Automation Tools & Infrastructure as Code Flashcards

Which Terraform command shows a preview of changes without applying them?

Answer: terraform plan

`terraform plan` generates an execution plan showing what actions Terraform will take without making any actual changes.

In Ansible, what is the purpose of an 'inventory' file?

Answer: Lists the managed hosts and groups

The inventory file defines the hosts and host groups that Ansible will manage and run playbooks against.

What does 'idempotency' mean in the context of infrastructure automation?

Answer: Running the same operation multiple times produces the same result

Idempotency means that applying the same configuration multiple times has no additional effect beyond the first application.

Which tool is primarily used for immutable infrastructure image creation?

Answer: Packer

Packer is a HashiCorp tool that automates the creation of identical machine images for multiple platforms from a single configuration.

In a GitOps workflow, what serves as the single source of truth for infrastructure state?

Answer: A Git repository

GitOps uses a Git repository as the authoritative source of truth, with automated processes reconciling actual infrastructure state to match it.

What is a Terraform 'state file' used for?

Answer: Tracking the current state of managed infrastructure

The Terraform state file maps configuration to real-world resources, allowing Terraform to determine what changes need to be made.

Which Ansible feature allows sensitive data like passwords to be stored encrypted in version control?

Answer: Ansible Vault

Ansible Vault encrypts sensitive data such as passwords and keys so they can be safely stored alongside playbooks in version control.