Connection blocks for SSH in Terraform - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What is the purpose of a connection block in Terraform when using SSH?

A connection block tells Terraform how to connect to a remote machine using SSH. It provides details like the host address, user name, and authentication method so Terraform can run commands or copy files on that machine.

beginner

Which key fields are commonly used inside a Terraform SSH connection block?

Common fields include host (IP or hostname), user (username to log in), private_key (SSH private key content), and port (SSH port, usually 22).

intermediate

How do you specify the SSH private key in a Terraform connection block?

You use the private_key field and provide the private key as a string. For example, you can read it from a file using Terraform's file() function.

beginner

True or False: The connection block is required for Terraform to manage resources on remote machines via SSH.

True. Without a connection block, Terraform does not know how to connect to the remote machine to execute commands or transfer files.

beginner

What happens if you omit the port field in a Terraform SSH connection block?

Terraform will use the default SSH port 22 to connect to the remote machine.

Which field in a Terraform connection block specifies the username for SSH?

A user

B host

C private_key

D port

The user field specifies the username Terraform uses to log in via SSH.

What is the default SSH port used if the port field is not set in the connection block?

A 443

B 21

C 80

D 22

SSH uses port 22 by default.

How can you provide the SSH private key content in a Terraform connection block?

A Using the <code>password</code> field

B Using the <code>private_key</code> field with the key as a string

C Using the <code>host</code> field

D Using the <code>user</code> field

The private_key field holds the SSH private key content as a string.

Which Terraform resource block commonly uses a connection block for SSH?

A aws_instance

B azurerm_virtual_network

C null_resource

D google_storage_bucket

The null_resource often uses connection blocks to run remote commands via SSH.

What is the main reason to use a connection block in Terraform?

A To connect to a remote machine for executing commands

B To define the cloud provider

C To specify resource dependencies

D To set environment variables

Connection blocks tell Terraform how to connect to remote machines to run commands or copy files.

Explain how a Terraform connection block is used to connect to a remote machine via SSH.

Think about what information Terraform needs to log in and run commands remotely.

Describe what happens if you omit the port field in a Terraform SSH connection block.

Consider the standard SSH port and how Terraform behaves without explicit port info.