Creating and switching workspaces in Terraform - Try It Yourself

Creating and switching workspaces

📖 Scenario: You are managing infrastructure using Terraform. You want to organize your infrastructure configurations by using different workspaces. Each workspace allows you to have separate states for different environments like development and production.

🎯 Goal: Create a Terraform configuration that initializes a workspace called dev, switches to it, and then creates another workspace called prod and switches to it.

📋 What You'll Learn

Create a Terraform configuration file named main.tf with a basic provider setup.

Initialize Terraform in the current directory.

Create a workspace named dev using Terraform CLI commands.

Switch to the dev workspace.

Create a workspace named prod using Terraform CLI commands.

Switch to the prod workspace.

💡 Why This Matters

🌍 Real World

Terraform workspaces are used to manage different environments such as development, testing, and production within the same configuration codebase.

💼 Career

Knowing how to create and switch Terraform workspaces is essential for infrastructure engineers and DevOps professionals to manage infrastructure lifecycle safely and efficiently.

1

Create a basic Terraform configuration

Create a file named main.tf with the following content: set the terraform block with required version >= 1.0.0 and add the provider block for hashicorp/aws with region us-east-1.

Terraform

# Your code here to create main.tf with terraform and provider blocks

Hint

Use the terraform block to specify the required version. Use the provider block to specify AWS region.

2

Initialize Terraform and create the dev workspace

Run the Terraform initialization command terraform init in your terminal. Then create a workspace named dev using the command terraform workspace new dev.

Terraform

terraform {
  required_version = ">= 1.0.0"
}

provider "aws" {
  region = "us-east-1"
}

# Run 'terraform init' and then create workspace 'dev' with 'terraform workspace new dev'

Hint

Use terraform init to initialize. Use terraform workspace new dev to create the dev workspace.

3

Switch to the dev workspace

Switch to the workspace named dev by running the command terraform workspace select dev in your terminal.

Terraform

terraform {
  required_version = ">= 1.0.0"
}

provider "aws" {
  region = "us-east-1"
}

# Switch to workspace 'dev' with 'terraform workspace select dev'

Hint

Use terraform workspace select dev to switch to the dev workspace.

4

Create and switch to the prod workspace

Create a new workspace named prod by running terraform workspace new prod in your terminal. Then switch to the prod workspace using terraform workspace select prod.

Terraform

terraform {
  required_version = ">= 1.0.0"
}

provider "aws" {
  region = "us-east-1"
}

# Create workspace 'prod' with 'terraform workspace new prod'
# Switch to workspace 'prod' with 'terraform workspace select prod'

Hint

Use terraform workspace new prod to create the prod workspace. Use terraform workspace select prod to switch to it.

Practice

1. What is the main purpose of Terraform workspaces?

easy

A. To separate different infrastructure environments

B. To store Terraform state files locally

C. To create new Terraform modules

D. To manage user permissions

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand workspace concept

   Terraform workspaces allow you to manage multiple distinct environments like development and production within the same configuration.

2. Step 2: Identify the purpose

   Separating infrastructure environments helps avoid conflicts and keeps states isolated.

3. Final Answer:

   To separate different infrastructure environments -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Workspaces separate environments = A [OK]

Hint: Workspaces isolate environments like folders for projects [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing workspaces with modules
• Thinking workspaces manage permissions
• Believing workspaces store files locally only

2. Which command correctly creates a new workspace named staging?

easy

A. terraform workspace create staging

B. terraform workspace new staging

C. terraform workspace add staging

D. terraform workspace select staging

Solution

1. Step 1: Recall workspace creation syntax

   The correct command to create a new workspace is terraform workspace new <name>.

2. Step 2: Match the command to the option

   terraform workspace new staging uses terraform workspace new staging, which is correct.

3. Final Answer:

   terraform workspace new staging -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Create workspace = terraform workspace new [OK]

Hint: Use 'terraform workspace new' to create workspaces [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using 'create' instead of 'new'
• Using 'add' which is invalid
• Confusing 'select' with creation

3. Given the commands:

terraform workspace new test-env
tf workspace select test-env
tf workspace show

What will be the output of terraform workspace show?

medium

A. test-env

B. Error: workspace not found

C. No workspace selected

D. default

Solution

1. Step 1: Analyze command correctness

   The first command terraform workspace new test-env is correct and creates the workspace 'test-env'.

2. Step 2: Identify invalid commands

   The next two commands use the alias tf instead of terraform, which will cause errors unless 'tf' is defined as an alias.

3. Step 3: Determine output of terraform workspace show

   Since tf workspace select test-env likely fails, the workspace is not switched, so terraform workspace show will output the current workspace, which remains default.

4. Final Answer:

   default -> Option D

5. Quick Check:

   Invalid alias causes select to fail, so workspace remains default [OK]

Hint: Use full 'terraform' command unless alias is defined [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming 'tf' alias works by default
• Expecting workspace switch without correct command
• Ignoring command syntax errors

4. You run terraform workspace select prod but get an error: Workspace 'prod' does not exist. What should you do to fix this?

medium

A. Run terraform workspace new prod to create it first

B. Run terraform init to initialize the workspace

C. Delete the default workspace and retry

D. Run terraform workspace list to delete 'prod'

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the error

   The error means the workspace 'prod' does not exist yet, so it cannot be selected.

2. Step 2: Create the missing workspace

   You must create it first using terraform workspace new prod before selecting it.

3. Final Answer:

   Run terraform workspace new prod to create it first -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Select workspace requires existing workspace [OK]

Hint: Create workspace before selecting it [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Trying to select without creating
• Running init instead of new
• Deleting default workspace unnecessarily

5. You want to maintain separate Terraform states for dev and prod environments using workspaces. Which sequence of commands correctly sets this up and switches to prod?

hard

A. terraform workspace new prodterraform workspace select dev

B. terraform workspace select devterraform workspace select prod

C. terraform workspace new devterraform workspace new prodterraform workspace select prod

D. terraform workspace new devterraform workspace select devterraform workspace new prod

Solution

1. Step 1: Create both workspaces

   Use terraform workspace new dev and terraform workspace new prod to create separate environments.

2. Step 2: Switch to the desired workspace

   Use terraform workspace select prod to switch to the production environment.

3. Final Answer:

   terraform workspace new dev
   terraform workspace new prod
   terraform workspace select prod -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Create then select workspace sequence [OK]

Hint: Create all workspaces before selecting one [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Selecting workspace before creating it
• Not creating both environments
• Switching to wrong workspace after creation