Block syntax and structure in Terraform - Practice Problems & Coding Challenges

Challenge - 5 Problems

❓ Configuration

intermediate

Identify the output of this Terraform resource block

Given the following Terraform resource block, what will be the value of the instance_type attribute after deployment?

Terraform

resource "aws_instance" "example" {
  ami           = "ami-12345678"
  instance_type = "t2.micro"
  tags = {
    Name = "ExampleInstance"
  }
}

A "t2.micro"

B "ami-12345678"

C "ExampleInstance"

D "aws_instance.example"

💡 Hint

Look at the attribute assigned to instance_type inside the resource block.

The instance_type attribute is explicitly set to "t2.micro" in the resource block, so after deployment, its value will be "t2.micro".

❓ Architecture

intermediate

Determine the number of blocks in this Terraform configuration

How many top-level blocks are defined in the following Terraform configuration snippet?

Terraform

provider "aws" {
  region = "us-west-2"
}

resource "aws_s3_bucket" "bucket" {
  bucket = "my-bucket"
  acl    = "private"
}

variable "bucket_name" {
  type = string
}

A 2

B 3

C 4

D 1

💡 Hint

Count each block that starts at the left margin with a block type keyword.

There are three top-level blocks: provider, resource, and variable.

❓ security

advanced

Identify the security risk in this Terraform block structure

Which option correctly identifies the security risk in the following Terraform block?

Terraform

resource "aws_security_group" "example" {
  name        = "example-sg"
  description = "Allow SSH"

  ingress {
    from_port   = 22
    to_port     = 22
    protocol    = "tcp"
    cidr_blocks = ["0.0.0.0/0"]
  }
}

A The security group name is not unique, causing deployment failure.

B Missing egress block will block all outbound traffic, causing connectivity issues.

C The protocol value "tcp" is invalid and will cause a syntax error.

D Ingress rule allows SSH from any IP address, which is a security risk.

💡 Hint

Consider what allowing SSH from everywhere means for security.

Allowing SSH (port 22) from any IP address (0.0.0.0/0) exposes the instance to the entire internet, increasing risk of unauthorized access.

✅ Best Practice

advanced

Choose the correct block structure to define multiple tags in Terraform

Which option correctly defines multiple tags inside a resource block in Terraform?

A

tags = {
  Environment = "Production"
  Owner       = "TeamA"
}

B

tags = [
  "Environment=Production",
  "Owner=TeamA"
]

C

tags = {
  "Environment": "Production",
  "Owner": "TeamA"
}

D tags = ("Environment" = "Production", "Owner" = "TeamA")

💡 Hint

Terraform uses maps for tags, not lists or tuples.

Terraform expects tags as a map with key-value pairs using = without quotes around keys. Option A uses correct syntax.

❓ service_behavior

expert

Predict the behavior of nested blocks in this Terraform configuration

What will be the effect of the nested lifecycle block inside this resource block?

Terraform

resource "aws_s3_bucket" "example" {
  bucket = "my-example-bucket"

  lifecycle {
    prevent_destroy = true
  }
}

A Terraform will throw a syntax error due to incorrect lifecycle block placement.

B Terraform will ignore the lifecycle block and destroy the bucket normally.

C Terraform will prevent the bucket from being destroyed unless the lifecycle block is removed.

D Terraform will automatically recreate the bucket if destroyed outside Terraform.

💡 Hint

Consider what the prevent_destroy setting does in Terraform lifecycle blocks.

The lifecycle block with prevent_destroy = true tells Terraform to block any destroy action on the resource unless the block is removed or changed.