Podcast
Questions and Answers
What is HCL in Terraform?
What is HCL in Terraform?
- A web framework for developing applications
- A domain-specific language for writing configurations (correct)
- A programming language for scripting
- A database management system
How does HCL differ from JSON?
How does HCL differ from JSON?
- HCL is more concise and human-readable (correct)
- HCL supports dynamic typing unlike JSON
- HCL is more verbose and less readable
- JSON is supported only in Terraform, not HCL
What constitutes a block in HCL?
What constitutes a block in HCL?
- A container for configuration that defines resources (correct)
- A sequence of variable declarations
- A collection of user input values
- A repository for storing Terraform modules
Which keyword is used to declare a variable in HCL?
Which keyword is used to declare a variable in HCL?
What is an attribute in HCL?
What is an attribute in HCL?
What is the function of the output block in HCL?
What is the function of the output block in HCL?
How is a map defined in HCL?
How is a map defined in HCL?
What is required for defining a list in HCL?
What is required for defining a list in HCL?
What is Terraform used for?
What is Terraform used for?
How does Terraform differ from Ansible?
How does Terraform differ from Ansible?
What does the terraform init command do?
What does the terraform init command do?
What is the purpose of the Terraform state file?
What is the purpose of the Terraform state file?
What is a provider in Terraform?
What is a provider in Terraform?
Which of the following is a primary function of Terraform?
Which of the following is a primary function of Terraform?
In which of the following areas does Terraform NOT specialize?
In which of the following areas does Terraform NOT specialize?
What lifecycle aspect does Terraform focus on?
What lifecycle aspect does Terraform focus on?
What does the file() function do in HCL?
What does the file() function do in HCL?
What does the coalesce() function return?
What does the coalesce() function return?
How is a dynamic block defined in HCL?
How is a dynamic block defined in HCL?
What is the primary purpose of the toset() function in HCL?
What is the primary purpose of the toset() function in HCL?
What does the try() function do in HCL?
What does the try() function do in HCL?
What command is used to create a new workspace in Terraform?
What command is used to create a new workspace in Terraform?
How can you define a map with mixed data types in HCL?
How can you define a map with mixed data types in HCL?
In HCL, what is the result of the expression try(var.maybe_value, 'fallback_value') if var.maybe_value is null?
In HCL, what is the result of the expression try(var.maybe_value, 'fallback_value') if var.maybe_value is null?
Which practice is recommended to avoid conflicts in workspace state files?
Which practice is recommended to avoid conflicts in workspace state files?
What type of blocks does a dynamic block generate in HCL?
What type of blocks does a dynamic block generate in HCL?
What feature does Terraform Cloud provide to prevent simultaneous updates?
What feature does Terraform Cloud provide to prevent simultaneous updates?
What command lists the existing workspaces in Terraform?
What command lists the existing workspaces in Terraform?
What should be managed through variable sets for Terraform Cloud?
What should be managed through variable sets for Terraform Cloud?
What type of notifications can be configured in Terraform Cloud?
What type of notifications can be configured in Terraform Cloud?
What is the first step in the recommended example workflow for Terraform Cloud?
What is the first step in the recommended example workflow for Terraform Cloud?
What is a key capability of Terragrunt?
What is a key capability of Terragrunt?
What is a recommended method for storing sensitive passwords when using Terraform?
What is a recommended method for storing sensitive passwords when using Terraform?
Which provider feature can be used to securely manage secrets in Kubernetes?
Which provider feature can be used to securely manage secrets in Kubernetes?
What should be done if sensitive data is used temporarily during resource creation?
What should be done if sensitive data is used temporarily during resource creation?
Which of the following methods can help encrypt the Terraform state file?
Which of the following methods can help encrypt the Terraform state file?
What is the first step in manually scrubbing sensitive data from the Terraform state file?
What is the first step in manually scrubbing sensitive data from the Terraform state file?
Which command is used to download the state file locally?
Which command is used to download the state file locally?
How can sensitive attributes be removed after provisioning in Terraform?
How can sensitive attributes be removed after provisioning in Terraform?
What is a best practice for managing sensitive values in Terraform?
What is a best practice for managing sensitive values in Terraform?
What is the main purpose of using workspaces in Terraform Cloud?
What is the main purpose of using workspaces in Terraform Cloud?
Which of the following is NOT a prerequisite for using Terraform Cloud with workspaces?
Which of the following is NOT a prerequisite for using Terraform Cloud with workspaces?
Where can you create a new workspace in Terraform Cloud?
Where can you create a new workspace in Terraform Cloud?
What should you link each workspace to in Terraform Cloud?
What should you link each workspace to in Terraform Cloud?
What does the following configuration represent in Terraform? 'name = "dev"'
What does the following configuration represent in Terraform? 'name = "dev"'
Which command is necessary to set up the backend configuration for Terraform Cloud?
Which command is necessary to set up the backend configuration for Terraform Cloud?
What type of files should be used to manage environment-specific variables in Terraform Cloud?
What type of files should be used to manage environment-specific variables in Terraform Cloud?
In the backend configuration example, what is the purpose of 'hostname = "app.terraform.io"'?
In the backend configuration example, what is the purpose of 'hostname = "app.terraform.io"'?
Flashcards
Terraform
Terraform
An Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tool for defining and provisioning infrastructure resources.
IaC
IaC
Managing and provisioning infrastructure through code.
Terraform Init
Terraform Init
Initializes Terraform workspace by downloading providers and configuring backend.
Terraform State File
Terraform State File
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Terraform Provider
Terraform Provider
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Terraform vs Ansible
Terraform vs Ansible
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Infrastructure as Code
Infrastructure as Code
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Cloud Providers
Cloud Providers
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HCL in Terraform
HCL in Terraform
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HCL vs. JSON
HCL vs. JSON
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HCL Block
HCL Block
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HCL Variable
HCL Variable
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HCL Attribute
HCL Attribute
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HCL Output Block
HCL Output Block
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HCL Map
HCL Map
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HCL List
HCL List
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Terraform Cloud Workspaces
Terraform Cloud Workspaces
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Terraform Cloud Account
Terraform Cloud Account
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Remote Backend Configuration
Remote Backend Configuration
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Workspace Dashboard
Workspace Dashboard
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Shared Configuration
Shared Configuration
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Environment-Specific Variables
Environment-Specific Variables
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Terraform Backend Configuration (example)
Terraform Backend Configuration (example)
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Workspace Creation (Terraform Cloud)
Workspace Creation (Terraform Cloud)
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Terraform Workspace
Terraform Workspace
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Terraform Workspace CLI
Terraform Workspace CLI
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Workspace Isolation
Workspace Isolation
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Environment-Specific Variables
Environment-Specific Variables
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Terraform Cloud State Locking
Terraform Cloud State Locking
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Terragrunt
Terragrunt
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Workspace Selection
Workspace Selection
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Terraform Apply
Terraform Apply
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Externalizing Sensitive Data
Externalizing Sensitive Data
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Environment Variables
Environment Variables
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Provider Features (Secrets)
Provider Features (Secrets)
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Removing Sensitive Data from State
Removing Sensitive Data from State
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Encrypting the State File
Encrypting the State File
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Manual State Scrubbing
Manual State Scrubbing
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State File Backup
State File Backup
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State File Pull/Push
State File Pull/Push
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Multi-line Strings in HCL
Multi-line Strings in HCL
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file() vs. templatefile()
file() vs. templatefile()
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Dynamic Blocks in HCL
Dynamic Blocks in HCL
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coalesce() Function
coalesce() Function
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try() Function in HCL
try() Function in HCL
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Mixed Type Maps
Mixed Type Maps
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toset() Function
toset() Function
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List of Maps in HCL
List of Maps in HCL
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Study Notes
Terraform Interview Questions and Answers - Basic Questions
-
Terraform is an Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tool developed by HashiCorp. It's used to define and provision infrastructure resources (e.g., VMs, networks, storage) across cloud providers (AWS, Azure, GCP) using a declarative configuration language.
-
Terraform differs from Ansible. Terraform primarily provisions and manages infrastructure, while Ansible manages software, system configuration, and application deployment after the infrastructure is built.
-
The
terraform init
command initializes the working directory. It downloads required provider plugins, sets up backend configurations for storing state files, and prepares the directory for subsequent commands.
Terraform Interview Questions and Answers - Intermediate Questions
-
Sensitive data (passwords, API keys) should be handled using environment variables, Vault integration, or Terraform's
sensitive
argument. -
Terraform
plan
previews changes, whileapply
executes them. -
Terraform modules are reusable configuration sets that organize, modularize code, reduce duplication, and enable reusable configurations across different projects or environments.
-
Terraform manages drift by comparing the state file with actual infrastructure during
plan
orapply
commands. Detected changes are highlighted, and the infrastructure may be updated to the desired state.
Terraform Interview Questions and Answers - Advanced Questions
-
Terraform state files should be managed using remote backends (AWS S3, Azure Blob Storage or Terraform Cloud), state locking, and workspaces for concurrent operations in team environments.
-
Terraform workspaces allow managing multiple instances of infrastructure configurations within a single directory, easily creating separate development, testing, and production environments.
Terraform Interview Questions and Answers - HCL (Hashicorp Configuration Language)
-
HCL is Terraform's configuration language, designed for human readability and machine-friendliness. It uses blocks, arguments, and attributes to define resources, providers, and modules.
-
HCL variables are placeholders for values passed into the configuration, making it dynamic and reusable.
-
HCL uses
locals
for reusable expressions within configurations. -
HCL supports conditionals using ternary operators and loops using the
for
expression. -
HCL supports interpolation with the
$
syntax. -
HCL uses double quotes for strings. Multi-line strings use
<<EOF
blocks. -
HCL's
count
argument creates multiple instances of a resource. -
HCL's
for_each
iterates over maps or sets to create multiple resource instances. -
HCL's
dynamic
block generates nested blocks dynamically based on variable values. -
HCL's
output
block displays specific information from Terraform configuration. -
HCL uses
depends_on
to define dependencies between resources. -
HCL data sources retrieve and reference information from external sources.
-
terraform.workspace
is a built-in Terraform variable representing the current workspace. -
HCL's
compact()
function removes null or empty values from a list. -
HCL's
lookup()
function returns a value from a map with a default fallback if the key isn't found. -
HCL's
can()
function checks if an expression is valid. -
HCL's
slice()
function extracts a portion of a list. -
HCL uses
merge()
to combine maps, with later maps overriding earlier conflicting keys. -
HCL's
zipmap()
function creates a map from two lists. -
HCL supports
sensitive
to mark variables and outputs as sensitive preventing display in logs and state file storage. -
HCL's
optional
feature allows for optional attributes in object variables.
Terraform Interview Questions and Answers - Scenario-Based Questions
- To handle breaking changes in a Terraform provider, update the provider version, test changes in a non-production environment using the
terraform plan
command, fix code issues, then gradually roll out changes.
Terraform Interview Questions and Answers - Other Questions
-
Terraform
import
command brings existing manually managed resources under Terraform management. -
Modules should be stored in a version-controlled repository (e.g., Git) for versioning and use version constraints to manage updates.
-
Optimize costs by using Terraform for resource auto-scaling, identifying and removing unused resources (using tools like AWS Trusted Advisor or Azure Cost Management), and scheduling non-critical resources for shut-down during non-period hours.
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Description
Prepare for your Terraform interview with this comprehensive quiz that covers both basic and intermediate questions. Explore essential concepts like Infrastructure as Code, command usage, and best practices for handling sensitive data. Gain confidence and enhance your understanding of Terraform's functionalities.