> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.envzero.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Managing Environments > Create, manage, and automate IaC deployments as environments in env zero for Terraform, CloudFormation, Pulumi, Helm, and Kubernetes namespaces. ## What are Environments? Environments in env zero are your Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) deployments - think of them as managed Terraform workspaces, CloudFormation stacks, Pulumi stacks, or Kubernetes namespaces. Each environment represents a complete deployment of your infrastructure code with its own state, variables, and lifecycle. Your users manage their environments in [Projects](/guides/admin-guide/projects) where they can create, destroy, and redeploy environments. The user who creates an environment becomes the owner, while administrators manage access control and budgets through [policies](/guides/policies-governance/policies) defined at the Project and Organization levels. ## Environment Mapping to IaC Tools Here's how env zero environments correlate with terms from various IaC and cloud management tools: * **Terraform:** An env zero environment is equivalent to a Terraform workspace or module * **Terragrunt:** An env zero environment matches a specific Terragrunt configuration directory managing Terraform modules * **CloudFormation:** An env zero environment corresponds to a CloudFormation stack * **Pulumi:** An env zero environment maps to a Pulumi stack * **Kubernetes:** An env zero environment relates to a Kubernetes namespace or a set of YAML files * **Helm:** An env zero environment aligns with a Helm release ## Creating Environments ### Two Creation Approaches You can create environments in two ways: **Template-based Creation:** * Use pre-configured [templates](/guides/admin-guide/templates) for standardized, reusable deployments * Built-in RBAC and governance controls * Ideal for teams wanting consistency and standardization **Direct VCS Integration:** * Connect directly to your Git repository for quick deployments * Avoid template complexity for simple use cases * Perfect for rapid prototyping and experimentation Both approaches support all IaC frameworks: Terraform, OpenTofu, Pulumi, CloudFormation, Kubernetes, and Helm. For detailed setup instructions, see [Setting Up a New Environment](/guides/admin-guide/environments/setting-up-a-new-environment). ## Environment Lifecycle Management ### Core Operations **Deploy:** Run `terraform apply` (or equivalent) to create or update infrastructure * Automatically runs `terraform plan` first to show changes * Stores outputs and state for future reference * Sends email notifications on success or failure **Destroy:** Clean up resources with `terraform destroy` (or equivalent) * Can be triggered manually or automatically via TTL * Queued if another operation is in progress **Redeploy:** Update existing environments with code changes * For inactive environments: deploys from scratch with new TTL * For active environments: updates with latest code changes ### Environment States Environments can be in one of these states: * **Active** - Successfully deployed and running * **Inactive** - Successfully destroyed (manual or automatic) * **Deploy in progress** - Currently being deployed * **Undeploy in progress** - Currently being destroyed * **Failed** - Errors encountered during deployment/undeployment * **Waiting for approval** - Plan created, awaiting Deployer approval ### Time-to-Live (TTL) TTL controls automatic environment destruction: * **Predefined values:** 12 hours, 1 day, 3 days, 1 week, 1 month, infinite * **Custom dates:** Set specific end-of-life dates * **Policy control:** Admins can set defaults and maximums via [TTL Policies](/guides/policies-governance/policy-ttl) ## Advanced Operations ### Continuous Deployment Automatically redeploy environments on Git pushes to specific branches. See [Continuous Deployment](/guides/admin-guide/environments/continuous-deployment) for setup. ### Bulk Operations Manage multiple environments simultaneously - deploy, destroy, approve plans, lock and release locks, and more. Learn more in [Bulk Operations](/guides/admin-guide/environments/bulk-operations). ### Workflow Triggers Chain environment deployments for complex workflows (e.g., dev → staging → production). See [Workflow Triggers](/guides/admin-guide/environments/workflow-triggers). ### Plan on Pull Request Preview infrastructure changes before merging code. Details in [Plan on Pull Request](/guides/admin-guide/environments/plan-on-pull-request). ## Access Control & Governance ### Role-Based Permissions **Planner Role:** Can create plans but requires Deployer approval for execution **Deployer Role:** Can execute plans and approve deployments **Admin Role:** Full control over all environment operations ### Approval Workflows * **Manual Approval:** Plans require Deployer review before execution * **Automatic Approval:** Deployers and Admins can enable immediate execution ### Environment Locking Prevent changes to critical environments during maintenance. Learn more in [Environment Locking](/guides/admin-guide/environments/environment-locking). ## Key Features ### Environment Management * **Resource tracking:** View all cloud resources managed by each environment * **Deployment history:** Complete log of all environment operations * **Import existing:** Bring existing infrastructure under env zero management * **Archive/Unarchive:** Manage environment lifecycle without destroying resources ### Integration & Automation * **VCS Integration:** GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, Azure DevOps * **Cloud Providers:** AWS, Azure, GCP, and other platforms * **API Access:** Programmatic environment management via REST API * **Terraform Provider:** Manage env zero resources using Terraform itself ### Environment Resources When environments are active, you can view all managed resources organized by provider and type with search functionality. Resources list with search box ## Best Practices ### Development Workflows * Use short TTLs for development environments * Enable continuous deployment for dev branches * Implement proper approval workflows for production ### Production Management * Set infinite TTL for production environments * Require manual approval for all changes * Use environment locking for critical systems ## Next steps * [Using env zero Templates](/guides/admin-guide/env-zero-templates) - Define reusable blueprints for your environments. * [Creating & Managing Projects](/guides/admin-guide/env-zero-projects) - Group environments and control access with projects. * [Deploy Your First Environment](/guides/getting-started/running-your-first-environment) - Deploy your first environment from a template.