A provider is a connection to a cloud resource. You can't change a thing from (for example) AWS to Azure unless you delete it from AWS. Even if you could make the change just by logging in as a different user / role, Pulumi doesn't know that.
little-cartoon-10569
08/22/2023, 11:07 PM
The provider is effectively a whole new cloud, as far as Pulumi is concerned.
r
rich-whale-93740
08/22/2023, 11:10 PM
Makes sense. Follow up question - can I force Pulumi to delete then create, instead of create then delete? This often results in failure due to naming conflict
Exactly. Generally, the default process of creating then deleting requires that you don't override Pulumi's default naming scheme, which supports this process.