TF-004 Understand IaC concepts Practice Question
An organization uses Terraform Cloud with VCS-driven runs. They have two workspaces: network and application. They want a new run in the application workspace to automatically trigger whenever the network workspace completes a successful plan. What should they configure?
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently confuse the direction of run triggers, thinking they should be configured on the upstream workspace (network) pointing to the downstream (application), when in fact they must be set on the downstream workspace (application) pointing to the upstream (network).
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Run triggers in the application workspace pointing to the network workspace.
Run triggers in Terraform Cloud allow one workspace to automatically queue a run in another workspace after a successful plan. By configuring a run trigger in the application workspace that points to the network workspace, any successful plan in the network workspace will automatically initiate a new run in the application workspace, satisfying the requirement without external tools or manual steps.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Run triggers in the application workspace pointing to the network workspace.
Why this is correct
Run triggers are configured in the *downstream* workspace to monitor an *upstream* workspace. Therefore, for the application workspace to depend on the network workspace, the application workspace (downstream) must have a run trigger configured to watch the network workspace (upstream). When the network workspace successfully completes a `terraform apply`, it will automatically queue a run in the application workspace, ensuring proper dependency ordering and resource availability in a VCS-driven Terraform Cloud environment.
- ✗
A webhook from Terraform Cloud to an external CI system.
Why it's wrong here
While Terraform Cloud can send webhooks to external CI/CD systems upon run completion, this approach would require developing and maintaining custom logic in the external system to then trigger another Terraform Cloud run. This introduces an external dependency and additional orchestration complexity, whereas Terraform Cloud's native run triggers provide a direct, integrated solution for managing inter-workspace dependencies without requiring external tooling or custom scripting.
- ✗
Use 'terraform apply' with '-target' to simulate dependency.
Why it's wrong here
The `terraform apply -target` command is designed for manually selecting specific resources within a single Terraform configuration for targeted operations, primarily for debugging or state manipulation. It explicitly bypasses dependency graphs for the targeted resources and is not suitable for automating inter-workspace dependencies or managing a full infrastructure lifecycle in a VCS-driven Terraform Cloud environment, which requires robust, automated dependency resolution across distinct workspaces.
- ✗
Run triggers in the network workspace pointing to the application workspace.
Why it's wrong here
Configuring run triggers in the network workspace to point to the application workspace would establish an inverse dependency, meaning a successful run in the application workspace would trigger a run in the network workspace. This is contrary to the typical infrastructure dependency flow where foundational network resources are provisioned *before* application resources consume them, making this configuration incorrect for ensuring the application consumes outputs from the network.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This TF-004 practice question is part of Courseiva's free HashiCorp certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the TF-004 exam.