2.2.1.6. Comparative Table: CloudFormation vs. CDK vs. Terraform
First Principle: Selecting the optimal solution for specific project needs enables efficient, consistent, and scalable infrastructure provisioning.
Understanding distinctions between IaC tools (AWS CloudFormation, AWS CDK, Terraform) is crucial for informed decisions.
| Feature | AWS CloudFormation | AWS Cloud Development Kit (CDK) | Terraform |
|---|---|---|---|
| Description | AWS-native IaC for provisioning AWS resources. | Framework for defining cloud infra using code. | Open-source IaC for multi-cloud/on-prem. |
| Language/Syntax | YAML/JSON | TypeScript, Python, Java, C#, Go, JavaScript | HCL, JSON |
| Abstraction Level | Low-level (resource-centric) | High-level (constructs, programming logic) | Medium-level (resource-centric, with modules) |
| Multi-Cloud Support | AWS only | Primarily AWS (synthesizes to CloudFormation) | Extensive (AWS, Azure, GCP, VMware, etc.) |
| Typical Use Cases | AWS-native infrastructure, complex AWS deployments. | Developers preferring code, reusable components. | Multi-cloud, hybrid cloud, diverse infrastructure. |
| Key Benefit | Deep AWS integration, built-in drift detection. | Leverages programming languages, reusability. | Multi-cloud portability, vast provider ecosystem. |
Scenario: A DevOps team needs to provision infrastructure for a new application. They have extensive experience with TypeScript and want to manage their infrastructure as code using familiar programming constructs for reusability. In the future, they might expand to another cloud provider.
Reflection Question: Based on the comparative table, which IaC tool would be the most suitable for this team, and what are the trade-offs in choosing between AWS CDK and Terraform for their current and potential future needs?
š” Tip: When selecting an IaC tool, consider your team's existing programming language proficiency and whether your infrastructure strategy is AWS-centric or multi-cloud.