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HashiCorp Packer

HashiCorp Packer

Overview

What is HashiCorp Packer?

HashiCorp Packer automates the creation of machine images, coming out of the box with support to build images for Amazon EC2, CloudStack, DigitalOcean, Docker, Google Compute Engine, Microsoft Azure, QEMU, VirtualBox, and VMware.

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Learn from top reviewers

Best Image Builder in Market

Rating: 9 out of 10
June 15, 2022
IncentivizedVetted ReviewVerified User
We mainly use packer for creating Images on the fly with required tunning and use it with Our Configuration management tools or any IAC tool. We integrate Packer with multiple...
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Sumit Kumar
Engineer - Engineering
Sr Devops Engineer
AppDynamics
HashiCorp Packer5 years of experience
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Pricing

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HashiCorp Packer

HashiCorp Packer

N/A
Unavailable

What is HashiCorp Packer?

HashiCorp Packer automates the creation of machine images, coming out of the box with support to build images for Amazon EC2, CloudStack, DigitalOcean, Docker, Google Compute Engine, Microsoft Azure, QEMU, VirtualBox, and VMware.

Entry-level set up fee?

  • No setup fee

Offerings

  • Free Trial
  • Free/Freemium Version
  • Premium Consulting/Integration Services

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Product Demos

The HashiCorp Packer Plugin Repository, What’s init?

YouTube

Automating Azure Image Pipelines with HCP Packer

YouTube

Hashicorp Packer: Build a Windows server in AWS and manage with Ansible

YouTube

Hashicorp Packer to Build a Ubuntu 20.04 Image Template in VMware

YouTube

HashiCorp Packer for VMware Ubuntu Templates and Terraform for building VMs | Infrastructure as Code

YouTube
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Product Details

What is HashiCorp Packer?

Packer is an open source tool for creating identical machine images for multiple platforms from a single source configuration. Packer can create golden images to use in image pipelines.

HashiCorp states Packer is lightweight, runs on every major operating system, and is performant, creating machine images for multiple platforms in parallel. Packer does not replace configuration management like Chef or Puppet. In fact, when building images, Packer is able to use tools like Chef or Puppet to install software onto the image.

HashiCorp Packer Features

  • Supported: Continuous Delivery
  • Supported: Dev/Prod Parity
  • Supported: Appliance/Demo Creation

HashiCorp Packer Competitors

HashiCorp Packer Technical Details

Deployment TypesSoftware as a Service (SaaS), Cloud, or Web-Based
Operating SystemsUnspecified
Mobile ApplicationNo
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Comparisons

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Reviews and Ratings

(3)

Reviews

(1-1 of 1)
Companies can't remove reviews or game the system. Here's why

Best Image Builder in Market

Rating: 9 out of 10
Incentivized
June 15, 2022
SK
Sumit Kumar
Sr Devops Engineer
AppDynamics (Information Technology & Services, 201-500 employees)
Vetted Review
Verified User
HashiCorp Packer
5 years of experience
View profile
Use Cases and Deployment Scope
We mainly use packer for creating Images on the fly with required tunning and use it with Our Configuration management tools or any IAC tool. We integrate Packer with multiple frameworks such as Chef or Puppet to install and configure the software. It acts for me as Machine Image As A Code. The main scope for us to use Packer is to automate our Image creation process and get away from the Golden Image concept so that we can bring Updated images in an automated way.
Pros and Cons
  • Multi-provider portability
  • Greater testability
  • Super fast infrastructure deployment
Likelihood to Recommend
We use packer to generate new machine images for multiple platforms on every change to our Configuration Management tools like Chef/Puppet/Ansible It's act single tool for Image building for Multi-provider like AWS/Azure/GCP Helps to achieve Dev/Prod Parity Packer itself doesn't have a state like Terraform. You can't do packer output AMI ID. If you have a scenario where you want to maintain the state for images it would be tough to manage via Packer.
Most Important Features
  • Appliance/Demo Creation
  • Dev/Prod Parity
  • Super fast infrastructure deployment
Return on Investment
  • Super fast infrastructure deployment
  • Quick turnaround of infrastructure in multiple cloud using single tool.
  • Increase productivity by reducing time in infrastructure building.
Alternatives Considered
There are lot of tools in market which does the job for Image creation but all of them are not complete Machine/Image as a code. All other alternatives can create Image partially.

Main reason for selecting Packer are
Packer is lightweight, portable, and command-line driven
Packer helps keep development, staging, and production as similar as possible.
Packer automates the creation of any type of machine image
Multi-provider portability is the feature to die for
Other Software Used
Users and Roles
30
Engineering
Support Headcount Required
10
They should understand DevOps world and products like
Configuration Management
Any cloud provider
Business Processes Supported
  • Image creation
  • Multi cloud portability
  • Continuous Delivery
Innovative Uses
  • We have integrated packer for Continuous Delivery.
  • We have automated monthly image creation with all necessary packages which get published to all AWS accounts.
Future Planned Uses
  • Managebility is one are where we are researching to use Packer.
Likelihood to Renew
10
We are happy with the use of Packer in our organization. Apart from manageability, I don't find any other drawback with Packer.
Products Replaced
Yes
We were creating Image earlier using Ansible. We are not going to replace Ansible but the Image creation part is taken over by Packer.
Key Differentiators
  • Product Features
  • Product Usability
  • Prior Experience with the Product
Most important aspect for taking Packer is multi cloud portability
Evaluation Lessons Learned
Will look for reviews to figure out pros and cons earlier instead of finding on fly.
Implementation Details / Implementation Partner
  • Implemented in-house
Implementation Phases
No
Change Management Lessons
Change management was a minor issue with the implementation
It was smooth
Implementation Issues
  • No issue I faced.
Implementation Rating
10
I haven't found any issue in Implementation that itself describes how well this tool is built.
Support Rating
10
I only once required support and it was very smooth.
Premium Support
I haven't as it was not required. I was able to run it without any major issues.
Bug Resolution
No
Exceptional Examples of HashiCorp Packer Support
Haven't stuck with any such situation.
Usability
10
It's best for building Image with many features and benefits.
Easy Tasks
  • Super fast infrastructure deployment
  • Multi-provider portability
Difficult Tasks
  • Managebility
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