Terraform apply for execution - Interactive Code Practice

Practice - 5 Tasks

1fill in blank

easy

Complete the command to apply the Terraform configuration.

Terraform

terraform [1]

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

Aapply

Bdestroy

Cplan

Dinit

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Using 'terraform plan' instead of 'terraform apply'.

Using 'terraform init' which only initializes the working directory.

The terraform apply command executes the changes required to reach the desired state of the configuration.

2fill in blank

medium

Complete the command to apply Terraform changes automatically without asking for confirmation.

Terraform

terraform apply [1]

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

A-refresh=false

B-lock=false

C-var-file

D-auto-approve

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Using '-refresh=false' which disables state refresh but does not skip approval.

Using '-var-file' which specifies variable files but does not skip approval.

The -auto-approve flag skips the interactive approval step and applies changes immediately.

3fill in blank

hard

Fix the error in the command to apply Terraform changes with a specific variable file.

Terraform

terraform apply [1]=production.tfvars

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

A-var-file

B-auto-approve

C-var

D-refresh

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Using '-var' which expects a key=value pair, not a file.

Using '-auto-approve' which skips approval but does not specify variable files.

The -var-file flag is used to specify a file containing variable values.

4fill in blank

hard

Fill both blanks to run Terraform apply with a plan file and skip approval.

Terraform

terraform apply [1] [2]

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

A-auto-approve

B-refresh=false

Cmyplan.tfplan

D-var-file=prod.tfvars

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Putting the plan file after the flags.

Using '-refresh=false' which does not skip approval.

Use the plan file name as the first argument and -auto-approve to skip confirmation.

5fill in blank

hard

Fill all three blanks to apply Terraform changes with a variable file, skip approval, and disable state locking.

Terraform

terraform apply [1] [2] [3]

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

A-var-file=staging.tfvars

B-auto-approve

C-lock=false

D-refresh=true

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Using '-refresh=true' which refreshes state but does not skip approval or disable locking.

Mixing up the order of flags.

Use -var-file to specify variables, -auto-approve to skip confirmation, and -lock=false to disable state locking.

Practice

1. What does the terraform apply command do in simple terms?

easy

A. It backs up your cloud resources to local storage.

B. It creates or changes cloud resources based on your configuration.

C. It only shows a list of resources without making changes.

D. It deletes all your cloud resources immediately.

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the purpose of terraform apply

   The command is used to make your cloud setup real by creating or updating resources defined in your configuration files.

2. Step 2: Compare options with command behavior

   Only It creates or changes cloud resources based on your configuration. correctly describes this behavior. Options A, B, and C describe actions terraform apply does not perform.

3. Final Answer:

   It creates or changes cloud resources based on your configuration. -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   terraform apply = create/change resources [OK]

Hint: Remember: apply means 'make changes happen' [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking terraform apply only shows plans without applying
• Confusing terraform apply with terraform destroy
• Assuming terraform apply backs up resources

2. Which of the following is the correct syntax to run terraform apply without asking for approval?

easy

A. terraform apply -skip-confirm

B. terraform apply --no-approval

C. terraform apply -auto-approve

D. terraform apply --force

Solution

1. Step 1: Recall terraform apply options for skipping approval

   The official option to skip manual approval is -auto-approve.

2. Step 2: Verify other options

   Options B, C, and D are not valid terraform flags and will cause errors.

3. Final Answer:

   terraform apply -auto-approve -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   -auto-approve skips approval [OK]

Hint: Use -auto-approve to skip approval prompt [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using incorrect flags like --no-approval
• Trying to use --force which is invalid
• Assuming terraform apply never asks for approval

3. Given this terraform apply output snippet:

Plan: 2 to add, 1 to change, 0 to destroy.

What will happen after you approve the apply?

medium

A. Two resources will be created, one resource will be updated, none deleted.

B. Two resources will be deleted, one created, none updated.

C. One resource will be created, two updated, none deleted.

D. No changes will happen because destroy count is zero.

Solution

1. Step 1: Interpret the plan summary

   The plan says 2 to add means 2 new resources will be created, 1 to change means 1 existing resource will be updated, and 0 to destroy means no resources will be deleted.

2. Step 2: Match the plan to the options

   Only Two resources will be created, one resource will be updated, none deleted. correctly describes this outcome. Options A, C, and D misunderstand the counts.

3. Final Answer:

   Two resources will be created, one resource will be updated, none deleted. -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Plan add=2, change=1, destroy=0 [OK]

Hint: Add = create, change = update, destroy = delete [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Mixing up add and destroy counts
• Assuming zero destroy means no changes at all
• Confusing change with destroy

4. You run terraform apply but get an error: Error: No configuration files found. What is the likely cause?

medium

A. You ran terraform apply in a directory without terraform files.

B. You forgot to initialize terraform with terraform init.

C. You used the wrong terraform version.

D. You did not approve the plan before applying.

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the error message

   The error says no configuration files found, meaning terraform cannot find any .tf files in the current folder.

2. Step 2: Evaluate options

   You ran terraform apply in a directory without terraform files. matches this cause. You forgot to initialize terraform with terraform init. would cause a different error about initialization. You used the wrong terraform version. is unlikely to cause this specific error. You did not approve the plan before applying. is unrelated because approval happens after plan generation.

3. Final Answer:

   You ran terraform apply in a directory without terraform files. -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   No .tf files = error [OK]

Hint: Check current folder for .tf files before apply [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming terraform init missing causes this error
• Thinking approval is needed before apply runs
• Blaming terraform version without checking files

5. You want to automate terraform apply in a CI/CD pipeline but avoid manual approval. Which command and practice is best?

hard

A. Use terraform apply --force to skip all checks.

B. Run terraform apply directly without plan or approval.

C. Run terraform plan only, then manually approve changes later.

D. Use terraform apply -auto-approve after running terraform plan and saving the plan file.

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand CI/CD automation needs

   Automation requires no manual approval and safe application of changes. Saving a plan file ensures the exact changes are applied.

2. Step 2: Evaluate command options

   Use terraform apply -auto-approve after running terraform plan and saving the plan file. correctly uses terraform plan to create a plan file, then applies it with -auto-approve to skip manual confirmation. Run terraform apply directly without plan or approval. skips planning, which is risky. Run terraform plan only, then manually approve changes later. requires manual approval, not automated. Use terraform apply --force to skip all checks. uses an invalid flag.

3. Final Answer:

   Use terraform apply -auto-approve after running terraform plan and saving the plan file. -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Plan then apply with -auto-approve for automation [OK]

Hint: Plan first, then apply with -auto-approve in automation [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Skipping plan step in automation
• Using invalid flags like --force
• Expecting manual approval in CI/CD