IBM Terraform Self-Managed for Z and LinuxONE overview

IBM Terraform Self-Managed for Z and LinuxONE (Terraform for Z) is an infrastructure as code (IaC) tool that you, as an IBM Z system programmer or administrator, can use to build, change, and version IBM Z infrastructure safely and efficiently. For example, you can use Terraform for Z for low-level components like compute instances, storage, and networking, and use it for high-level components like DNS entries.

How does Terraform for Z work?

Terraform for Z creates and manages resources through its application programming interfaces (APIs). Providers enable Terraform to work with virtually any platform or service with an accessible API.

Terraform for Z generates a plan and prompts you for approval before modifying your infrastructure. It also tracks your real infrastructure in a state file, which acts as a source of truth for your environment. Terraform for Z uses the state file to determine the changes to make to your infrastructure so that it will match your configuration.

Terraform for Z uses a declarative language rather than a procedural language. You describe the correct end state in a state file for infrastructure resources, and Terraform for Z handles the rest. Terraform automatically creates an execution plan, identifies dependencies between resources, and provisions components in the correct order. For example, if one component depends on another component, Terraform ensures the components are created in the correct order.

Terraform configuration files can be versioned, reused, and shared.

For more information about Terraform in general, see the Terraform documentation.