What component is not processed during a 'terraform refresh' operation?

During a 'terraform refresh' operation, the tool primarily updates the state file to reflect the current state of the infrastructure based on what is actually deployed. This means that any changes in the infrastructure that have occurred outside of Terraform, such as those made manually or by other automated processes, will be captured in the state file.

The configuration file, which defines resources and their desired states, is not processed during this operation. The refresh operation does not change or evaluate the configuration. Instead, it solely focuses on aligning the state file with the actual resources present. As a result, it does not involve parsing or altering the contents of the configuration file.

Resource dependencies are also managed and updated in the context of the state, but they are not independently processed in the refresh operation itself. The provider configuration dictates how resources interact with their respective APIs but similarly remains unchanged during a refresh.

Hence, it is clear that the configuration file, while crucial for defining what Terraform should manage, is not a component that is actively processed during a 'terraform refresh' operation.