How to Migrate Terraform State Between Backends
Terraform state doesn't stay put forever. Teams outgrow local state files, consolidate multiple backends into one, switch cloud providers, or decide it's time to move off a platform that's no longer working for them - HCP Terraform's free tier ending and its resource-based pricing is a common trigger these days. Whatever the reason, the state file itself is the part everyone's afraid to touch, because it's the only record of what Terraform thinks your infrastructure actually is.