FEATURES
Gain productivity through standardizing automation
Automate how you create secure, reusable images across every cloud.
Adopt images as code
Automate image creation across clouds.
- Images as codeCompose Packer config files using HCL.
- Collaborate with VCSConnect to VCS for image source code.
- Parallel buildsCreate images in parallel for multiple deployment environments from a single source file.
- Image visibilityView and search the state of images across all workspaces.
- Image ancestryView image descendants/dependencies.
- Audit logsGain visibility into HCP Packer usage and stream audit logs to Amazon CloudWatch and Datadog.
- Cloud providersDeploy images to major cloud providers from a single source file.
Standardize best practices across your organization
Track and govern all images throughout your infrastructure estate.
- Artifact registryPublish golden images to the HCP Packer artifact registry.
- Policy and enforcementCreate one security and compliance workflow for images that are provisioned across multiple clouds and private infrastructure.
- Image channelsReference image channels to always use the correct artifact version.
- Channel assignment historySee when image versions were made available and who released them.
- Health checksValidate image health with Terraform continuous validation.
- Image revocationSet end-of-life dates for images and automate revocation with downstream builds across image pipelines.
- Integrator ecosystemIntegrate with technology partners like VMware, VirtualBox, and Docker and choose from 50+ community plugins including Ansible, OpenStack, and Nutanix.
Scale for self-service, visibility, and optimization
Integrate Packer into the image workflows your team uses every day.
- Image pipelinesChange a golden image once and update all downstream builds.
- Dynamic image updatesUse the HCP provider Packer data source to manage images in Terraform.
- Self-serve platformPromote artifacts for downstream consumers, query through Terraform using HCL, and deploy with no-code provisioning.
- Inherited revocationRevoke just the base image or all associated downstream dependencies.
- Channel rollbackChoose to roll back channels to a previous version as part of artifact revocation.
Integrate with your existing platforms
BUILDERSBuild once, run anywhereGenerate images for multiple platforms using builder plugins.
ProvisionersTap into community toolsCustomize images with integrated and third-party tools to meet your application requirements.
USE CASES
Common use cases for Packer
- Automated machine imagesCreate identical machine images for multiple platforms from a single source configuration. By codifying commonly used base images as golden images, they can be standardized, secured, and updated using automation.
- Golden image pipelineAutomate updates for base images and downstream builds. Track image metadata, including parent/child ancestry relationships, to identify out-of-date builds. Extend image management to provisioning workflows with Terraform integration. Identify the correct version of images for downstream consumers to use.
- Image complianceCodify security hardening and compliance baselines to keep golden images consistent. Using channels in the Packer image registry, the approved version of every image is discoverable and vulnerable images can be revoked to prevent their use.