What does HashiCorp Terraform do?
HashiCorp Terraform is a software tool that allows cloud engineers and architects to define infrastructure as code. Using the HashiCorp Configuration Language (HCL), engineers can define and provide public or private cloud infrastructure as and when required.Put simply, developers create configuration files that define the desired final state of their infrastructure. HashiCorp Terraform then processes the configuration files and creates/updates/destroys the remote infrastructure as required.
Terraform follows a simple three step process:
- Write – Infrastructure is designed and defined in configuration files
- Review – Infrastructure architects check the changes that will be executed
- Apply – Terraform makes the specified infrastructure changes and updates a state file to confirm completion
Terraform has been designed for use with a wide range of platform resources, from cloud infrastructure platforms (public and private) to software as a service (SaaS) and platform as a service (PaaS) offerings. Using “Terraform Providers” the software creates and manages resources on remote platforms and services via their native APIs.
The Terraform Registry contains details of thousands of pre-written providers, allowing users to manage infrastructure across well-known services including Amazon Web Services (AWS), Azure, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), Kubernetes, Helm, GitHub, Splunk and DataDog. Developers can also write their own Terraform Providers if required, allowing the software to be used with any infrastructure.
It is worth noting that developers can use JSON for infrastructure declarations if they prefer.
Is the HashiCorp Terraform framework free?
Terraform has a limited, low-volume free service that allows developers to test the software and its capabilities with up to 500 resources. Beyond that cap, HashiCorp Terraform is billed per hour per resource.
There are also advanced licensing options for enterprise class organisations or those with additional security, compliance, and operational requirements that can only be satisfied with a self-managed installation. These ‘Plus’ and ‘Enterprise’ plans are priced according to the client’s specific needs and usage.
How difficult is HashiCorp Terraform to learn?
HashiCorp Terraform uses its own declarative language for provisioning infrastructure. The HashiCorp website has hundreds of tutorials to help developers get up to speed. There is also an official HashiCorp Terraform Certification path available for developers who want credentials to confirm their ability.
Because Terraform also supports JSON, developers with experience in this particular language may find
What are the key features and capabilities of HashiCorp Terraform?
There are several benefits available when using HashiCorp Terraform:
- Automated provisioning Composing infrastructure as code allows your architects to define finished state deployments in advance. This reduces deployment time and cost, and ensures your new infrastructure is available immediately.
- Multi-cloud provisioning Best-of-breed solutions use services from multiple providers, potentially increasing time to deployment. Again, pre-configuration allows you to deploy and manage services from multiple providers – in one place.
- Enhance CI/CD workflows Increasing workflow automation is an essential aspect of CI/CD. And with HashiCorp Terraform you can automate infrastructure processes for additional productivity gains.
- Strengthen security and compliance Using infrastructure as code you can pre-define deployments, ensuring that they meet your security and compliance requirements and reducing the risk of missed configurations.
- Reusable modular approach HashiCorp Terraform configuration files can be used and reused as required. Infrastructure can be created, destroyed and recreated as part of any workflow on demand accelerating deployments and encouraging module reuse to reduce development time.
- Extensible functionality Terraform can be used alongside other HashiCorp products like Sentinel and Vault to further extend functionality and enhance your remote infrastructure applications and services.
Who uses HashiCorp Terraform?
HashiCorp Terraform has gained widespread adoption and is trusted by numerous renowned companies across various industries. Among the notable users of HashiCorp Terraform are:
- Petronas
- Deutsche Bank
- Decathlon
- Cruise
- Red Ventures
- Shop Style
These organizations leverage HashiCorp Terraform to streamline and automate their infrastructure management processes, reflecting the platform’s versatility and reliability. Additionally, Terraform has fostered a thriving community forum, allowing users to share knowledge, seek advice, and contribute to the continuous improvement of the tool. The broad user base and community support underscore Terraform’s position as a preferred choice for managing infrastructure as code in complex and dynamic environments.
How can I learn more?
This article is part of a larger series focusing on the technologies and topics found in the first edition of the TechRadar by Devoteam . To see what our community of tech leaders said about the current position of Hashicorp Terraform in the market, take a look at the most recent edition of the TechRadar by Devoteam.
