8.4. Reflection Checkpoint

Key Takeaways

• HCP Terraform runs the same Terraform workflow remotely, providing managed state, automatic locking, and remote operations; connect with the cloud block plus terraform login, via CLI-driven, VCS-driven, or API-driven workflows.
• Policy as code (Sentinel or OPA) enforces governance between plan and apply with advisory / soft-mandatory / hard-mandatory levels — an HCP/Enterprise feature, not part of the community CLI.
• Collaboration features include VCS integration, change requests, the Explorer, health assessments (automatic drift detection), teams/RBAC, and a private module registry.
• Workspaces are units of state and runs; projects group workspaces for access control and scoping; variable sets share variables across workspaces; run triggers chain dependent workspaces.

Connecting Forward

You've now covered all eight exam objectives. The remaining phases shift from learning to testing: Phase 9 (Exam Readiness) gives you strategy, a consolidated quick reference, and mixed practice questions; Phase 10 is a cross-referenced glossary; and Phase 11 closes with a summary and a confidence checklist to gauge your readiness.

Self-Check Questions

• Explain why HCP Terraform is best described as "the same workflow, run remotely with governance" rather than a competing tool.
• A failing policy must absolutely block an apply with no override possible. Which enforcement level, and which two engines could express the policy?
• Distinguish workspaces, projects, variable sets, and run triggers by the single job each one does.