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Terraform Project Lifecycle: From Init to Destroy in the Real World

Terraform Project Lifecycle: From Init to Destroy in the Real World

Go beyond writing code learn the full Terraform workflow from init to apply to destroy. Includes testing, structure, backend, and automation best practices.

Dheeraj Choudhary
May 31, 2025

👋 Hey there, I’m Dheeraj Choudhary an AI/ML educator, cloud enthusiast, and content creator on a mission to simplify tech for the world.
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🔁 The Terraform Command Lifecycle

Stage	Command	Purpose
Init	`terraform init`	Initialize backend, download providers
Format	`terraform fmt -check`	Enforce code style & structure
Validate	`terraform validate`	Check syntax, config, modules
Plan	`terraform plan`	Preview what Terraform will do
Apply	`terraform apply`	Create or update infrastructure
Destroy	`terraform destroy`	Tear down tracked infrastructure

These stages are not optional — they define safe, predictable infrastructure delivery.

🧱 Recommended Project Structure

terraform-project/
├── modules/
│   ├── network/
│   ├── compute/
├── environments/
│   ├── dev/
│   │   ├── main.tf
│   │   ├── backend.tf
│   │   ├── secrets.auto.tfvars
│   ├── prod/
│       ├── ...
├── scripts/
│   ├── test.sh
│   ├── destroy.sh

✅ Separate environments
✅ Reusable modules
✅ Configured secrets and backend
✅ CI-ready folder layout

🌐 Real-World Scenario: Deploying VPC + EC2 + GCP Bucket

1. Initialize the Project

terraform init

Downloads provider plugins
Configures remote state
Prepares the workspace

2. Validate and Format

terraform fmt -check
terraform validate

Catch syntax or config errors
Ensure readable, clean HCL

3. Plan the Changes

terraform plan -out=tfplan

Shows what will be created/modified/destroyed
Store plan for audit or CI application

4. Apply with Confidence

terraform apply tfplan

Applies only what was planned
Ensures no mid-deploy drift

5. Optional: Run Infra Tests

checkov -d .
terraform plan -detailed-exitcode

Catch security issues
Confirm no drift

6. Tear Down When Needed

terraform destroy

✅ Cleanly decommission resources
✅ Delete backend state if environment is retired

🚫 Common Mistakes in Full Project Lifecycles

Mistake	Impact	Fix
Skipping `plan`	Untracked changes	Always review `plan` before `apply`
Sharing state across envs	Collisions and overwrite risk	Use separate backends per env
Hardcoded secrets	Security risk	Use vars + env vars or vault
No CI testing or formatting	Inconsistent or broken deployments	Add `validate`, `fmt`, `checkov` to CI
Partial destroy without plan	Dangling infra + billing waste	Use `terraform plan -destroy` first

💡 Tip of the Day:

❝

Infrastructure is only as reliable as your Terraform discipline. Follow the full lifecycle every time.

📚 Resources & References

1️⃣ Terraform CLI Workflow Docs
🔗 Docs

2️⃣ Module Reuse & Environment Separation
🔗 Best Practices

3️⃣ Terraform Automation Wrapper Tools
🔗 Atlantis | Terragrunt

4️⃣ Terraform Testing and Linting Tools
🔗 Checkov | OPA

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Conclusion

Terraform isn’t just about writing .tf files. It’s about running them intentionally.

Whether you’re deploying dev sandboxes or managing production cloud for a Fortune 500 the same lifecycle applies:

Initialize correctly
Format and validate often
Plan before apply
Apply only reviewed changes
Test what you’ve deployed
Tear down safely and clearly

This isn’t just DevOps it’s Terraform done right.

And with this final blog, your foundation is built.