What does CloudFormation allow you to do?

CloudFormation is a service that enables users to automate the creation and management of AWS resources through the use of templates. These templates are written in JSON or YAML and define the infrastructure for applications in a declarative way. By using CloudFormation, you can provision and configure multiple resources in a single, coordinated operation, thus streamlining the deployment process and reducing the potential for human error.

The core functionality of CloudFormation is focused on infrastructure as code, allowing teams to maintain version control of their resource configurations and facilitate easy replication of environments. This means that developers and system administrators can efficiently replicate their infrastructure across different environments (such as development, testing, and production) by simply using the predefined templates.

While other options suggest important capabilities in the cloud ecosystem—such as secure data storage, cost optimization, and performance monitoring—they pertain to different services or functionalities within AWS and do not directly relate to what CloudFormation specifically allows you to accomplish.