github.com/aspring/packer@v0.8.1-0.20150629211158-9db281ac0f89/website/source/intro/use-cases.html.markdown (about) 1 --- 2 layout: "intro" 3 page_title: "Use Cases" 4 prev_url: "/intro/why.html" 5 next_url: "/intro/platforms.html" 6 next_title: "Supported Platforms" 7 description: |- 8 By now you should know what Packer does and what the benefits of image creation are. In this section, we'll enumerate _some_ of the use cases for Packer. Note that this is not an exhaustive list by any means. There are definitely use cases for Packer not listed here. This list is just meant to give you an idea of how Packer may improve your processes. 9 --- 10 11 # Use Cases 12 13 By now you should know what Packer does and what the benefits of image 14 creation are. In this section, we'll enumerate _some_ of the use cases 15 for Packer. Note that this is not an exhaustive list by any means. There are 16 definitely use cases for Packer not listed here. This list is just meant 17 to give you an idea of how Packer may improve your processes. 18 19 ### Continuous Delivery 20 21 Packer is lightweight, portable, and command-line driven. This makes it the 22 perfect tool to put in the middle of your continuous delivery pipeline. Packer 23 can be used to generate new machine images for multiple platforms on every 24 change to Chef/Puppet. 25 26 As part of this pipeline, the newly created images can then be launched and 27 tested, verifying the infrastructure changes work. If the tests pass, you can 28 be confident that that image will work when deployed. This brings a new level 29 of stability and testability to infrastructure changes. 30 31 ### Dev/Prod Parity 32 33 Packer helps [keep development, staging, and production as similar as possible](http://www.12factor.net/dev-prod-parity). 34 Packer can be used to generate images for multiple platforms at the same time. 35 So if you use AWS for production and VMware (perhaps with [Vagrant](http://www.vagrantup.com)) 36 for development, you can generate both an AMI and a VMware machine using 37 Packer at the same time from the same template. 38 39 Mix this in with the continuous delivery use case above, and you have a pretty 40 slick system for consistent work environments from development all the 41 way through to production. 42 43 ### Appliance/Demo Creation 44 45 Since Packer creates consistent images for multiple platforms in parallel, 46 it is perfect for creating [appliances](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_appliance) 47 and disposable product demos. As your software changes, you can automatically 48 create appliances with the software pre-installed. Potential users can then 49 get started with your software by deploying it to the environment of their 50 choice. 51 52 Packaging up software with complex requirements has never been so easy. 53 Or enjoyable, if you ask me.