HASHICORP TERRAFORM
OVERVIEW OF THE TOOL:
HashiCorp Terraform is an Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tool that allows developers and DevOps engineers to define, provision, and manage cloud infrastructure using code.
It enables consistent, repeatable, and automated infrastructure deployment across multiple cloud providers.
Terraform treats infrastructure the same way developers treat application code — versioned, reviewed, and automated.
KEY-FEATURES:
Infrastructure as Code (IaC) using declarative configuration files
Multi-cloud support (AWS, Azure, GCP, Kubernetes, etc.)
Execution plans to preview infrastructure changes before applying
State management to track real-world infrastructure
Reusable modules for standard and scalable infrastructure design
Strong ecosystem with thousands of providers and plugins
HOW IT FIT INTO DEVOPS/DEVSECOPS:
Terraform fits into the Infrastructure Provisioning stage of the DevOps and DevSecOps lifecycle.
In a DevSecOps pipeline, Terraform helps by:Enforcing secure-by-default infrastructure
Enabling policy-as-code (with tools like Sentinel)
Reducing human errors through automation
Integrating seamlessly with CI/CD pipelines (Jenkins, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI)
📌 In short: Terraform builds the foundation on which secure applications run.
PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE:
Terraform uses HCL (HashiCorp Configuration Language), a declarative language designed to be:
Human-readable
Easy to learn
Machine-friendly
Terraform also supports JSON syntax and can be integrated using SDKs and APIs
PARENT COMPANY:
Terraform is developed and maintained by HashiCorp, a company specializing in cloud infrastructure automation tools.
OPENSOURCE OR PAID?
Terraform Core → ✅ Open Source
Terraform Enterprise / Terraform Cloud → 💰 Paid (with free tier)
This allows individuals and startups to start free and scale with enterprise-grade features later