The AWS CloudFormation overview

AWS CloudFormation is, putting it simply, an infrastructure as code. It is an AWS service, you do not need to install any additional software. This allows developers and system administrators to design and implement the entire network and server configurations directly from a code template file. CloudFormation handles the ordering and creation of the resources automatically when the template is implemented. When a template is launched to create resources, it is called a stack.

Think of a stack like architectural blueprints. The architect (you) hands the blueprints over to the contractor (AWS) to build it as per your specifications. The contractor knows how to order the construction jobs and what materials are needed.

You can create your own templates, use publicly available ones (such as on GitHub), or use AWS quick start templates. CloudFormation also has a visual designer to help lay out your planned infrastructure. Templates are saved as text files in either...