What is Stack State Backend

• A storage location where Pulumi stores Stack State data (state information of all stacks)
• Each stack in Pulumi has it’s own state file. Pulumi keeps this state file in a backend
• From Pulumi Doc: Pulumi stores state in a backend of your choosing. A backend is an API and storage endpoint used by the CLI to coordinate updates, and read and write stack state whenever appropriate
• State Backend can be any of followings:
  • Pulumi Service
  • AWS S3
  • Microsoft Azure Blob Container
  • Google Cloud Storage
  • Local filesystem

By default

• Pulumi stores its infrastructure state file in json format by default inside the Pulumi service
• a stack created using the pulumi.com backend will use the pulumi.com secrets provider
• a stack created using the local or cloud object storage backend will use the passphrase secrets provider

A different secrets provider can be selected by passing the –secrets-provider flag

Azure Blob Storage as Stack State Backend

See: Using Azure blob storage as backend

Pulumi Service as Stack State Backend

• Managed Pulumi Service Backend: Pulumi Service provides State Backends services
• Self-Hosted Pulumi Service Backend:
  • You take Pulumi Service docker images from private docker hub (ned enterprise license to get it)
  • You host Pulumi Service by yourself
  • Everything works the same as with the standard Pulumi Service, except that Pulumi will target your private instance
• ‘Pulumi Service’ account
  • By default, Pulumi will use ‘Pulumi Service’ account as backend to store stack state information in ‘https://app.pulumi.com/'
  • Stack state information can also be saved locally
  • ‘Pulumi Service’ account is free for individual users
• Login using default browser: https://app.pulumi.com/signin
• Stay logged in
• pulumi new: Pulumi CLI will promt you to login to backend
• Hitting ENTER at the prompt opens up default web browser allowing you to sign in

Saving Stack State Locally

pulumi login --local # syntactic sugar for pulumi login file://~.

pulumi login file:///state/path

pulumi login # -> $ pulumi login https://api.pulumi.acmecorp.com

pulumi login --local # pulumi login file://~

#
# Azure Blob
#
pulumi login azblob://my-pulumi-state-bucket