Pulumi

Managing cloud infrastructure has never been easier with Pulumi, a modern Infrastructure as Code platform that revolutionizes how teams build and deploy cloud resources. Unlike traditional IaC tools that rely on domain-specific languages like YAML or HCL, Pulumi empowers developers to use programming languages they already know and love.

Pulumi supports TypeScript, JavaScript, Python, Go, .NET, Java, and YAML, making it accessible to developers from different backgrounds. With support for 170+ cloud providers including AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, and Kubernetes, Pulumi enables teams to manage multi-cloud infrastructure seamlessly.

The platform combines the power of real programming languages with declarative infrastructure management, allowing teams to leverage software engineering best practices for their cloud infrastructure.

Pulumi is an open-source infrastructure as code platform that allows developers to define, deploy, and manage cloud infrastructure using familiar programming languages instead of proprietary domain-specific languages. Think of it as bringing software engineering practices to infrastructure management.

The platform consists of three main products: Pulumi IaC for infrastructure management, Pulumi ESC for secrets and configuration management, and Pulumi Insights for AI-powered infrastructure analytics. What sets Pulumi apart is its use of real programming languages, enabling developers to write infrastructure code with loops, conditionals, functions, and all the features they're used to.

Pulumi manages infrastructure declaratively while providing the flexibility of imperative programming. Each resource is tracked and managed through state files, ensuring consistent and predictable deployments. The platform integrates with existing CI/CD pipelines and supports policy as code for security and compliance requirements.

Getting started with Pulumi is straightforward for any developer familiar with programming languages. First, install the Pulumi CLI on your system and choose your preferred cloud provider and programming language.

Here's the basic workflow:

• Create a new project using pulumi new command with your chosen template

• Write infrastructure code using your preferred language (Python, TypeScript, Go, etc.)

• Configure your cloud credentials and project settings

• Preview changes with pulumi preview to see what will be created

• Deploy infrastructure using pulumi up command

• Manage updates and destroy resources when needed

Best practices include:

• Use Pulumi's component resources to create reusable infrastructure patterns

• Leverage the Pulumi Registry for pre-built components and providers

• Implement proper state management with Pulumi Cloud or self-hosted backends

• Set up CI/CD integration for automated deployments

• Use policy packs to enforce security and compliance rules

The platform remembers your infrastructure state, making updates and changes seamless and predictable.

Pulumi offers comprehensive features that make infrastructure management powerful and developer-friendly. The platform supports multi-language programming with TypeScript, JavaScript, Python, Go, .NET, Java, and YAML, allowing teams to use their existing skills.

Key capabilities include:

• Multi-cloud support with 170+ providers including AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, Kubernetes, and SaaS platforms

• Real-time infrastructure preview showing exactly what changes will be made

• Built-in testing framework enabling unit and integration tests for infrastructure code

• Policy as code engine for enforcing security, compliance, and best practices

• Automation API for embedding infrastructure management into applications

• Component resources for creating reusable infrastructure patterns

• Secrets management with Pulumi ESC for secure configuration and credentials

• AI-powered insights through Pulumi Insights for infrastructure analytics and recommendations

• GitOps integration with popular CI/CD platforms

The platform also includes comprehensive state management, rollback capabilities, audit logging, and team collaboration features through Pulumi Cloud.

Pulumi offers flexible pricing based on the number of resources under management, making it cost-effective for teams of all sizes.

Pricing tiers include:

• Free Plan: 200 free infrastructure resources, 25 secrets, 500 deployment minutes, perfect for individual developers and small projects

• Team Edition: $0.37 per resource per month after 200 free resources, includes up to 10 team members, unlimited projects, CI/CD automation, and community support

• Enterprise Edition: $1.10 per resource per month with unlimited team members, RBAC, SAML/SSO, audit logs, and enterprise support

• Business Critical: Custom pricing for large organizations with advanced security, compliance features, 24/7 support, and private deployment options

The platform uses a resource-hour billing model where each infrastructure resource (like an S3 bucket or EC2 instance) counts toward your monthly usage. Volume discounts and prepaid options are available for enterprise customers.