Lab Solution Remote Execution

In this guide, we’ll convert an existing Terraform Cloud workspace (devops-aws-myapp-dev) from local to remote execution. You’ll learn how to rename variable files, configure the remote backend, authenticate, and manage runs in Terraform Cloud—all while securely handling AWS credentials.

1. Log in and Select Your Workspace

1. Navigate to https://app.terraform.io/ and log in.
2. Choose your organization Mastering-Terraform-Cloud.
3. Under Workspaces, click devops-aws-myapp-dev.

2. Enable Remote Execution

1. Go to Settings → General.
2. Change Execution Mode from Local to Remote.
3. Click Save settings.

3. Rename Your Variables File

Terraform Cloud automatically loads any file ending in .auto.tfvars. Rename your local terraform.tfvars to:

mv terraform.tfvars terraform.auto.tfvars

Example contents of terraform.auto.tfvars:

prefix        = "app"
project       = "clumsy-bird"
environment   = "development"
instance_type = "t2.micro"

4. Configure the Remote Backend

In your Terraform configuration (e.g., backend.tf), point to your Terraform Cloud organization and workspace:

terraform {
  cloud {
    organization = "Mastering-Terraform-Cloud"

    workspaces {
      name = "devops-aws-myapp-dev"
    }
  }
}

5. Authenticate with Terraform Cloud

Run the login command to link your CLI to Terraform Cloud:

terraform login

When prompted, paste your API token. Generate or copy it from User Settings → Tokens in the web UI.

6. Initialize Terraform

Initialize the backend, providers, and modules. This will register your workspace with Terraform Cloud:

terraform init

Example output:

Initializing modules...
Downloading registry.terraform.io/terraform-aws-modules/vpc/aws 3.14.4 for vpc...
...
Terraform Cloud has been successfully initialized!

7. Set Environment Variables in the Workspace

In the Terraform Cloud UI, go to Variables and add:

8. Run a Remote Plan

From your CLI, execute:

terraform plan

The plan will run remotely in Terraform Cloud and stream logs back to your terminal:

Running plan in Terraform Cloud. Output will stream here...
Preparing the remote plan...
To view this run in a browser, visit:
https://app.terraform.io/app/Mastering-Terraform-Cloud/devops-aws-myapp-dev/runs/run-HCZ7HSw
...

You can also watch progress in the UI:

At the end, you’ll see:

Plan: 23 to add, 0 to change, 0 to destroy.

Changes to Outputs:
  clumsy-bird-ip  = (known after apply)
  clumsy-bird-url = (known after apply)

9. Apply the Run

Approve and apply your plan:

• CLI:

  terraform apply
  

  Type yes when prompted.

• UI: Click Confirm & Apply in the Runs tab.

Once complete, outputs appear:

clumsy-bird-ip  = "http://50.16.35.225:8001"
clumsy-bird-url = "http://ec2-50-16-35-225.compute-1.amazonaws.com:8001"

10. Inspect State Versions

Terraform Cloud automatically versions your state. Under States, you can browse previous versions or view the latest state JSON:

{
  "version": 4,
  "terraform_version": "1.2.7",
  "serial": 2,
  "outputs": {
    "clumsy_bird_ip": {
      "value": "http://50.16.35.225:8001",
      "type": "string"
    },
    "clumsy_bird_url": {
      "value": "http://ec2-50-16-35-225.compute-1.amazonaws.com:8001",
      "type": "string"
    }
  },
  "resources": []
}

11. Teardown (Optional)

To destroy all resources managed by this workspace:

terraform destroy

You can confirm via CLI or by clicking Confirm & Apply in the Runs tab of Terraform Cloud.

Congratulations! You’ve successfully switched your Terraform Cloud workspace to remote execution, centralized state and runs, and managed sensitive variables securely.

Links and References

• Terraform Cloud Remote Operations
• Terraform Cloud Workspaces
• Managing Variables in Terraform Cloud
• AWS CLI Documentation