Create a target

A target is the cloud account and region formae works in. You need at least one before you can deploy resources or discover what is already there, so it is usually the first thing you set up. formae learns about a target when you declare it in a forma and apply it. A target is just another thing you describe in code, registered the moment you apply.

Before you start: the formae agent needs credentials for the account you are targeting, and you need a formae project (a PklProject with the schema dependencies). Starting fresh? Run formae project init, or follow Write your first forma.

CLI
AI assistants

Declare the target

A target lives in a forma, with a label and a provider config. Each cloud has its own config type, so pick yours:

AWS
Azure
GCP

amends "@formae/forma.pkl"
import "@formae/formae.pkl"
import "@aws/aws.pkl"

forma {
  new formae.Target {
    label = "prod-us-west-2"
    config = new aws.Config {
      region = "us-west-2"
    }
  }
}

amends "@formae/forma.pkl"
import "@formae/formae.pkl"
import "@azure/azure.pkl"

forma {
  new formae.Target {
    label = "prod-azure"
    config = new azure.Config {
      subscriptionId = "your-subscription-id"
    }
  }
}

amends "@formae/forma.pkl"
import "@formae/formae.pkl"
import "@gcp/gcp.pkl"

forma {
  new formae.Target {
    label = "prod-gcp"
    config = new gcp.Config {
      project = "your-project-id"
      region = "us-central1"
    }
  }
}

The label is how you refer to the target from resources and on the CLI; config carries the provider settings. Targets are discoverable by default, which is what lets formae scan them for existing resources. Add discoverable = false to make a target deploy-only.

Apply it

formae apply --mode reconcile target.pkl

formae shows the plan and asks you to confirm:

  formae apply · reconcile                                                                        target.pkl
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
  + 1 create

  ▌ Targets
  Operation ▲   Label
  + create      prod-us-west-2

────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
  ↑↓: select  space: expand  →←: column  s: sort  y: confirm  q: abort This operation will create 1
target(s).  Do you want to continue? (y/N)  ?: help

On confirmation it registers the target. No cloud resources are created: a target is a destination, not infrastructure. Because it is discoverable, formae also starts scanning the account for resources you can later bring under management.

Verify

formae inventory targets

Your new target appears in the list:

  formae inventory
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
                ╭───────────╮
  1 Resources   │ 2 Targets │   3 Stacks    4 Policies
────────────────╯           ╰───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

Label ▲                   Namespace              Discoverable    Config
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
prod-us-west-2            AWS                    yes             Region: us-west-2, Type: AWS

Showing 1 of 1 targets
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
  /: query
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
  ↑↓/j/k: navigate  enter: detail  /: search  s: sort  r: refresh  1-4: tab  q: quit                           ?: help

Filter if you have many:

formae inventory targets --query="discoverable:true"

With the formae MCP plugin connected, you describe the target you want and let the assistant write and apply the forma:

Conversation

You

Set up an AWS target in us-west-2.

Assistant

I’ll add a target prod-us-west-2 for AWS us-west-2 and simulate first: it creates one target, discoverable, and no cloud resources. Because it’s discoverable, formae will then scan us-west-2 for existing resources. Apply it?

You

Yes.

Assistant

Done. prod-us-west-2 is registered and discoverable, and discovery is scanning it now. Once it finishes I can show you what’s there to bring under management.

The assistant writes the same forma you would by hand, simulates it, and applies on your confirmation. Ask it to make a target deploy-only (discoverable = false) or to add more regions in one go.

Get started

Guides

Concepts

Reference

Create a target

See also

​See also

See also