Terraform state tracks resource relationships and attributes. Local state works for individuals but fails for teams. Remote backends enable collaboration while preventing conflicts.
Remote Backends
S3 with DynamoDB provides AWS-native state storage with locking. Terraform Cloud offers hosted state with additional features. Azure Blob and GCS serve respective cloud platforms.
- Configure remote backend for team collaboration
- Enable state locking preventing concurrent modifications
- Encrypt state at rest containing sensitive data
- Use workspaces for environment separation
- Implement state backup for disaster recovery
Workspace Strategies
Workspaces separate state for different environments. Use workspaces for dev/staging/prod separation. Consider separate configurations for significantly different environments. Document workspace conventions for team consistency.