To solidify the reason as to why we would use CloudFormation, let's compare a traditional approach to deploying infrastructure with the IaC approach. Traditionally, when designing new IT infrastructure, the following steps would need to take place:
- We define a specification document. The specification document would encompass all the hardware, software, and network requirements of an application that we would be deploying.
- The specification document is sent to the procurement team, and the procurement team would order the hardware.
- After a few days, or possibly a couple of weeks of waiting, the hardware would be delivered.
- The hardware would then be installed in the data center, connected to the power, ...