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page_title: "Introduction" page_title: "Introduction"
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Welcome to the intro guide to Terraform! This guide is the best place to start with Terraform. We cover what Terraform is, what problems it can solve, how it compares to existing software, and contains a quick start for using Terraform. This guide explains what Terraform is, what problems it can solve, and how it compares to existing software.
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# Introduction to Terraform # Introduction to Terraform
Welcome to the intro guide to Terraform! This guide is the best
place to start with Terraform. We cover what Terraform is, what
problems it can solve, how it compares to existing software,
and contains a quick start for using Terraform.
If you are already familiar with the basics of Terraform, the
[documentation](/docs/index.html) provides a better reference
guide for all available features as well as internals.
> **Hands-on:** Try the [Get Started](https://learn.hashicorp.com/tutorials/terraform/infrastructure-as-code) tutorials on HashiCorp Learn.
## What is Terraform? ## What is Terraform?
Terraform is a tool for building, changing, and versioning infrastructure Terraform is a tool for building, changing, and versioning infrastructure
safely and efficiently. Terraform can manage existing and popular service safely and efficiently. Terraform can manage both low-level components such as compute instances, storage, and networking, as well as high-level components such as DNS entries, SaaS features, etc.
providers as well as custom in-house solutions.
Configuration files describe to Terraform the components needed to Terraform configuration files describe the components needed to run a single application or your entire datacenter. Terraform reads these configuration files, generates an execution plan describing what it will do to reach the desired state, and then executes that plan to build the described infrastructure. As the configuration changes, Terraform can determine what changed and implement changes in the right order to respect dependencies.
run a single application or your entire datacenter.
Terraform generates an execution plan describing
what it will do to reach the desired state, and then executes it to build the
described infrastructure. As the configuration changes, Terraform is able
to determine what changed and create incremental execution plans which
can be applied.
The infrastructure Terraform can manage includes Below, HashiCorp co-founder and CTO Armon Dadgar describes Terraform and its uses in more depth.
low-level components such as
compute instances, storage, and networking, as well as high-level
components such as DNS entries, SaaS features, etc.
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/h970ZBgKINg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="315" ></iframe> <iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/h970ZBgKINg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="315" ></iframe>
Examples work best to showcase Terraform. Please see the
[use cases](/intro/use-cases.html).
The key features of Terraform are:
## Key Features
### Infrastructure as Code ### Infrastructure as Code
Infrastructure is described using a high-level configuration syntax. This allows Infrastructure is described using a high-level [configuration language](/docs/language/index.html). This allows a blueprint of your datacenter to be versioned and treated as you would any other code. Additionally, infrastructure can be shared and re-used.
a blueprint of your datacenter to be versioned and treated as you would any
other code. Additionally, infrastructure can be shared and re-used.
### Execution Plans ### Execution Plans
Terraform has a "planning" step where it generates an _execution plan_. The Terraform generates an _execution plan_ and asks for your approval before creating or destroying infrastructure. This allows you to review changes before they are applied.
execution plan shows what Terraform will do when you call apply. This lets you
avoid any surprises when Terraform manipulates infrastructure.
### Resource Graph ### Resource Graph
Terraform builds a graph of all your resources, and parallelizes the creation Terraform builds a graph of all your resources and parallelizes the creation
and modification of any non-dependent resources. Because of this, Terraform and modification of any non-dependent resources. This allows Terraform to
builds infrastructure as efficiently as possible, and operators get insight into build infrastructure as efficiently as possible and gives operators greater insight into their infrastructure.
dependencies in their infrastructure.
### Change Automation ### Change Automation
Complex changesets can be applied to your infrastructure with minimal human Apply complex changesets to your infrastructure with minimal human interaction.
interaction. With the previously mentioned execution plan and resource graph,
you know exactly what Terraform will change and in what order, avoiding many
possible human errors.
## Next Steps ## Next Steps
- Learn about common [Terraform use cases](/intro/use-cases.html) to find multiple - Learn about common [Terraform use cases](/intro/use-cases.html).
ways you can use Terraform. - Learn [how Terraform compares to other infrastructure tools](/intro/vs/index.html).
- Learn [how Terraform compares to other infrastructure tools](/intro/vs/index.html). - Try the [Terraform: Get Started](https://learn.hashicorp.com/collections/terraform/aws-get-started) tutorials on HashiCorp Learn to install Terraform and learn how to use Terraform to manage real infrastructure.
- Try the [Terraform: Get
Started](https://learn.hashicorp.com/collections/terraform/aws-get-started)
tutorials on HashiCorp Learn to use Terraform to manage real infrastructure.