastructure. It will create or update the resources according to your configuration. Confirm the changes by typing yes when prompted.
7. Manage State
Terraform stores the current state of your infrastructure in a state file (.tfstate). This file keeps track of what resources are managed by Terraform. By default, the state is stored locally, but it's recommended to use remote state storage for team collaboration and state management.
8. Continuous Management
As infrastructure requirements change, modify the Terraform configuration file (.tf) to update the desired state. Run terraform plan to check the changes before applying them with terraform apply. This allows for efficient, repeatable management of your infrastructure over time.
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By following these steps, you can use Terraform to manage and automate the provisioning of your infrastructure as code.
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