Cloud & Infrastructure
Practical
By Samson Tanimawo, PhD
Published Dec 28, 2025
4 min read
AMI Bake vs Launch-Time Configuration
Bake config into the AMI or apply at launch? The trade-offs and the patterns.
Bake
Faster boots. Configuration is in the image.
Requires CI to produce AMIs. Versioning is critical.
Launch-time
Slower boots; userdata configures.
Easier iteration. Same AMI; different config per ASG.
Hybrid
Bake the slow stuff (large packages, kernel modules). Configure at launch (env vars, secrets).
Balances speed and flexibility.