Best Practices for Terraform State Management

Proper state management is crucial for successful Terraform operations. Here are the essential best practices every team should follow.

1. Always Use Remote State

Never store state files locally or in version control:

terraform {
  backend "http" {
    address = "https://api.freestate.cloud/terraform/state"
    # ... other configuration
  }
}

Why? Remote state enables team collaboration and provides backup/recovery capabilities.

2. Enable State Locking

Always configure state locking to prevent concurrent modifications:

terraform {
  backend "http" {
    lock_address   = "https://api.freestate.cloud/terraform/state/lock"
    lock_method    = "POST"
    unlock_address = "https://api.freestate.cloud/terraform/state/lock"
    unlock_method  = "DELETE"
  }
}

3. Use Workspaces for Environment Separation

Separate your environments using Terraform workspaces:

# Create and switch to environments
terraform workspace new development
terraform workspace new staging
terraform workspace new production
# List workspaces
terraform workspace list
# Switch between workspaces
terraform workspace select production

4. Implement Proper Access Controls

Restrict access to state files based on team roles:

• Developers: Read access to development workspaces
• DevOps: Full access to all workspaces
• Audit: Read-only access for compliance

5. Regular State Backups

Even with remote state, maintain regular backups:

# Create backup script
#!/bin/bash
DATE=$(date +%Y%m%d_%H%M%S)
terraform state pull > "backups/terraform-state-$DATE.tfstate"

6. State File Hygiene

Keep your state files clean:

# Remove unused resources
terraform state rm 'aws_instance.old_server'
# Import existing resources
terraform import aws_instance.example i-1234567890abcdef0
# Refresh state to match reality
terraform refresh

7. Sensitive Data Handling

Be careful with sensitive data in state:

• Use separate backends for different security levels
• Implement encryption at rest and in transit
• Regular audit state file contents
• Use tools like terraform-compliance for policy checks

8. Version Control Integration

While you shouldn't store state in version control, you should:

# .gitignore
*.tfstate
*.tfstate.*
.terraform/

9. Monitoring and Alerting

Set up monitoring for state operations:

• Track state lock duration
• Monitor state file size growth
• Alert on failed operations
• Log all state modifications

10. Recovery Procedures

Have a disaster recovery plan:

1. Identify the issue (corrupted state, lost state, etc.)

2. Restore from backup if needed

3. Reconcile with actual infrastructure

4. Verify operations work correctly

Example Recovery Script

#!/bin/bash
# State recovery script
echo "Starting state recovery..."
# Restore from backup
cp backups/terraform-state-latest.tfstate terraform.tfstate
# Refresh state
terraform refresh
# Verify plan
terraform plan
echo "Recovery complete. Review plan before applying."

Common Anti-Patterns to Avoid

❌ Don't store state in version control

❌ Don't share state files via email/chat

❌ Don't manually edit state files

❌ Don't ignore state lock errors

❌ Don't mix environments in one workspace

FreeState-Specific Best Practices

When using FreeState:

• Use descriptive workspace names
• Tag workspaces with environment and team information
• Leverage FreeState's audit logging for compliance
• Set up webhook notifications for state changes
• Use API keys with appropriate scopes

Conclusion

Following these best practices will help you:

• Avoid state corruption and conflicts
• Maintain security and compliance
• Enable effective team collaboration
• Ensure reliable disaster recovery

Remember: Good state management is the foundation of successful Infrastructure as Code!