AWS CLI Commands for CloudFormation - krdheeraj51/aws-labs GitHub Wiki

Introduction

AWS CloudFormation is a service that helps you model and set up your AWS resources so that you can spend less time managing those resources and more time focusing on your applications. The AWS CLI provides a powerful way to interact with CloudFormation from the command line. Here are some essential AWS CLI commands for CloudFormation:

1. Create a Stack

To create a new CloudFormation stack, use the create-stack command. This command requires a stack name and a template.

aws cloudformation create-stack \
  --stack-name STACK_NAME \
  --template-body file://TEMPLATE_FILE \
  --parameters ParameterKey=KEY,ParameterValue=VALUE
  • STACK_NAME: The name of your stack.
  • TEMPLATE_FILE: The path to your AWS CloudFormation template file.
  • KEY and VALUE: Optional parameters for your template.

2. Update a Stack

To update an existing stack, use the update-stack command. This is similar to creating a stack but updates the existing resources.

aws cloudformation update-stack \
  --stack-name STACK_NAME \
  --template-body file://TEMPLATE_FILE \
  --parameters ParameterKey=KEY,ParameterValue=VALUE

3. Delete a Stack

To delete a stack, use the delete-stack command.

aws cloudformation delete-stack --stack-name STACK_NAME

4. Describe Stacks

To get information about your stacks, use the describe-stacks command.

aws cloudformation describe-stacks --stack-name STACK_NAME

5. List Stacks

To list all your stacks, use the list-stacks command.

aws cloudformation list-stacks

6. Validate a Template

To validate a template without creating a stack, use the validate-template command.

aws cloudformation validate-template --template-body file://TEMPLATE_FILE

7. Deploy a Stack

The deploy command is a more convenient way to create or update a stack. It automatically creates and executes a change set.

aws cloudformation deploy \
  --template-file /path/to/template.yaml \
  --stack-name STACK_NAME \
  --parameter-overrides Key1=Value1 Key2=Value2
  • STACK_NAME: The name of the stack to create or update.
  • Key1=Value1: Optional parameters for your template.

8. Create a Change Set

To manually manage changes before applying them, you can create a change set.

aws cloudformation create-change-set \
  --stack-name STACK_NAME \
  --change-set-name CHANGE_SET_NAME \
  --template-body file://TEMPLATE_FILE \
  --capabilities CAPABILITY_IAM
  • STACK_NAME: The name of the stack to update.
  • CHANGE_SET_NAME: The name of the change set.
  • CAPABILITY_IAM: Required if your template includes IAM resources.

9. Execute a Change Set

After creating a change set, you can execute it to apply the changes.

aws cloudformation execute-change-set --change-set-name CHANGE_SET_NAME --stack-name STACK_NAME

Conclusion

These AWS CLI commands provide a comprehensive way to manage your AWS CloudFormation stacks. Whether you're creating, updating, or deleting stacks, the AWS CLI offers flexibility and automation capabilities that can streamline your workflow.

Additional Resources

  • AWS CLI Command Reference: For detailed documentation on all AWS CLI commands, including CloudFormation.
  • AWS CloudFormation User Guide: Comprehensive guide to using CloudFormation, including templates, stacks, and resources.

Example Use Cases

  1. Automating Stack Creation: Use create-stack in a script to automate the deployment of infrastructure.
  2. Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD): Use deploy to update stacks as part of a CI/CD pipeline.
  3. Template Validation: Use validate-template to ensure templates are correct before deployment.