In a DevOps environment there is a requirement to start building application solutions in an...

Templates are reusable files that contain predefined content, logic, and parameters for creating or deploying cloud resources and services1. Templates can help DevOps engineers to start building application solutions in an efficient manner without any dependent components, as they can automate and standardize the provisioning and configuration of the cloud environment2. Templates can also enable faster and more consistent delivery of applications, as they can reduce errors, improve quality, and facilitate collaboration and integration3. Templates can be written in various languages and formats, such as JSON, YAML, XML, or PowerShell, depending on the cloud provider and platform. For example, Azure Resource Manager templates, AWS CloudFormation templates, and Google Cloud Deployment Manager templates are some of the common types of templates used for building cloud applications .

Building the applications in QA, and then enabling resource tagging, is not a valid option, as resource tagging is a feature that allows users to assign metadata to cloud resources, such as name, purpose, owner, or cost center, to facilitate management, monitoring, and billing. Resource tagging does not help to build application solutions without any dependent components, nor does it automate or standardize the cloud environment.

Building the applications in QA, and then cloning and deploying them in production, is not a valid option, as cloning is a process of creating an exact copy of a cloud resource or service, such as a virtual machine, a database, or a storage account. Cloning does not help to build application solutions without any dependent components, nor does it automate or standardize the cloud environment. Cloning may also introduce security and compliance risks, as the cloned resources may contain sensitive or confidential data that need to be protected or removed.

Using templates and enabling auto-scaling, is not a valid option, as auto-scaling is a feature that allows cloud resources and services to automatically adjust their capacity and performance based on the changes in demand or workload. Auto-scaling does not help to build application solutions without any dependent components, nor does it automate or standardize the cloud environment. Auto-scaling is mainly used to optimize the resource utilization and cost efficiency of the cloud applications, as well as to improve their availability and reliability.