Remote execution in HCP Terraform (formerly Terraform Cloud) is a core feature that enables teams to run Terraform operations on HCP Terraform's managed infrastructure rather than on local machines. This approach offers significant advantages for enterprise environments and collaborative workflows.…Remote execution in HCP Terraform (formerly Terraform Cloud) is a core feature that enables teams to run Terraform operations on HCP Terraform's managed infrastructure rather than on local machines. This approach offers significant advantages for enterprise environments and collaborative workflows.
When you configure remote execution, HCP Terraform becomes responsible for running terraform plan and terraform apply operations. Your local Terraform CLI acts as a client that triggers these operations and streams the output back to your terminal. The actual computation, state management, and provider interactions occur within HCP Terraform's secure environment.
Key benefits of remote execution include:
1. **Consistent Environment**: All team members execute Terraform in the same environment, eliminating "works on my machine" issues and ensuring reproducible results.
2. **Centralized State Management**: State files are stored securely in HCP Terraform, preventing conflicts and ensuring team members always work with the latest infrastructure state.
3. **Access Control**: Sensitive credentials and variables are stored in HCP Terraform and never exposed to individual workstations, enhancing security.
4. **Audit Logging**: Every plan and apply operation is logged, providing complete visibility into infrastructure changes and who made them.
5. **Policy Enforcement**: Sentinel policies or OPA policies can be evaluated before applies, ensuring compliance with organizational standards.
To enable remote execution, you configure a backend block in your Terraform configuration pointing to your HCP Terraform organization and workspace. When you run terraform init, the CLI establishes the connection to HCP Terraform.
Workspaces can be configured for either remote execution or local execution mode. Remote execution is the default and recommended approach for most production environments. The execution occurs on HCP Terraform runners, which handle provider authentication, network access to target infrastructure, and operation queuing to prevent concurrent modifications to the same resources.
Remote Execution in HCP Terraform
What is Remote Execution in HCP Terraform?
Remote execution is a core feature of HCP Terraform (formerly Terraform Cloud) that allows Terraform operations such as plan and apply to run on HCP Terraform's infrastructure rather than on your local machine. This is the default execution mode when using HCP Terraform workspaces.
Why is Remote Execution Important?
Remote execution provides several critical benefits:
• Consistency: All team members run Terraform in the same environment with identical versions and configurations • Security: Sensitive credentials and state files remain on HCP Terraform servers, never stored locally • Collaboration: Team members can review plans and approve applies through a centralized interface • Auditability: All runs are logged and tracked, providing a complete history of infrastructure changes • Reliability: Runs execute on stable, managed infrastructure with consistent network connectivity
How Remote Execution Works
1. Configuration Upload: When you trigger a run, your Terraform configuration files are uploaded to HCP Terraform 2. Run Queue: The run enters a queue and waits for an available worker 3. Plan Phase: HCP Terraform executes terraform plan using securely stored variables and credentials 4. Review: The plan output is displayed in the UI for review 5. Apply Phase: After approval (manual or automatic), terraform apply executes remotely 6. State Storage: The updated state is stored securely in HCP Terraform
Execution Modes in HCP Terraform
HCP Terraform supports three execution modes:
• Remote (default): Both plan and apply run on HCP Terraform • Local: Operations run on your local machine; only state is stored remotely • Agent: Operations run on self-hosted agents within your private network
Remote Backend Configuration
To use remote execution, configure the cloud block in your Terraform configuration:
Exam Tips: Answering Questions on Remote Execution in HCP Terraform
• Remember the default: Remote execution is the DEFAULT mode for HCP Terraform workspaces • Security focus: Questions often emphasize that remote execution keeps secrets and state secure on the server side • Know the three modes: Be able to distinguish between Remote, Local, and Agent execution modes • Understand use cases: Remote execution is ideal for team collaboration and CI/CD pipelines • Local mode scenarios: Choose local execution when you need to use local tools or have specific network requirements • Agent mode scenarios: Select agent execution when you need to access private infrastructure behind firewalls • Run triggers: Remote runs can be triggered via UI, CLI, API, or VCS integration • Speculative plans: These run remotely but are associated with pull requests and cannot be applied • Sentinel policies: Remember that policy checks occur during remote execution between plan and apply phases • Variable handling: Remote execution uses variables defined in the workspace, not local environment variables