Question

A platform team currently uses a configuration management tool that connects to already-running servers over SSH to install packages and update files on a schedule. They want to adopt a tool that instead focuses on creating, updating, and destroying the underlying cloud infrastructure itself (VMs, networks, load balancers) based on a desired-state definition. Which characteristic best distinguishes Terraform as the right fit for this new need compared to their existing tool?

Accepted Answer

Terraform is primarily a provisioning (orchestration) tool that manages the lifecycle of infrastructure resources, rather than a configuration management tool that changes software on existing machines.

Answer

Terraform requires an agent to be installed on every managed server so it can push configuration changes continuously.

Answer

Terraform can only manage software packages inside servers and cannot create the servers themselves.

Answer

Terraform executes ordered, step-by-step imperative scripts identical to the way configuration management tools apply changes.