Lesson 1 of 4 ยท Introduction to Terraform

What is Terraform?

Terraform is a tool for describing cloud infrastructure in text files. Instead of clicking through a cloud console and trying to remember every setting, you write down what you want: a network, a server, or a database. Terraform reads that description and helps create the same setup consistently.

Example

# main.tf
# Terraform configuration lives in files ending in .tf.
# You will add a provider and resources in the next lessons.

Step by step

  1. Think of Terraform as a blueprint, not the cloud itself.
  2. Write the blueprint in files ending in .tf.
  3. Terraform compares the blueprint with real infrastructure before making changes.

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Terraform does not automatically make an account or choose safe production settings for you.
  • A Terraform file is not a script that runs from top to bottom; Terraform builds a dependency graph.