cloudformation.txt

Cloudformation

Allows to transform hardware into code
Easy way to create/manage AWS resources
Can apply versioning to AWS infraestructure (like code)

Template --> Diagram

Stack --> Result of the diagram

Format: JSON or YAML

Template Elements:
- Required: list of AWS resources
- Optional:
	- Version, file format
	- Template parameters (up to 60)	
- Output
	- Public IP, ELB addresses (up to 60)
	
Naming
	You can assign local names, and they are used partially when creating resources. 
	Names are not fixed/enforced to avoid conflicts. Some exceptions exists (IE bucket names).

You can install software with a set of bootstrapping scripts.

Include integrations with Chef and Puppet

Supports tagging , EBS volumes are automatically tagged

Once provisioned, you have control of the resources
	
Automatic rollback if error is ON by default (everything is deleted if an error occurs)
Keep in mind you are charged for errors, but usage of Cloudformation is free
Stacks can wait for app to be provisioned using WaitCondition
Route53 is supported
IAM Role creation is also supported

Can define deletion policies for resources, when you delete the stack, resouces are not deleted

200 stacks max, can request more 

If you want to hide something from Cloudtrail/Cloudatch, mark the parameter with NOECHO 
 
 Difference with ElasticBeanstalk?
 - Cloudformation and Elasticbeanstalk compliment eachother
 	Beanstalk deploys and runs app in the cloud, integrated with dev tools, manage life cycle of apps
 	Cloudformation is a mechanism to provision AWS resources, template to build the entire infraestructure, including Beanstalk apps