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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

Configuration Management
The practice of systematically managing and maintaining consistent server configurations across infrastructure.
Runbook
A documented set of standardized procedures for handling routine operations and incident response in production systems.
Environment Variable
A dynamic value stored outside the application code that configures behavior without hardcoding sensitive or environment-specific data.
Containerization
A lightweight virtualization method that packages applications with their dependencies into isolated, portable containers.
Pipeline as Code
Defining CI/CD pipeline configurations as version-controlled code files rather than through UI-based pipeline builders.
Canary Deployment
A deployment strategy that gradually rolls out changes to a small subset of users before deploying to the entire infrastructure.
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