Remark

<img src="https://taskcat.github.io/workshop/images/Taskcat-logo.png">
---
layout: false
.left-colum[
    # What is taskcat?
]
.right-column[
**taskcat** is a tool that tests AWS CloudFormation templates. It deploys your AWS
CloudFormation template in multiple AWS Regions and generates a report with a pass/fail
grade for each region. You can specify the regions and number of Availability Zones you
want to include in the test, and pass in parameter values from your AWS CloudFormation
template.

taskcat was developed by the aws-ia team to test AWS CloudFormation templates
that automatically deploy workloads on AWS.
]

---

### CLI
The cli is self documenting by using `--help`. The most common use of taskcat is for
executing function tests of CloudFormation templates. The command for this is:

```bash
taskcat test run
```

add `--help` to see the supported flags and arguments

```bash

optional arguments:
  -h, --help          show this help message and exit
  -v, --version       show program's version number and exit
  -q, --quiet         reduce output to the minimum
  -d, --debug         adds debug output and tracebacks
  --profile _PROFILE  set the default profile used.

commands:
  delete - [ALPHA] Deletes an installed package in an AWS account/region
  deploy - [ALPHA] installs a stack into an AWS account/region
  lint - checks CloudFormation templates for issues using cfn-python-lint
  list - [ALPHA] lists taskcat jobs with active stacks
  package - packages lambda source files into zip files. If a dockerfile is present in asource folder, it will be run prior to zipping the contents
  test - Performs functional tests on CloudFormation templates.
  update-ami - Updates AMI IDs within CloudFormation templates
  upload - Uploads project to S3.
```

---

### Python

Taskcat can be imported into Python and used in the testing framework of your choice.

```
from taskcat.testing import CFNTest
test = CFNTest.from_file(project_root='./template_dir')
with test as stacks:
    # Calling 'with' or 'test.run()' will deploy the stacks.
    for stack in stacks:
        print(f"Testing {stack.name}")
        bucket_name = ""
        for output in stack.outputs:
            if output.key == "LogsBucketName":
                bucket_name = output.value
                break
        assert "logs" in bucket_name
        assert stack.region.name in bucket_name
        print(f"Created bucket: {bucket_name}")
```
---

## Config files
taskcat has several configuration files which can be used to set behaviors in a flexible way.

### Global config
`~/.taskcat.yml` provides global settings that become defaults for all projects. Please see our [schema reference](docs/schema/taskcat_schema.html) for specific configuration options that are available.

### Project config
`<PROJECT_ROOT>/.taskcat.yml` provides project specific configuration. Please see our [schema reference](docs/schema/taskcat_schema.html) for specific configuration options that are available.
---
## Inheritence

Generally:
- Least specific over most specific unless defined

Parameters:
- Most specific over least specific

---

### Examples

`~/.taskcat.yml` (Global config)
```yaml
general:
  s3_bucket: my-globally-defined-bucket
  parameters:
    KeyPair: my-global-ec2-keypair
```

Given a simple project config:

`/path/to/project/.taskcat.yml`
```yaml
project:
  name: my-project
  regions:
  - us-east-2
tests:
  default:
    template: ./template.yaml
```
---
<center>(equals)</center>

```yaml
tests:
  default:
    template: ./template.yaml
    s3_bucket: my-globally-defined-bucket # from global
    parameters: # from global
      KeyPair: my-global-ec2-keypair # from global
```

Heirarchy:
- Global
- Project
- Test

Parameter Heirarchy:
- Global
- Project
- Test
- Override file
---

## Parameter overrides

- Common parameters
- Sensitive data

---
## Psuedo Parameters

| Psuedo-Parameter | Example Value passed to the CloudFormation stack|
| ------------- | ------------- | ------------- |
| `$[taskcat_autobucket]` | taskcat-tag-sample-taskcat-project-5fba6597|
| `$[taskcat_genaz_1]` | "us-east-1a"  |
| `$[taskcat_genaz_2]` | "us-east-1a,us-east-1b"  |
| `$[taskcat_genaz_3]` | "us-east-1a,us-east-1b,us-east-1c"  |
| `$[taskcat_genpass_8A]`  | tI8zN3iX8 |
| `$[taskcat_genpass_8S]`  | mA5@cB5! |
| `$[taskcat_random-string]` | yysuawpwubvotiqgwjcu |
| `$[taskcat_random-numbers]` | 56188163597280820763 |
| `$[taskcat_genuuid]` | 1c2e3483-2c99-45bb-801d-8af68a3b907b |
| `$[taskcat_getval_MyAppPassword]` | _Dynamically generated password for the MyAppPassword parameter_ |
| `$[taskcat_current_region]` | "us-east-2" |
| `$[taskcat_project_name]` | "my-example-project" |
| `$[taskcat_test_name]` | "cluster-with-windows-ad" |
| `$[taskcat_ssm_/path/to/ssm/parameter]` | _SSM Parameter Value_ |
| `$[taskcat_secretsmanager_SecretNameOrARN]` |_Value from SecretsManager_ |

---

#### From: (defined in taskcat.yaml')

```
 InstanceType: t2.small
 AvailablityZones: $[taskcat_genaz_2]
 RandomString: $[taskcat_random-string]
 RandomNumbers: $[taskcat_random-numbers]
 GenerateUUID: $[taskcat_genuuid]
 Password: $[taskcat_genpass_8A]
 PasswordConfirm: $[taskcat_getval_Password]
```

#### To: (At runtime passed to cloudformation API)
```
 InstanceType: t2.small
 AvailablityZones: us-east-1a,us-east-1b
 RandomString: yysuawpwubvotiqgwjcu
 RandomNumbers: 56188163597280820763
 GenerateUUID: 1c2e3483-2c99-45bb-801d-8af68a3b907b
 Password: tI8zN3iX8
 PasswordConfirm: tI8zN3iX8
```
---
# Q&A (open forum)