Open-Source DevOps · cycloidio

terracognita

TerraCognita is an open-source tool that reads existing cloud infrastructure from AWS, GCP, Azure, or VMware and automatically generates equivalent Terraform Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) configurations. It enables teams to adopt IaC practices by converting live cloud deployments into managed Terraform code without manual recreation.

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Source: GitHub — github.com/cycloidio/terracognita

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171

Forks

Primary language

MIT

License (OSI-approved)

Key facts

Objective fields from the source. Values we can't verify are shown as “Unknown” rather than guessed.

Field	Value
Repository	cycloidio/terracognita
Owner	cycloidio
Primary language	Go
License	MIT — OSI-approved
Stars	2.4k
Forks	171
Open issues	94
Latest release	v0.8.4 (2023-05-18)
Last updated	2025-09-02
Source	https://github.com/cycloidio/terracognita

What terracognita is

Written in Go, TerraCognita uses Terraform provider SDKs (AWS v4.9.0, GCP v4.9.0, AzureRM v3.20.0, vSphere v2.2.0) to enumerate cloud resources and output HCL or Terraform state files. It supports selective resource imports via include/exclude filters and can generate modular Terraform code with parameterized variables.

Quickstart

Get the terracognita source

Clone the repository and explore it locally.

terminalbash

1git clone https://github.com/cycloidio/terracognita.git2cd terracognita3# follow the project's README for install & configuration

Need it deployed, integrated, or customized instead? DEV.co ships production installs.

Best use cases

Legacy Infrastructure Onboarding

Organizations with existing cloud deployments can rapidly convert them to Terraform-managed IaC without manual resource definition, reducing time-to-automation for legacy environments.

Multi-Cloud State Consolidation

Teams managing infrastructure across AWS, GCP, Azure, or VMware can unify discovery and import processes into a single IaC framework for consistent governance.

Terraform State File Generation

Generate authoritative tfstate files from live cloud resources, allowing immediate Terraform plan/apply workflows without state drift issues.

Implementation considerations

Requires valid cloud credentials (AWS keys, GCP service account, Azure credentials, or vSphere login) with sufficient permissions to list and describe all target resources.
Generated HCL should be reviewed and tested with `terraform plan` before production use; automated generation may produce incomplete or incorrect resource definitions.
Module generation feature converts all attributes to variables by default; consider using the `--module-variables` configuration file to reduce variable proliferation in large infrastructures.
Docker image available; ensure image scanning and credential injection practices are secure when running in containerized CI/CD pipelines.
Latest stable release (v0.8.4) is from May 2023; verify provider compatibility with current Terraform versions and cloud service offerings before deployment.

When to avoid it — and what to weigh

Cutting-Edge Provider Features — Provider versions are pinned (AWS v4.9.0 is ~2 years old). Recent cloud service additions may not be supported; requires manual provider version updates and testing.
Real-Time Cloud Sync — TerraCognita is a one-time import tool, not a continuous sync mechanism. It does not track or auto-update IaC when cloud infrastructure changes outside Terraform.
Complex Resource Interdependencies — No clear guarantees that generated code handles complex resource dependencies, data source references, or implicit ordering correctly; manual HCL review is required.
Regulated or High-Security Environments — No documented security audit, encryption handling, or compliance certifications (SOC2, ISO 27001, etc.). Credentials and cloud access must be carefully managed during import.

License & commercial use

Licensed under MIT (permissive OSI license). Permits use in commercial products, modification, and distribution with attribution.

MIT license permits commercial use without restriction. However, confirm with legal that no commercial support, warranty, or indemnification is provided by Cycloid; the tool is provided as-is. Verify compliance with internal IP and open-source policies before integrating into production pipelines.

DEV.co evaluation signals

Editorial assessment — not user reviews. Directional, with an explicit confidence level.

Signal	Assessment
Maintenance	Moderate
Documentation	Adequate
License clarity	Clear
Deployment complexity	Low
DEV.co fit	Good
Assessment confidence	High

Security considerations

Tool requires live cloud credentials (IAM keys, service accounts, or vSphere credentials) during import. No documented encryption of credentials in transit or at rest. No security audit or certifications published. Generated IaC must be reviewed to ensure no hardcoded secrets are included. Use short-lived or temporary credentials if possible; ensure secure credential injection in CI/CD environments.

Alternatives to consider

Terraform Cloud/Enterprise Drift Detection

Built-in Terraform feature to detect and manage state drift; does not generate IaC from live infrastructure but maintains state consistency for existing code.

CloudMapper (AWS-only)

AWS-focused alternative for infrastructure discovery and visualization; generates CloudFormation or custom formats, not Terraform, limiting portability.

Pulumi Automation API with cloud SDKs

Programmatic infrastructure enumeration and IaC generation; supports multiple languages and clouds but requires custom scripting; different IaC philosophy.

Software development agency

Build on terracognita with DEV.co software developers

Review the TerraCognita documentation and test in a non-production environment first. Ensure cloud credentials are secure and generated HCL is validated before applying to live infrastructure.

Talk to DEV.co

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terracognita FAQ

Does TerraCognita keep infrastructure in sync with live cloud?

No. It is a one-time import tool. After initial generation, IaC must be managed manually in Terraform; cloud changes outside Terraform are not auto-detected or synchronized.

Are the generated Terraform configurations production-ready?

Not automatically. Generated HCL must be reviewed, tested with `terraform plan`, and often manually refined to handle dependencies, data sources, and business logic correctly.

What if a cloud provider adds new resource types after the tool is released?

TerraCognita cannot discover those resources until the underlying Terraform provider is updated and bundled into a new release; requires tool update.

Can I use TerraCognita with Terraform versions newer than v1.1.9?

Likely yes, as Terraform maintains backward compatibility. However, newer Terraform features and provider versions are not tested or documented; verify compatibility before production use.

Custom software development services

Adopting terracognita is usually one piece of a larger software development effort. As a software development agency, DEV.co provides software development services and web development expertise — pairing senior software developers and web developers with your team to design, build, and operate open-source devops software in production.

Ready to Automate Your IaC Migration?

Review the TerraCognita documentation and test in a non-production environment first. Ensure cloud credentials are secure and generated HCL is validated before applying to live infrastructure.

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