Summary
In this chapter, we covered cloud-init, its architecture, and the benefits in larger deployment scenarios, where configuration consistency and agility are of utmost importance. Pair that with the paradigm change in which we don't do everything manually – we have a tool that does it for us – and it's an excellent addition to our deployment processes. Make sure that you try to use it as it will make your life a lot easier, while preparing you for using cloud virtual machines, where cloud-init is extensively used.
In the next chapter, we're going to learn how to expand this usage model to Windows virtual machines by using cloudbase-init.