terraform

Terraform and OpenTofu automate infrastructure provisioning by defining cloud resources in code. Initialize a configuration with providers and modules, run plan to preview changes, then apply to deploy across AWS, Azure, GCP, and other clouds while maintaining version-controlled state.

Design modules with clear input variables, outputs, and resource declarations organized by function—networking, compute, storage. This modular approach enables code reuse across projects, consistent naming and tagging conventions, and simplified maintenance of multi-cloud deployments.

Use remote state backends with locking—S3, Azure Blob Storage, or Terraform Cloud—to centralize state, prevent concurrent modifications, and enable team collaboration. Configure encryption, access controls, and state isolation per environment to enforce least-privilege security.

OpenTofu maintains compatibility with Terraform configurations, so existing code works with minimal changes. Both tools share the same HCL syntax, state format, and provider ecosystem, making migration straightforward for projects seeking an open-source alternative.

Run terraform plan or tofu plan to preview all changes, use terraform validate to check syntax, and apply tagging and encryption policies before deployment. Review the plan output for unintended deletions or modifications, then apply incrementally to reduce blast radius.