OpenTofu is an open-source Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tool that enables users to define, provision, and manage both cloud and on-premises infrastructure using declarative configuration files. It is a community-driven fork of Terraform, created in response to Terraform’s licensing change, and aims to provide a fully open and transparent alternative.
Key Features and Concepts
Infrastructure as Code (IaC):
Define infrastructure through configuration files that can be versioned, reused, and shared for consistent deployments.
Declarative Language:
Describe the desired end state of infrastructure, letting OpenTofu determine the steps needed to reach that state.
Providers:
Extend functionality via providers—pluggable components that interface with various platforms and APIs (e.g., OCI, AWS, Kubernetes).
Execution Plans:
Preview infrastructure changes before applying them, enabling validation and reducing the risk of misconfigurations.
Resource Graph:
Automatically builds a dependency graph to determine the most efficient order for creating or modifying resources.
Community-Driven Development:
Maintained by an open community focused on transparency, flexibility, and long-term stability.
Open Source Licensing:
Released under the Mozilla Public License 2.0, ensuring it remains free and open-source.
In Summary:
OpenTofu empowers you to manage infrastructure in a consistent, automated, and scalable way—ideal for building reliable, cloud-native systems on platforms like Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI).