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---
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2015-07-22 22:31:00 -04:00
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layout: intro
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2017-03-25 18:13:52 -04:00
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sidebar_current: intro-ecosystem
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page_title: Packer and the HashiCorp Ecosystem - Introduction
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description: |-
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Learn how Packer fits in with the rest of the HashiCorp ecosystem of tools
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---
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2015-04-20 18:55:16 -04:00
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# Packer and the HashiCorp Ecosystem
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2015-07-22 22:31:00 -04:00
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HashiCorp is the creator of the open source projects Vagrant, Packer, Terraform,
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Serf, and Consul, and the commercial product Atlas. Packer is just one piece of
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the ecosystem HashiCorp has built to make application delivery a versioned,
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auditable, repeatable, and collaborative process. To learn more about our
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beliefs on the qualities of the modern datacenter and responsible application
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delivery, read [The Atlas Mindset: Version Control for
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2016-01-15 16:41:29 -05:00
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Infrastructure](https://www.hashicorp.com/blog/atlas-mindset.html?utm_source=packer&utm_campaign=HashicorpEcosystem).
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2015-04-20 18:55:16 -04:00
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2015-07-22 22:31:00 -04:00
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If you are using Packer to build machine images and deployable artifacts, it's
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likely that you need a solution for deploying those artifacts. Terraform is our
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tool for creating, combining, and modifying infrastructure.
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2015-04-20 18:55:16 -04:00
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2015-07-22 22:31:00 -04:00
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Below are summaries of HashiCorp's open source projects and a graphic showing
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how Atlas connects them to create a full application delivery workflow.
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2015-04-20 18:55:16 -04:00
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# HashiCorp Ecosystem
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2015-07-22 22:31:00 -04:00
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2015-04-20 18:55:16 -04:00
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2015-07-22 22:31:00 -04:00
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[Atlas](https://atlas.hashicorp.com/?utm_source=packer&utm_campaign=HashicorpEcosystem)
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is HashiCorp's only commercial product. It unites Packer, Terraform, and Consul
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to make application delivery a versioned, auditable, repeatable, and
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collaborative process.
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2016-01-14 15:33:00 -05:00
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[Packer](https://www.packer.io/?utm_source=packer&utm_campaign=HashicorpEcosystem)
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is a HashiCorp tool for creating machine images and deployable artifacts such as
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AMIs, OpenStack images, Docker containers, etc.
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2016-01-14 15:33:00 -05:00
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[Terraform](https://www.terraform.io/?utm_source=packer&utm_campaign=HashicorpEcosystem)
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is a HashiCorp tool for creating, combining, and modifying infrastructure. In
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the Atlas workflow Terraform reads from the artifact registry and provisions
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infrastructure.
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2016-01-14 15:33:00 -05:00
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[Consul](https://www.consul.io/?utm_source=packer&utm_campaign=HashicorpEcosystem)
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2015-07-22 22:31:00 -04:00
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is a HashiCorp tool for service discovery, service registry, and health checks.
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In the Atlas workflow Consul is configured at the Packer build stage and
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identifies the service(s) contained in each artifact. Since Consul is configured
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at the build phase with Packer, when the artifact is deployed with Terraform, it
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is fully configured with dependencies and service discovery pre-baked. This
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greatly reduces the risk of an unhealthy node in production due to configuration
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failure at runtime.
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2016-08-08 12:45:23 -04:00
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[Serf](https://www.serf.io/?utm_source=packer&utm_campaign=HashicorpEcosystem) is
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a HashiCorp tool for cluster membership and failure detection. Consul uses
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Serf's gossip protocol as the foundation for service discovery.
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[Vagrant](https://www.vagrantup.com/?utm_source=packer&utm_campaign=HashicorpEcosystem)
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is a HashiCorp tool for managing development environments that mirror
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production. Vagrant environments reduce the friction of developing a project and
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reduce the risk of unexpected behavior appearing after deployment. Vagrant boxes
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can be built in parallel with production artifacts with Packer to maintain
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parity between development and production.
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