DevOps Intermediate

What is Packer?

A tool for creating identical machine images for multiple platforms from a single configuration file.

Packer automates the creation of machine images (AMIs for AWS, Azure images, Docker containers, Vagrant boxes) from a single JSON/HCL template. It installs software, configures the OS, and produces a ready-to-deploy image.

Benefits include consistent images across environments, faster server provisioning (no configuration at boot), and testable infrastructure. Packer fits into the immutable infrastructure pattern — build once, deploy anywhere.

Related Terms

Infrastructure as Code (IaC)

The practice of managing infrastructure through machine-readable configuration files rather than manual processes.

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A lightweight virtualization method that packages applications with their dependencies into isolated, portable containers.

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A packaged, versioned output of a build process — such as a Docker image, JAR file, or compiled binary — ready for deployment.

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