github.com/hugorut/terraform@v1.1.3/website/docs/language/state/index.mdx (about)

     1  ---
     2  page_title: State
     3  description: >-
     4    An introduction to state, information that Terraform uses to map resources to
     5    a configuration, track metadata, and improve performance.
     6  ---
     7  
     8  # State
     9  
    10  Terraform must store state about your managed infrastructure and
    11  configuration. This state is used by Terraform to map real world
    12  resources to your configuration, keep track of metadata, and to improve
    13  performance for large infrastructures.
    14  
    15  This state is stored by default in a local file named "terraform.tfstate",
    16  but it can also be stored remotely, which works better in a team environment.
    17  
    18  Terraform uses this local state to create plans and make changes to your
    19  infrastructure. Prior to any operation, Terraform does a
    20  [refresh](/cli/commands/refresh) to update the state with the
    21  real infrastructure.
    22  
    23  The primary purpose of Terraform state is to store bindings between objects in
    24  a remote system and resource instances declared in your configuration.
    25  When Terraform creates a remote object in response to a change of configuration,
    26  it will record the identity of that remote object against a particular
    27  resource instance, and then potentially update or delete that object in
    28  response to future configuration changes.
    29  
    30  For more information on why Terraform requires state and why Terraform cannot
    31  function without state, please see the page [state purpose](/language/state/purpose).
    32  
    33  ## Inspection and Modification
    34  
    35  While the format of the state files are just JSON, direct file editing
    36  of the state is discouraged. Terraform provides the
    37  [terraform state](/cli/commands/state) command to perform
    38  basic modifications of the state using the CLI.
    39  
    40  The CLI usage and output of the state commands is structured to be
    41  friendly for Unix tools such as grep, awk, etc. Additionally, the CLI
    42  insulates users from any format changes within the state itself. The Terraform
    43  project will keep the CLI working while the state format underneath it may
    44  shift.
    45  
    46  Terraform expects a one-to-one mapping between configured resource instances
    47  and remote objects. Normally that is guaranteed by Terraform being the one
    48  to create each object and record its identity in the state, or to destroy
    49  an object and then remove the binding for it.
    50  
    51  If you add or remove bindings in the state by other means, such as by importing
    52  externally-created objects with `terraform import`, or by asking Terraform to
    53  "forget" an existing object with `terraform state rm`, you'll then need to
    54  ensure for yourself that this one-to-one rule is followed, such as by manually
    55  deleting an object that you asked Terraform to "forget", or by re-importing it
    56  to bind it to some other resource instance.
    57  
    58  ## Format
    59  
    60  State snapshots are stored in JSON format and new Terraform versions are
    61  generally backward compatible with state snapshots produced by earlier versions.
    62  However, the state format is subject to change in new Terraform versions, so
    63  if you build software that parses or modifies it directly you should expect
    64  to perform ongoing maintenance of that software as the state format evolves
    65  in new versions.
    66  
    67  Alternatively, there are several integration points which produce JSON output
    68  that is specifically intended for consumption by external software:
    69  
    70  * [The `terraform output` command](/cli/commands/output)
    71    has a `-json` option, for obtaining either the full set of root module output
    72    values or a specific named output value from the latest state snapshot.
    73  * [The `terraform show` command](/cli/commands/show) has a `-json`
    74    option for inspecting the latest state snapshot in full, and also for
    75    inspecting saved plan files which include a copy of the prior state at the
    76    time the plan was made.
    77  
    78  A typical way to use these in situations where Terraform is running in
    79  automation is to run them immediately after a successful `terraform apply`
    80  to obtain a representation of the latest state snapshot, and then store that
    81  result as an artifact associated with the automated run so that other software
    82  can potentially consume it without needing to run Terraform itself.