AWS Launches CloudFormation Express Mode for Faster Deployments

Introduction of Express Mode

AWS has introduced CloudFormation express mode, which accelerates the infrastructure deployment process. This new deployment option allows CloudFormation to mark stack operations as complete immediately after the API calls for creating, updating, or deleting resources succeed, rather than waiting for those resources to stabilize.

Operational Changes and Benefits

In express mode, resources may still be initializing, meaning they are not fully operational when stack operations are marked complete. This is particularly beneficial in development environments where rapid iterations are necessary, as it aids in faster testing and deployment workflows without requiring changes to existing CloudFormation templates.

Use Cases and Performance Improvements

The express mode caters to development scenarios and situations where teams can tolerate delays in resource readiness. AWS cites examples showing performance improvements: creating an SQS queue with a dead-letter queue drops from over a minute in standard mode to under ten seconds in express mode, while deleting specific Lambda functions can go from 20–30 minutes to mere seconds.

Community Feedback and Considerations

AWS community members have expressed a long-standing concern about deployment delays with CloudFormation, with some preferring Terraform for faster deployments. The express mode, while aimed at alleviating these concerns, still requires users to choose the standard mode if they need resources to be operational before proceeding with user traffic or testing.