Pulumi is an infrastructure-as-code framework that enables the definition, deployment, and management of cloud resources using general-purpose programming languages. It functions as a cloud resource orchestrator that coordinates the lifecycle of heterogeneous infrastructure by executing code to construct dependency graphs and reconciling the desired state against actual cloud environments.
The platform distinguishes itself through a language-host runtime bridge that allows developers to use standard programming languages to define infrastructure, rather than relying solely on domain-specific configuration formats. It utilizes a provider-based plugin architecture to interface with cloud APIs and incorporates a policy-as-code engine that validates infrastructure definitions against security and compliance rules during the deployment preview phase.
The project covers a broad capability surface including multi-cloud orchestration, automated state management, and drift detection. It supports complex deployment workflows through stack-based environment isolation, programmatic secret injection, and integration with continuous delivery pipelines. These features allow for the governance of infrastructure across diverse environments while maintaining consistency through version-controlled code.
The platform provides extensive documentation and a command-line interface to facilitate project initialization, infrastructure import, and deployment monitoring. It supports a wide range of cloud providers and container orchestration platforms, enabling teams to build self-service infrastructure portals and automate resource provisioning through standardized, reusable components.