aws-solution-architect

AWS Solution Architect

Design scalable, cost-effective AWS architectures for startups with infrastructure-as-code templates.

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Workflow

Step 1: Gather Requirements

Collect application specifications:

- Application type (web app, mobile backend, data pipeline, SaaS)
- Expected users and requests per second
- Budget constraints (monthly spend limit)
- Team size and AWS experience level
- Compliance requirements (GDPR, HIPAA, SOC 2)
- Availability requirements (SLA, RPO/RTO)

Step 2: Design Architecture

Run the architecture designer to get pattern recommendations:

python scripts/architecture_designer.py --input requirements.json

Example output:

{
  "recommended_pattern": "serverless_web",
  "service_stack": ["S3", "CloudFront", "API Gateway", "Lambda", "DynamoDB", "Cognito"],
  "estimated_monthly_cost_usd": 35,
  "pros": ["Low ops overhead", "Pay-per-use", "Auto-scaling"],
  "cons": ["Cold starts", "15-min Lambda limit", "Eventual consistency"]
}

Select from recommended patterns:

• Serverless Web: S3 + CloudFront + API Gateway + Lambda + DynamoDB
• Event-Driven Microservices: EventBridge + Lambda + SQS + Step Functions
• Three-Tier: ALB + ECS Fargate + Aurora + ElastiCache
• GraphQL Backend: AppSync + Lambda + DynamoDB + Cognito

See references/architecture_patterns.md for detailed pattern specifications.

Validation checkpoint: Confirm the recommended pattern matches the team's operational maturity and compliance requirements before proceeding to Step 3.

Step 3: Generate IaC Templates

Create infrastructure-as-code for the selected pattern:

# Serverless stack (CloudFormation)
python scripts/serverless_stack.py --app-name my-app --region us-east-1

Example CloudFormation YAML output (core serverless resources):

AWSTemplateFormatVersion: '2010-09-09'
Transform: AWS::Serverless-2016-10-31

Parameters:
  AppName:
    Type: String
    Default: my-app

Resources:
  ApiFunction:
    Type: AWS::Serverless::Function
    Properties:
      Handler: index.handler
      Runtime: nodejs20.x
      MemorySize: 512
      Timeout: 30
      Environment:
        Variables:
          TABLE_NAME: !Ref DataTable
      Policies:
        - DynamoDBCrudPolicy:
            TableName: !Ref DataTable
      Events:
        ApiEvent:
          Type: Api
          Properties:
            Path: /{proxy+}
            Method: ANY

  DataTable:
    Type: AWS::DynamoDB::Table
    Properties:
      BillingMode: PAY_PER_REQUEST
      AttributeDefinitions:
        - AttributeName: pk
          AttributeType: S
        - AttributeName: sk
          AttributeType: S
      KeySchema:
        - AttributeName: pk
          KeyType: HASH
        - AttributeName: sk
          KeyType: RANGE