Infrastructure as Code with AWS CloudFormation Flashcards

What is the purpose of the CloudFormation `DependsOn` attribute?

Answer: To specify that one resource must be created before another

The DependsOn attribute ensures that a specific resource is created, updated, or deleted only after another resource, controlling creation order.

Which CloudFormation section is used to pass custom values into a template at stack creation time?

Answer: Parameters

The Parameters section allows users to input custom values when creating or updating a stack, making templates reusable across environments.

What does `cfn-signal` do in a CloudFormation deployment?

Answer: Signals CloudFormation that a resource has been successfully configured

cfn-signal is a helper script that signals CloudFormation whether a resource, like an EC2 instance, has been successfully created and configured.

Which CloudFormation feature allows you to reuse template snippets across multiple templates?

Answer: Nested Stacks

Nested Stacks allow you to embed one CloudFormation stack inside another, enabling reuse of common template patterns and resource definitions.

What is a CloudFormation Change Set?

Answer: A preview of the changes CloudFormation will make before executing them

A Change Set provides a summary of the proposed changes to a stack, letting you review the impact before executing an update.

Which CloudFormation resource type allows you to run custom provisioning logic using Lambda during stack operations?

Answer: Custom Resource

Custom Resources allow you to invoke Lambda functions or SNS topics to perform custom provisioning steps not natively supported by CloudFormation.