✅ Terraform Resource Deletion Checklist

Here’s a Terraform Resource Deletion Checklist to ensure a smooth and safe removal process.

1️⃣ Pre-Deletion Steps (Planning & Backup)

☐ Run terraform plan -destroy to review what will be removed.
☐ Check dependencies (ensure no other resources rely on this).
☐ Communicate with the team to confirm the resource is no longer needed.
☐ Take backups:

  • Store Terraform state (terraform state pull > backup.tfstate).
  • Backup resource data (DB snapshots, config files, logs, etc.).
  • Export cloud resource details (aws s3 ls, kubectl get all, etc.).
    ☐ Tag resources as deleted or deprecated (if cloud provider supports tagging).

2️⃣ Move Terraform Config to _deleted/

☐ Rename resource in Terraform config (deleted_<resource_name> or deprecated_).
☐ Move resource .tf files to _deleted/ for future reference.
☐ Commit changes to Git (git mv resource.tf _deleted/resource.tf).

3️⃣ Terraform State Management

☐ Decide on removal method:

  • If removing the resource permanently: Use terraform destroy.
  • If keeping the resource but removing Terraform tracking: Use terraform state rm.
    ☐ Run terraform state rm <resource> if manually decommissioning.
    ☐ Run terraform apply to update Terraform without managing the resource.

4️⃣ Execute Resource Deletion

☐ Manually delete if required (e.g., S3 buckets with force_destroy = false).
☐ Run terraform destroy -target=<resource> if deleting a single resource.
☐ Run full terraform destroy if cleaning up an entire module.
☐ Verify the deletion in the cloud console (AWS/GCP/Azure).

5️⃣ Post-Deletion Cleanup

☐ Verify Terraform state (terraform state list to confirm it’s gone).
☐ Check logs & alerts to ensure no unintended impact.
☐ Remove any references to the deleted resource (security groups, IAM roles, DNS records).
☐ Document the change in a ticket or internal notes.

6️⃣ Final Validation & Cost Check

☐ Confirm the resource no longer exists in cloud billing (avoid zombie resources).
☐ Run a cost analysis (aws cost explorer, gcloud billing, az cost).
☐ Monitor infrastructure for 24-48 hours for any unintended side effects.

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