1---
2layout: "language"
3page_title: "Backend Type: Kubernetes"
4sidebar_current: "docs-backends-types-standard-kubernetes"
5description: |-
6  Terraform can store state remotely in Kubernetes and lock that state.
7---
8
9# kubernetes
10
11-> **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.
12
13**Kind: Standard (with locking)**
14
15Stores the state in a [Kubernetes secret](https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/configuration/secret/) with locking done using a Lease resource.
16
17## Example Configuration
18
19```hcl
20terraform {
21  backend "kubernetes" {
22    secret_suffix    = "state"
23    load_config_file = true
24  }
25}
26```
27
28This 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.
29
30If 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.
31
32If 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.
33
34For 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.
35
36Note that for the access credentials we recommend using a [partial configuration](/docs/language/settings/backends/configuration.html#partial-configuration).
37
38
39## Example Referencing
40
41```hcl
42data "terraform_remote_state" "foo" {
43  backend = "kubernetes"
44  config = {
45    secret_suffix    = "state"
46    load_config_file = true
47  }
48}
49```
50
51## Configuration variables
52
53The following configuration options are supported:
54
55* `secret_suffix` - (Required) Suffix used when creating secrets. Secrets will be named in the format: `tfstate-{workspace}-{secret_suffix}`.
56* `labels` - (Optional) Map of additional labels to be applied to the secret and lease.
57* `namespace` - (Optional) Namespace to store the secret and lease in. Can be sourced from `KUBE_NAMESPACE`.
58* `in_cluster_config` - (Optional) Used to authenticate to the cluster from inside a pod. Can be sourced from `KUBE_IN_CLUSTER_CONFIG`.
59* `load_config_file` - (Optional) Use a kubeconfig file to access the cluster. Can be sourced from `KUBE_LOAD_CONFIG_FILE`.
60* `host` - (Optional) The hostname (in form of URI) of Kubernetes master. Can be sourced from `KUBE_HOST`. Defaults to `https://localhost`.
61* `username` - (Optional) The username to use for HTTP basic authentication when accessing the Kubernetes master endpoint. Can be sourced from `KUBE_USER`.
62* `password` - (Optional) The password to use for HTTP basic authentication when accessing the Kubernetes master endpoint. Can be sourced from `KUBE_PASSWORD`.
63* `insecure` - (Optional) Whether server should be accessed without verifying the TLS certificate. Can be sourced from `KUBE_INSECURE`. Defaults to `false`.
64* `client_certificate` - (Optional) PEM-encoded client certificate for TLS authentication. Can be sourced from `KUBE_CLIENT_CERT_DATA`.
65* `client_key` - (Optional) PEM-encoded client certificate key for TLS authentication. Can be sourced from `KUBE_CLIENT_KEY_DATA`.
66* `cluster_ca_certificate` - (Optional) PEM-encoded root certificates bundle for TLS authentication. Can be sourced from `KUBE_CLUSTER_CA_CERT_DATA`.
67* `config_path` - (Optional) Path to the kube config file. Can be sourced from `KUBE_CONFIG` or `KUBECONFIG`. Defaults to `~/.kube/config`.
68* `config_context` - (Optional) Context to choose from the config file. Can be sourced from `KUBE_CTX`.
69* `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`.
70* `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`.
71* `token` - (Optional) Token of your service account.  Can be sourced from `KUBE_TOKEN`.
72* `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.
73  * `api_version` - (Required) API version to use when decoding the ExecCredentials resource, e.g. `client.authentication.k8s.io/v1beta1`.
74  * `command` - (Required) Command to execute.
75  * `args` - (Optional) List of arguments to pass when executing the plugin.
76  * `env` - (Optional) Map of environment variables to set when executing the plugin.
77