HashiCorp Terraform is primarily used to manage infrastructure. It is responsible for creating and managing infrastructure components. For example, when we initially designed the infrastructure for this project, we started by designing the VPC. We decided to use a specific region-based VPC. We specified the number of public and private subnets, as well as setting up Internet gateways and NAT gateways, all using Terraform. Once the infrastructure was set up, we deployed our resources, such as ECS containers, ECS tasks, and RDS databases, in private subnets, all properly managed by Terraform.

However, we use GitHub Actions for CI/CD pipeline purposes. While Terraform handles the infrastructure management, GitHub Actions manages the CI/CD pipeline for our ECS clusters. In my previous project, we used Jenkins, but in this project, we use GitHub Actions for deployment, testing, and other pipeline tasks.

Terraform is that it is an open-source tool that gives us great flexibility. Using the Terraform HCL, we are not restricted to a single cloud provider. If my client asks me to deploy the same infrastructure on Azure or GCP, I can use the same code with minor modifications to account for the different providers. This means we are not limited to a specific cloud.

Unlike AWS CloudFormation, which is limited to AWS, Terraform allows us to use a single platform and tool to deploy infrastructure across multiple clouds or on-premises environments. This makes it very easy for us to manage our infrastructure without switching tools or languages. While CloudFormation uses JSON or YAML, HCL is well-documented and user-friendly. It has documentation provided for HCL, which covers almost everything we need to know to use it effectively across different environments.

Terraform does not provide an automatic feature to convert infrastructure code from one cloud platform to another. For example, if I am creating infrastructure on AWS using a VPC and I want to deploy a similar infrastructure on another cloud platform like GCP or Azure, I need to manually rewrite the code to accommodate the different services and resources specific to each cloud provider.

Terraform is very helpful for managing infrastructure across multiple clouds, but it requires using different providers and adapting the code to match the services offered by each cloud platform. An automatic feature to convert Terraform code for use on different platforms would be beneficial, as it would simplify the process for developers. However, such a feature does not exist now, so developers must manually convert the code when switching between cloud providers.

50-60 percent of clients will use Terraform if we use ten projects with DevOps resources. 

Most new clients lack experience or knowledge about Terraform or other IaC tools. They manage their enterprise infrastructure manually. However, clients with experience and knowledge in IaC services typically prefer using Terraform. Most clients without this experience do not use Terraform or any IaC tools, opting instead to manage everything manually.

I was facing some issues, but I didn't approach them because I just read the Terraform documentation and the community groups to find a solution.

Installing Terraform is straightforward on any Linux or Windows-based operating system. However, managing different versions of Terraform can present some challenges. If you're using an older version and need to upgrade to the latest version, you might encounter some issues, such as syntax errors or changes in required formatting. It has built-in modules available in the Terraform documentation; managing upgrades and ensuring compatibility with your existing code can be more complex. Creating custom modules requires some initial effort, but they can be reused as needed.

Terraform is free to use. You don't need to pay for Terraform itself because it's open-source. You need to write the code; the actual cost comes from the resources you create on your cloud provider. The code itself is free, and you can write your modules. Most companies prefer to write their modules instead of using the built-in ones provided by AWS, Google, or Azure. A module is a one-time effort to create, and you can reuse these modules to create multiple resources in your cloud environment.

You must use Terraform when your client plans to scale the infrastructure or replicate it in another region in the future. Terraform is beneficial because once you write the code, it becomes easy to create similar resources in other availability zones or regions.

For small web applications with limited resources, Terraform might not be necessary. However, if your client anticipates major changes or deployments and is thinking about scaling the infrastructure, Terraform is a must. It makes management easier.

Another significant benefit of Terraform or any other IaC tool is that organizations are not reliant on individual resources. For instance, if you lead a DevOps department, you won't depend on a specific DevOps engineer to create the infrastructure. Managing resources through code or cloud automation simplifies scaling the infrastructure without deep knowledge of the underlying code.

For example, if you need to create another EC2 instance for your application, applying small changes to your Terraform code is straightforward. Since your infrastructure code is stored in version control systems like GitHub or Bitbucket, it isn't dependent on individual systems. You can pull the code from GitHub, make changes, and apply them regardless of where you are, which adds to the convenience.

I prefer Terraform because of the documentation and open-source community.

As someone who provides training on various tools, including Terraform, I've observed that many students lack experience with It. One of the main prerequisites for learning Terraform is knowledge of AWS or any other cloud platform on which you want to create your resources. If you know how to create resources manually, it will be much easier to convert them into IaC.

Overall, I rate the solution a seven out of ten.

I use the solution in my company to create services over cloud platforms. I have used HashiCorp Terraform for GCP, Azure, and AWS to create resources. With HashiCorp Terraform, it is easy to manage resources in a single file.

The most valuable feature of the solution stems from the modules it offers. One can find Terraform modules via Google.

The versions of Terraform providers are an area of concern where improvements are required. If a person wants to use the modules created by someone else a few years ago, then there is a need to change all the resources or use the version of the product in which the modules were created. The modules are suitable only for the particular provider version on which they were created. The product should be made more dynamic in nature.

I have been using HashiCorp Terraform for five years. I am a customer of the product.

It is a stable solution. Stability-wise, I rate the solution a nine out of ten.

Scalability-wise, I rate the solution a nine out of ten.

I have experience with AWS CloudFormation.

The product's initial setup phase was easy.

The solution is deployed on the cloud or an on-premises model.

The solution can be deployed in five people if the person is an expert in the use of searching for information on Google.

It is an open-source product.

A scenario where the product improved our company's deployment process stems from an incident where I was working for one of our organization's clients where we had to set up a complete application offering for them. There were no disaster recovery options available due to cost-related issues. Whenever there is any disaster, my company pops up a particular DR environment, after which the application can go live from such an environment. My company lost all the resources due to the lack of a DR environment. Using HashiCorp Terraform, my company created state files in which we changed the reasons and created a complete infrastructure in a single go. With the help of HashiCorp Terraform, it took my company only 13 or 14 minutes to ensure that the application went live from our end.

The product's state file management feature greatly enhances our company's infrastructure. In our company, it is great that the tool allows us to manage the state file over the cloud or any bucket offered under Azure or Amazon S3's services, and the fact that we can directly fetch the data with the ID from the state file, making it an area that becomes easy to manage for users. For reusability, it is easy.

I recommend the product to those who plan to use it. Whenever people want to create or publish a module, we need to specify the version for HashiCorp Terraform and providers. Whenever someone wants to use a modular after a few years since it was created, such a person will be able to easily understand the version of HashiCorp Terraform to be deployed since searching for the version can be time-consuming.

I rate the overall tool a nine out of ten.

The most valuable features of Terraform are leveraging public modules for EKS, KMS, and ECR. This allows us to set up infrastructure efficiently by utilizing pre-built configurations. We can manage EKS either through the EKS Manager group or directly with specific variables. This flexibility is crucial as it doesn't require building privileges.

Some areas where Terraform could improve would be challenges in managing sensitive information, especially when dealing with secret files or credentials. There have been issues related to storage and maintenance of these files, particularly when using AWS. Simplifying the process of handling secrets and improving the overall management of sensitive data could enhance Terraform's usability. One suggestion for Terraform improvement could be enhanced remote functionality. It would be beneficial if, for example, I could remotely check the status and perform tasks directly on AWS without needing a full analysis of all tasks locally.

I have been working with Terraform for two years.

I would rate the stability of Terraform as a seven out of ten. While generally stable, there is room for improvement to minimize challenges and provide a smoother experience for users.

Terraform is highly scalable. I would rate the scalability as a nine out of ten. Ten people use it at our company.

The initial setup was very simple and quick. It takes about two minutes to install everything.

When comparing Terraform with other infrastructure automation tools, I often consider AWS CloudFormation. However, I prefer Terraform for its versatility and ease of use. The abundance of modules, well-documented features, and direct integration with AWS makes it my go-to choice. Its flexibility, clear documentation, and ability to handle diverse use cases, from managing directories on GitHub to updating Linux machines, contribute to its efficiency and simplicity.

Overall, I would rate Terraform as an eight out of ten.