Which command updates the lock file with provider version constraints?

Which command updates the lock file with provider version constraints?

• A. terraform apply
• B. terraform plan
• C. terraform init
• D. terraform refresh

Answer: (C)

Terraform uses a provider dependency lock file to pin exact provider versions used by a configuration. This lock file records the provider names, versions, and checksums, ensuring consistent builds across machines and runs. When you initialize a working directory, Terraform reads the required provider constraints, resolves compatible versions, downloads those providers, and writes or updates the lock file to reflect the chosen versions. This initialization step is what keeps the lock file in sync with your configuration. The other commands don’t modify the lock file. Plan shows what would happen but relies on the currently installed providers, and apply executes changes without rewriting the lock. Refresh updates state, not the provider lock. So, the command that updates the lock file with provider version constraints is the initialization command. (If you want to explicitly upgrade to newer allowed versions, you can run initialization with the upgrade option.)

Terraform uses a provider dependency lock file to pin exact provider versions used by a configuration. This lock file records the provider names, versions, and checksums, ensuring consistent builds across machines and runs. When you initialize a working directory, Terraform reads the required provider constraints, resolves compatible versions, downloads those providers, and writes or updates the lock file to reflect the chosen versions. This initialization step is what keeps the lock file in sync with your configuration.

The other commands don’t modify the lock file. Plan shows what would happen but relies on the currently installed providers, and apply executes changes without rewriting the lock. Refresh updates state, not the provider lock.

So, the command that updates the lock file with provider version constraints is the initialization command. (If you want to explicitly upgrade to newer allowed versions, you can run initialization with the upgrade option.)