Terraform Associate Exam - Question 5

vote A

I can see the confusion here. https://developer.hashicorp.com/terraform/language/providers/configuration says "all Terraform configurations must declare which providers they require so that Terraform can install and use them", which makes people think the answer is A/True. The question says "A provider configuration block is required" (emphasis on BLOCK). The above link also says " a provider block may be omitted if its contents would otherwise be empty. Terraform assumes an empty default configuration for any provider that is not explicitly configured.", which confirms that the answer is B/FALSE, a provider BLOCK is not required, Terraform assumes a default one for you. So a provider is required, a provider BLOCK is not

It's B, empty provider block can be omitted.

agreed doesn't work without provider

B (false): null provider does not require initialization; one can sefely write a configuration with null_resources without any provider blocks

all Terraform configurations must declare which providers they require so that Terraform can install and use them. https://developer.hashicorp.com/terraform/language/providers/configuration

B - False. You don't have to specify a provider block since Terraform is smart enough to download the right provider based on the specified resources.

*Every terraform* configuration is the key here A provider is not mandatory for EVRY configuration

As simple as creating an empty folder and doing the Terraform flow: init-plan-appy. No error at all. Correct answer: B

It can be omitted

should be B.

vote B

I have test in the lab with out terraform Provider and it works. correct answer is B

B is correct

should be B. Unlike many other objects in the Terraform language, a provider block may be omitted if its contents would otherwise be empty. Terraform assumes an empty default configuration for any provider that is not explicitly configured.

You can run terraform without a provider, it depends on what you are doing, as already mentionned "null" doesn't require a provider to be configured

also https://www.terraform.io/language/providers/requirements

https://www.terraform.io/language/providers/configuration "Additionally, all Terraform configurations must declare which providers they require so that Terraform can install and use them. The Provider Requirements page documents how to declare providers so Terraform can install them.

Documentation says "Terraform configurations must declare which providers they require so that Terraform can install and use them" However for many providers available in Terraform Registry, based on the resourcse bloaks we define teraafom automatically installs provider pluggins. Hence both answers are correct.

Vote B, not necessary to define provide. e.g. local built-in provider

It's B. From the official documentation: Unlike many other objects in the Terraform language, a provider block may be omitted if its contents would otherwise be empty. Terraform assumes an empty default configuration for any provider that is not explicitly configured.

I understand that Provider Requirements (required_providers) is mandatory: https://developer.hashicorp.com/terraform/language/providers/requirements#requiring-providers Each Terraform module must declare which providers it requires, so that Terraform can install and use them. Provider requirements are declared in a “required_providers” block. However Provider Configuration (provider) is not mandatory: https://developer.hashicorp.com/terraform/language/providers/configuration#provider-configuration-1 Unlike many other objects in the Terraform language, a “provider” block may be omitted if its contents would otherwise be empty. Terraform assumes an empty default configuration for any provider that is not explicitly configured.

Unlike many other objects in the Terraform language, a provider block may be omitted if its contents would otherwise be empty. https://developer.hashicorp.com/terraform/language/providers/configuration

It is optional so correct answer is B.

B. False A provider configuration block is only required for those resources that need to be managed by a provider. If a configuration does not reference any provider resources, then a provider configuration block is not required. However, if any resources are defined that require a provider, then a provider configuration block must be included to define which provider should be used for the resources.

No need to use the provider block everytime. The providers can be declared in the Terraform block.

Additionally, all Terraform configurations must declare which providers they require so that Terraform can install and use them. The Provider Requirements page documents how to declare providers so Terraform can install them. https://developer.hashicorp.com/terraform/language/providers/configuration#provider-configuration

https://developer.hashicorp.com/terraform/language/providers/configuration Additionally, all Terraform configurations must declare which providers they require so that Terraform can install and use them.

I vote B

No, a provider configuration block is not required in every Terraform configuration. However, it is required if you want to use a provider to create or manage resources. A provider configuration block specifies the settings that Terraform needs to use the provider. This can include things like the provider's endpoint URL, the cloud region, and the credentials that Terraform will use to authenticate with the provider. If you do not specify a provider configuration block, Terraform will use the default provider configuration. The default provider configuration is defined in the provider's documentation. In some cases, the default provider configuration may not be sufficient. For example, if you are using a provider in a region that is not supported by the default configuration, you will need to specify a provider configuration block.

A provider configuration block is not required in every Terraform configuration. However, it is essential in most practical cases where resources from any provider (e.g., AWS, Azure, GCP) are managed. Terraform uses the provider configuration block to establish the settings required to interact with a specific provider's resources.

False. A provider configuration block is not required in every Terraform configuration. Provider configuration blocks are only required when you are using a particular provider to interact with a specific type of infrastructure resource. If your configuration does not interact with any resources provided by external providers, then you do not need to include a provider configuration block.

https://developer.hashicorp.com/terraform/language/providers/configuration Additionally, all Terraform configurations must declare which providers they require so that Terraform can install and use them. The Provider Requirements page documents how to declare providers so Terraform can install them.

B. i got it wrong but its on docs

vote for B. False A provider configuration block is not required in every Terraform configuration. Provider configuration blocks are only required when you are using a particular provider to interact with a specific type of infrastructure resource. If your configuration does not interact with any resources provided by external providers, then you do not need to include a provider configuration block. :)

Just tested, terraform never works without provider block.

correct anwser should be B.

you can omit it

https://www.terraform.io/language/providers/configuration

Yes blank file does executes simply because it does not have anything to do and hence does not need a provider

Voted A

A because terraform force you to always set a provider

YES ..Terraform needs to know what provider we are working with e.g aws , azure e.tc

I believe "required providers" block is required not "provider"

I go to with option B if I create a block resource "google_storage_bucket" "static-site" { name = "image-store.com" location = "EU" force_destroy = true } then run terraform init then automatically find and install the associated provider with resource block.

This is B

has to be false

You an run a blank .tf file as well.

The documentation is confusing: https://www.terraform.io/language/providers/configuration ----- Additionally, all Terraform configurations must declare which providers they require so that Terraform can install and use them. The Provider Requirements page documents how to declare providers so Terraform can install them. ----- Unlike many other objects in the Terraform language, a provider block may be omitted if its contents would otherwise be empty. Terraform assumes an empty default configuration for any provider that is not explicitly configured. -----

vote A

B is correct Built-in Provider Most providers are distributed separately in the form of plug-ins, but there is currently one provider built into the main Terraform process, that is the terraform_remote_state data source. Since the Provider is built-in, it does not need to be declared in terraform when using it required_providers. The source address of this built-in Provider is terraform.io/builtin/terraform. https://blog.devgenius.io/terraform-provider-aa57ade59eec This main.tf configuration doesn't work because I haven't created anything in terraform cloud, but terraform locally is working as if I had declared a provider, but I have not : data "terraform_remote_state" "vpc" { backend = "remote" config = { organization = "hashicorp" workspaces = { name = "vpc-prod" } } }

its terraform config, not module config!

We need provider block if say we are using aws, given that provider has some mandatory fields, we can keep them removed. Example for AWS - we write provider like this provider "aws" { region = "us-west-2" } Here if keep this block out, terraform console expect us to provide mandatory region while running..

I dont get what is the use of using terraform if there are 0 provider blocks-you are literally not authenticating into a service,what is being deployed then?

it's A

Each Terraform module must declare which providers it requires, so that Terraform can install and use them. Provider requirements are declared in a required_providers block. The required_providers block must be nested inside the top-level terraform block (which can also contain other settings).

Vote B, i was able to run the Init, plan, apply and destroy without the provider block, with AWS, The code i ran was to provision a VPC, IGW and Security Group.

B is correct here

It's clearly written here. All Terraform configurations must declare which providers they require so that Terraform can install and use them. Source:- https://developer.hashicorp.com/terraform/language/providers/configuration

Providers allow Terraform to interact with cloud providers, SaaS providers, and other APIs. Some providers require you to configure them with endpoint URLs, cloud regions, or other settings before Terraform can use them. This page documents how to configure settings for providers. Additionally, all Terraform configurations must declare which providers they require so that Terraform can install and use them. The Provider Requirements page documents how to declare providers so Terraform can install them. https://developer.hashicorp.com/terraform/language/providers/configuration#provider-configuration

Vote B

Vote B. Unlike many other objects in the Terraform language, a provider block may be omitted if its contents would otherwise be empty. Terraform assumes an empty default configuration for any provider that is not explicitly configured.

provider block may be omitted if its contents would otherwise be empty

It's B. I just created a resource with no provider specified and it worked.

Chatgpt says so

I would go for B. Explanation: There are scenarios where you might not need a provider configuration block. For instance: Data-Only Configuration: If you're only using Terraform to query and retrieve data from an existing infrastructure (using data sources) without making any changes, you might not need a provider configuration block. Local Resources: In some cases, you might define only local resources that don't require external providers. For example, creating a local file or generating random values. Modules: If you're using Terraform modules that already include provider configurations, you might not need to define them at the root configuration level.

B https://developer.hashicorp.com/terraform/language/providers/configuration#provider-configuration-1

https://developer.hashicorp.com/terraform/language/providers/requirements [quote]Each Terraform module must declare which providers it requires, so that Terraform can install and use them[/quote]

B for all the reasons commented

Answer is A based on this https://developer.hashicorp.com/terraform/language/providers/configuration Providers allow Terraform to interact with cloud providers, SaaS providers, and other APIs. Some providers require you to configure them with endpoint URLs, cloud regions, or other settings before Terraform can use them. This page documents how to configure settings for providers. Additionally, all Terraform configurations must declare which providers they require so that Terraform can install and use them. The Provider Requirements page documents how to declare providers so Terraform can install them.

A region is needed for any infrastructure before provisioning, Terraform can't select it for you However the Terraform { required_providers { }} is optional

It's B

Local provider does not need such a block

Vote B:

A Terraform configuration is a complete document in the Terraform language that tells Terraform how to manage a given collection of infrastructure. A configuration can consist of multiple files and directories. https://developer.hashicorp.com/terraform/language You don't need 1 provider block to EVERY terraform configuration, you must have at least 1, but not in every like the question mention

there is a simple valid configuration without the provider BLOCK. $ cat main.tf data "aws_region" "current" {} output "region_name" { value = data.aws_region.current.name }

False. A provider configuration block is not required in every Terraform configuration. It depends on the specifics of your configuration and the resources you are managing. In Terraform, provider configuration blocks are used to specify the details of the infrastructure provider you want to use, such as AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, etc. If you are managing resources that don't require a specific provider, or if your configuration relies on provider-agnostic resources, you may not need a provider configuration block.

Each Terraform module must declare which providers it requires, so that Terraform can install and use them. Provider requirements are declared in a required_providers block. A provider requirement consists of a local name, a source location, and a version constraint:

the answer is false. Terraform requires provider. but it does not require specifically to define a provider block {}. Terraform could use the default providers. so the answer is B false.

Unlike many other objects in the Terraform language, a provider block may be omitted if its contents would otherwise be empty. Terraform assumes an empty default configuration for any provider that is not explicitly configured. https://developer.hashicorp.com/terraform/language/providers/configuration

False. A provider configuration block is not required in every Terraform configuration. It is only required when you are using a Terraform provider to interact with a specific infrastructure platform or service. A provider configuration block typically includes details such as the provider's name, version, and any required authentication or connection information. If you're not using any provider in your Terraform configuration, you may not need a provider configuration block. Here's an example of a provider configuration block for AWS: provider "aws" { region = "us-west-2" access_key = "your-access-key" secret_key = "your-secret-key" } This block specifies the AWS provider, sets the region, and provides access and secret keys for authentication. If you're not working with AWS or any other provider, you can have a Terraform configuration without a provider block.

It refers to a BLOCK so this {} that is not mandatory.