
In this tutorial, after Packer builds the machine, the post-processor task exports it to automatically create Vagrant boxes. The post-processor task in Packer exports a built machine to various platforms. The creation of Vagrant boxes is where Packer and Vagrant intersect, by way of a post-processor task. In DevOps environments, application updates come rapidly from developers, an approach that requires an easily created and managed test environment for configuration changes before they hit live servers. Vagrant boxes are useful as replicas of production systems for testing and prototyping purposes. Vagrant manages virtualized environments, mainly with testing rather than production systems.

Packer creates a single, coded configuration of a machine build that runs on various platforms, such as a server on AWS or on Microsoft Azure.
