Online Terraform-Associate-003 Questions Video

The terraform refresh-only command is intended to detect state file drift. This command synchronizes the state file with the actual infrastructure, updating the state to reflect any changes that have occurred outside of Terraform.

From terraform plan -refresh-only:

"Use this to detectdrift, i.e., changes made outside of Terraform."

It compares actual infrastructure to what's recorded in the state file.

Detailed Explanation:

Rationale for Correct Answer (B):The file() function reads a file from disk and returns its content as a string. This is commonly used for public keys (.pub files).

Analysis of Incorrect Options:

A. fileset(): Returns a set of filenames matching a pattern, not file contents.

C. filebase64(): Reads file and returns Base64 encoded string — unnecessary for .pub.

D. templatefile(): Used for rendering templates with variables, not raw file contents.

Key Concept:Terraform’s file() function is used for injecting file content directly.

 This is a quick way to inspect the state file and find the information you need without modifying anything5. The other options are either incorrect or inefficient.

If you update the version constraint in your Terraform configuration, Terraform will update your lock file the next time you run terraform init3. This will ensure that you use the same provider versions across different machines and runs.