Getting Started with IaC Tools: How to Set up & Use CFT, Terraform, CDK, and SAM

When working with cloud infrastructure, it is important to have a well-configured local environment and AWS setup to ensure efficient development, testing, and deployment of your code. In this blog, I will guide you through the steps required to set up your local environment and AWS for running CloudFormation (CFT), Terraform, AWS Cloud Development Kit (CDK) and Serverless Application Model (SAM).

• AWS Cloudformation (CFT)
• HashiCorp Terraform
• AWS Cloud Development Kit (CDK)
• AWS Serverless Application Model (SAM)

All four tools have their unique features and capabilities, and the choice of tool depends on your specific use case, preferences, and requirements.

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AWS CloudFormation (CFT)

• CFT is a service that create and manage AWS resources by writing infrastructure as code templates in JSON or YAML format.
• CFT templates are declarative and define the desired state of the infrastructure, and CFT handles the creation, update, and deletion of resources based on the template.
• CFT supports a wide range of AWS services and can be used to manage complex infrastructures.
• CFT can be used through the AWS Management Console, AWS CLI, or API.

Terraform

• Terraform is an open-source infrastructure as code tool that allows you to manage your infrastructure as code.
• Terraform uses a declarative language to describe the desired state of the infrastructure, and Terraform handles the creation, update, and deletion of resources based on the configuration files.
• Terraform supports multiple cloud providers, including AWS, and can be used to manage complex infrastructures across different clouds.
• Terraform can be used through the CLI or API.