+++
title = "Provisioning a Stack"
weight = 385
home_region = "eu-west-1"
+++
---

## What are we going to do?

This tutorial will walk you through how to use the "{{% param title %}}" feature.

We will assume you have:
 
 - installed Service Catalog Factory correctly
 - installed Service Catalog Puppet correctly
 - bootstrapped a spoke
 - created a manifest file
 - added an account to the manifest file

We will assume you are comfortable:
 - making changes your portfolios files
 - making changes your manifest file
 
We are going to perform the following steps to "{{% param title %}}":

- creating a stack using Service Catalog Factory
- provision a stack using Service Catalog Puppet


## Step by step guide

Here are the steps you need to follow for "{{% param title %}}"

### Things to note, before we start

- This feature was added in version 0.63.0 of Service Catalog Factory.  You will need to be using this version (or later)
- This feature was added in version 0.109.0 of Service Catalog Puppet.  You will need to be using this version (or later)
- Stacks can use parameters, deploy_to and outputs
- Stacks can be used in spoke execution mode
- Stacks can be used in dry-runs
- Stacks can be provisioned in spoke execution mode (since Service Catalog Puppet version 0.109.0)
- Stacks do not appear in list-launches (they are not a launch)

## Creating a stack using Service Catalog Factory

- Navigate to the {{% service_catalog_factory_code_commit_repo_link %}} 

- click _Add file_ and then _Create file_

- Paste the following into the main input window:

- In the _File name_ field enter the following `stacks/example.yaml`

 <figure>
  {{< highlight js >}}
Schema: factory-2019-04-01
Stacks:
  - Name: "ssm-parameter"
    Versions:
      - Name: "v1"
        Source:
          Provider: "CodeCommit"
          Configuration:
            RepositoryName: "ssm-parameter-stack"
            BranchName: "main"
  {{< / highlight >}}
 </figure>

- Please note the file name is not significant but it must have the extension `.yaml` and it must be in a directory named `stacks`

- Fill in the other fields and save the file.  Once you do the pipeline `servicecatalog-factory-pipeline` will run.  

- Once the pipeline is complete you will have a new pipeline named `stack--ssm-parameter-v1-pipeline`

- You should navigate to AWS CodeCommit, create a repo named `ssm-parameter-stack` and add a file named `stack.template.yaml` with the following content on the `main` branch:

 <figure>
  {{< highlight js >}}
Parameters:
  Name:
    Type: String
  Value:
    Type: String

Resources:
  Parameter:
    Type: AWS::SSM::Parameter
    Properties:
      Name: !Ref Name
      Type: String
      Value: !Ref Value

Outputs:
  Value:
    Value: !GetAtt Parameter.Value
{{< / highlight >}}
 </figure>

- Once you have added the file the pipeline `stack--ssm-parameter-v1-pipeline` will run.  It will take the source code and add will add it to Amazon S3 so you can use it in Service Catalog Puppet in the step below. 


## Provision a stack using Service Catalog Puppet

_Now we are ready to provision the stack using the manifest file._

- Navigate to the {{% service_catalog_puppet_code_commit_repo_link %}}

- Click the *ServiceCatalogPuppet* repository

- Click the link to the *manifest.yaml* file, and then click the *Edit* button

- Add the following snippet to the end of the main input field:

 <figure>
  {{< highlight js >}}
stacks:
  ssm-parameter:
    name: ssm-parameter
    version: v1
    parameters:
      Name:
        default: "hello"
      Value:
        default: "world"
    deploy_to:
      tags:
        - tag: type:prod
          regions: regions_enabled
  {{< / highlight >}}
 </figure>

### Capabilities

In some cases, you must explicitly acknowledge that your stack template contains certain capabilities in order for 
CloudFormation to create the stack.  

When you need to do this you can specify the capabilities as a list per stack:

 <figure>
  {{< highlight js >}}
stacks:
  ssm-parameter:
    name: ssm-parameter
    version: v1
    capabilities:
      - CAPABILITY_IAM
    parameters:
      Name:
        default: "hello"
      Value:
        default: "world"
    deploy_to:
      tags:
        - tag: type:prod
          regions: regions_enabled
  {{< / highlight >}}
 </figure>

### Committing the manifest file

_Now that we have updated the manifest file we are ready to commit our changes._

- Set your *Author name*
- Set your *Email address*
- Set your *Commit message*

{{% notice tip %}}
Using a good / unique commit message will help you understand what is going on later.
{{% /notice %}}


- Click the *Commit changes* button:

{{< figure src="/how-tos/invoking-a-lambda-function/commit_changes.png" >}}