Terraform Basics Quiz

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Test your knowledge of basic Terraform concepts.

Instructions:

• Select the best answer for each question.
• Your score will be shown at the end.

#

What is the primary file extension for Terraform configuration files?

.tf

.hcl

.json

.yaml

Terraform uses HashiCorp Configuration Language (HCL), but the file extension is .tf (or .tf.json).

#

Which command initializes a working directory containing Terraform configuration files?

terraform init

terraform start

terraform plan

terraform apply

terraform init is the first command that should be run after writing a new Terraform configuration. It installs plugins and initializes the backend.

#

Which command is used to preview the changes that Terraform will make to your infrastructure?

terraform plan

terraform check

terraform preview

terraform dry-run

terraform plan creates an execution plan, letting you preview the changes before applying them.

#

What does 'IaC' stand for?

Infrastructure as Code

Infrastructure as Container

Integration as Code

Interface as Code

Terraform is an Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tool.

#

Which block type is used to define a piece of infrastructure in Terraform?

resource

provider

module

data

The resource block defines a resource (like an EC2 instance) that exists in the infrastructure.

#

Where does Terraform store the mapping between your resources and real-world infrastructure?

terraform.tfstate

terraform.log

main.tf

variables.tf

Terraform stores the state of your managed infrastructure in the terraform.tfstate file.

#

Which command is used to destroy all the resources created by Terraform?

terraform destroy

terraform delete

terraform remove

terraform kill

terraform destroy is used to destroy the Terraform-managed infrastructure.

#

What argument is typically used to specify the region for an AWS provider?

region

location

zone

area

In the AWS provider block, region is commonly used (e.g., region = "us-east-1").

#

Can Terraform manage resources on multiple cloud providers in a single configuration?

Yes

No

Yes, Terraform is cloud-agnostic and can manage resources across multiple providers (AWS, Azure, GCP, etc.) in the same configuration.

#

Which command checks if your configuration is syntactically valid and internally consistent?

terraform validate

terraform lint

terraform verify

terraform check

terraform validate validates the configuration files in a directory.

#

What command allows you to login to Terraform Cloud or Enterprise?

terraform login

terraform auth

terraform connect

terraform signin

terraform login is used to obtain and save an API token for Terraform Cloud or Terraform Enterprise.

#

Which command creates a visual graph of Terraform resources?

terraform graph

terraform plot

terraform view

terraform map

terraform graph outputs the visual execution graph of Terraform resources in DOT format.

#

How do you specify a comment in a .tf file?

# or //

--

;

<!-- -->

Terraform supports # (shell style) and // (C++ style) for single-line comments.

#

Which command applies changes without asking for confirmation?

terraform apply --auto-approve

terraform apply --yes

terraform apply --force

terraform apply --no-ask

The --auto-approve flag skips the interactive approval step.

#

What is the required_version setting used for?

To specify the version of Terraform CLI allowed

To set the provider version

To set the resource version

To set the API version

It ensures that the configuration is run with a compatible version of the Terraform binary.

#

Which command is used to display the output variables defined in the root module?

terraform output

terraform show

terraform print

terraform list

terraform output prints the output variables to the CLI.

#

What does data block define?

A way to fetch info about existing external resources

A new database

A variable

A local value

Data sources allow configuration to be built on information defined outside of Terraform.

#

Which syntax is used to interpolate values in standard HCL strings?

${variable}

{{variable}}

$(variable)

Terraform uses ${} for string interpolation.

#

Where are Terraform plugins downloaded to?

.terraform/ subdirectory

/usr/bin

/etc/terraform

home directory

terraform init downloads provider plugins into the hidden .terraform/ directory in the current working directory.

#

What is the default filename for Terraform variable definitions?

variables.tf

vars.tf

inputs.tf

params.tf

By convention, input variables are usually defined in variables.tf.

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