---
title: Stack management
url: /docs/iac/operations/stack-management/
---
These pages cover the day-to-day operations of running Pulumi stacks: scoping updates to specific resources, previewing changes before they apply, safely editing state when recovery is needed, and configuring a self-managed state backend.

## Pages

**[Targeted updates](/docs/iac/operations/stack-management/targeted-updates/)** - Limit which resources Pulumi operates on with `--target`, `--exclude`, and `--target-replace`. Learn the trade-offs of partial operations and when to use them.

**[Update plans](/docs/iac/operations/stack-management/update-plans/)** - Preview and review infrastructure changes before applying them. Update plans help you catch unintended modifications and coordinate changes across teams.

**[Editing state files](/docs/iac/operations/stack-management/editing-state-files/)** - Safe techniques for modifying Pulumi state when normal operations can't recover. Use sparingly and always back up state first.

**[Using a DIY backend](/docs/iac/operations/stack-management/using-a-diy-backend/)** - Configure a self-managed state backend with AWS S3, Azure Blob Storage, Google Cloud Storage, PostgreSQL, or the local filesystem.