--- layout: "language" page_title: "Backend Type: Kubernetes" sidebar_current: "docs-backends-types-standard-kubernetes" description: |- Terraform can store state remotely in Kubernetes and lock that state. --- # kubernetes -> **Note:** This backend is limited by Kubernetes' maximum Secret size of 1MB. See [Secret restrictions](https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/configuration/secret/#restrictions) for details. **Kind: Standard (with locking)** Stores the state in a [Kubernetes secret](https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/configuration/secret/) with locking done using a Lease resource. ## Example Configuration ```hcl terraform { backend "kubernetes" { secret_suffix = "state" load_config_file = true } } ``` This assumes the user/service account running terraform has [permissions](https://kubernetes.io/docs/reference/access-authn-authz/authorization/) to read/write secrets in the [namespace](https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/overview/working-with-objects/namespaces/) used to store the secret. If the `load_config_file` flag is set the backend will attempt to use a [kubeconfig file](https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/configuration/organize-cluster-access-kubeconfig/) to gain access to the cluster. If the `in_cluster_config` flag is set the backend will attempt to use a [service account](https://kubernetes.io/docs/tasks/configure-pod-container/configure-service-account/) to access the cluster. This can be used if Terraform is being run from within a pod running in the Kubernetes cluster. For most use cases either `in_cluster_config` or `load_config_file` will need to be set to `true`. If both flags are set the configuration from `load_config_file` will be used. Note that for the access credentials we recommend using a [partial configuration](/docs/language/settings/backends/configuration.html#partial-configuration). ## Example Referencing ```hcl data "terraform_remote_state" "foo" { backend = "kubernetes" config = { secret_suffix = "state" load_config_file = true } } ``` ## Configuration variables The following configuration options are supported: * `secret_suffix` - (Required) Suffix used when creating secrets. Secrets will be named in the format: `tfstate-{workspace}-{secret_suffix}`. * `labels` - (Optional) Map of additional labels to be applied to the secret and lease. * `namespace` - (Optional) Namespace to store the secret and lease in. Can be sourced from `KUBE_NAMESPACE`. * `in_cluster_config` - (Optional) Used to authenticate to the cluster from inside a pod. Can be sourced from `KUBE_IN_CLUSTER_CONFIG`. * `load_config_file` - (Optional) Use a kubeconfig file to access the cluster. Can be sourced from `KUBE_LOAD_CONFIG_FILE`. * `host` - (Optional) The hostname (in form of URI) of Kubernetes master. Can be sourced from `KUBE_HOST`. Defaults to `https://localhost`. * `username` - (Optional) The username to use for HTTP basic authentication when accessing the Kubernetes master endpoint. Can be sourced from `KUBE_USER`. * `password` - (Optional) The password to use for HTTP basic authentication when accessing the Kubernetes master endpoint. Can be sourced from `KUBE_PASSWORD`. * `insecure` - (Optional) Whether server should be accessed without verifying the TLS certificate. Can be sourced from `KUBE_INSECURE`. Defaults to `false`. * `client_certificate` - (Optional) PEM-encoded client certificate for TLS authentication. Can be sourced from `KUBE_CLIENT_CERT_DATA`. * `client_key` - (Optional) PEM-encoded client certificate key for TLS authentication. Can be sourced from `KUBE_CLIENT_KEY_DATA`. * `cluster_ca_certificate` - (Optional) PEM-encoded root certificates bundle for TLS authentication. Can be sourced from `KUBE_CLUSTER_CA_CERT_DATA`. * `config_path` - (Optional) Path to the kube config file. Can be sourced from `KUBE_CONFIG` or `KUBECONFIG`. Defaults to `~/.kube/config`. * `config_context` - (Optional) Context to choose from the config file. Can be sourced from `KUBE_CTX`. * `config_context_auth_info` - (Optional) Authentication info context of the kube config (name of the kubeconfig user, `--user` flag in `kubectl`). Can be sourced from `KUBE_CTX_AUTH_INFO`. * `config_context_cluster` - (Optional) Cluster context of the kube config (name of the kubeconfig cluster, `--cluster` flag in `kubectl`). Can be sourced from `KUBE_CTX_CLUSTER`. * `token` - (Optional) Token of your service account. Can be sourced from `KUBE_TOKEN`. * `exec` - (Optional) Configuration block to use an [exec-based credential plugin] (https://kubernetes.io/docs/reference/access-authn-authz/authentication/#client-go-credential-plugins), e.g. call an external command to receive user credentials. * `api_version` - (Required) API version to use when decoding the ExecCredentials resource, e.g. `client.authentication.k8s.io/v1beta1`. * `command` - (Required) Command to execute. * `args` - (Optional) List of arguments to pass when executing the plugin. * `env` - (Optional) Map of environment variables to set when executing the plugin.