The Well-Architected Architect

Pillar	Core Goal
Reliability	Stay available & recover fast
Security	Protect identities, data & workloads
Cost Optimization	Maximize business value per dollar
Operational Excellence	Efficient operations & rapid improvement
Performance Efficiency	Right-size & scale on demand

Metric	Target	Lever
Request Success Rate	≥ 99.9% (align to SLO)	Progressive delivery + health probes + fast rollback
Error Budget Burn	< 20% cycle	SLO review + hardening
MTTR	↓ trend	Auto diagnostics + rollback
Restore Drill Success	≥ 99%	Timed restore exercises

Level	Current	Next Shift	Accelerator
1 Ad Hoc	Manual restarts; unknown backup validity	Define & test RTO/RPO	Scope + first timed restore
2 Baseline	Documented failover path	Probes + scheduled restore drills	Drill cadence
3 Structured	Runbooks + starter chaos	SLO + error budget govern releases	Chaos on critical flows
4 Proactive	Auto failover + health model	Timed restore KPIs + broaden chaos	CI failover test
5 Adaptive	Continuous resilience engineering	Predictive scale + self-heal loops	Predictive scaling + self-heal scripts

Metric	Target	Lever
Secure Score	> 80%	Prioritized remediation
MFA Coverage	100%	Conditional Access policies
Vuln MTTR	< 14 days	Patch automation

Level	Focus (Condensed)	Key Shift	Accelerator
1 Core	Hygiene (MFA, patch, secrets)	Enforce MFA & baseline hardening	MFA + secret externalization
2 Expanded	Segmentation & posture	Secure Score backlog	Segmentation + Secure Score
3 Threat-Informed	Threat modeling + IR	Central logging & triage	Threat modeling + IR runbooks
4 Adaptive	Automated response & risk-based access	SOAR workflow automation	SOAR + risk-based policies
5 Advanced	Continuous simulation & ML detection	Zero Trust + least privilege by design	Continuous simulation (red/purple)

Metric	Target	Lever
Idle Spend	< 5%	Decommission & schedules
Commitment Coverage	> 70%	Rightsize + purchase planning
Unit Cost	↓ QoQ	Performance + elasticity

Level	Focus (Condensed)	Key Shift	Accelerator
1 Ownership	Tags + visibility	Assign DRI & shared transparency	Tag policy + cost DRI
2 Visibility	Cost model + alerts	Formalize reports & baseline drivers	Cost model + budget alerts
3 Signals	Usage & flow analysis	Guardrails + anomaly triage cadence	Anomaly triage cadence
4 Prod Insights	Rightsizing & demand shaping	Autoscale tuning + lifecycle policies	Demand shaping + rightsizing loops
5 Optimize @ Scale	Predictive + unit economics	Forecast accuracy + DR cost optimization	Forecast accuracy + DR cost review

Metric	Target	Lever
Deploy Frequency	Daily+	Small batches + automation
Change Failure Rate	< 15%	Progressive rollout + tests
MTTR	< 1h Sev2	Runbooks + observability

Level	Focus (Condensed)	Key Shift	Accelerator
1 Foundation	DevOps culture + basic CI	Shared vocab & source control norms	Shared on-call + IaC adoption
2 Standardize	Roles, IaC, core processes	Off-the-shelf tooling & baseline automation	Standardized pipelines + roles
3 Release Ready	Env + gated pipelines	Health model + incident workflow	Health model + incident taxonomy
4 Production Ops	SLO dashboards + progressive delivery	Runbook automation & retros to ADRs	Auto-remediation + retro loop
5 Adaptable	Continuous modernization	Self-service envs & pervasive automation	Self-service env + friction audits

Metric	Target	Lever
P95 Latency	SLO met	Caching + profiling
Cache Hit Ratio	> 85%	Key design + eviction
Autoscale Reaction	< 5 min	Threshold tuning

Level	Focus (Condensed)	Key Shift	Accelerator
1 Targets	Initial SLOs & component fit	Capture perf expectations early	SLO draft + rough capacity estimate
2 Baseline Metrics	Instrument & capacity plan	Critical flow metrics & baselines	Perf baselines + hot path mapping
3 Signal Driven	Real user + synthetic insights	Hot path tuning + data-driven refactors	Profiling + targeted caching/sharding
4 Prod Optimization	Isolation & advanced data mgmt	Perf gates in delivery pipeline	Perf gates in CI/CD + isolation
5 Continuous Tuning	Experimentation & automation	Hypothesis-driven improvements	Hypothesis experiments + predictive scale

Lever	Primary Pillars Impacted	Core Benefit
Global edge + health routing	Reliability, Performance	Faster failover & lower latency at scale
Strong identity + least privilege	Security, Operational Excellence	Reduced blast radius & clearer access governance
Observability spine (logs, metrics, traces)	All Pillars	Unified signals accelerate detection, tuning, and learning
Autoscale + lightweight architecture	Performance, Cost, Reliability	Elastic capacity without chronic overprovisioning
Policy & automation guardrails	Security, Cost, Operational Excellence	Consistent compliance & reduced manual toil

Tension Pair	Competing Forces	Friction Signal	Primary Mitigation Lens
Performance vs Security	Latency vs inspection depth	Rising auth / inspection latency	Edge offload + scoped deep inspection
Reliability vs Cost	Redundancy vs spend efficiency	Escalating standby cost	Tiered criticality + right-sized DR
Velocity vs Stability	Change frequency vs failure risk	Spike in change failure rate	Progressive delivery + automated rollback
Cost vs Performance	Budget guardrails vs headroom	Reactive scaling / throttling	Autoscale + load test baselines
Security vs Operability	Tight control vs engineer throughput	Privilege escalation toil	JIT least privilege + workflow automation

Optimize For	Potential Impact On	Example Tension	Mitigation Strategy
Extreme Reliability	Cost Optimization	Active-active multi-region cost ↑	Tiered criticality; pilot light for non-critical
Strict Security Controls	Performance Efficiency	Added latency from deep inspection	Offload with Azure Front Door WAF / caching
Lowest Possible Cost	Reliability / Performance	Under-provisioned resources	Autoscale + performance SLO guardrails
Max Performance	Cost Optimization	Over-provisioning high SKU	Right-size via load test baselines + scheduled reviews
Rapid Deployment Velocity	Security / Stability	Increased change failure risk	Shift-left scans + progressive delivery

Level	Trait	Focus
1 Ad Hoc	Reactive, inconsistent	Baseline inventory & metrics
2 Emerging	Initial standards appear	Define SLOs & security baselines
3 Defined	Repeatable + dashboards	Tighten feedback loops
4 Managed	Data-driven & proactive	Optimize cost & performance SLIs
5 Optimizing	Resilience engineering	Predictive automation

Context	Drivers	Constraints
New patient records platform handling PHI	Compliance, confidentiality, clinician availability	Must satisfy regulatory & audit controls early

Opt	Ordering	Rationale (1-line)
A	Cost → Performance → Security → Reliability	Security debt & compliance risk early
B	Security → Reliability → Performance → Cost	Protect data & uptime; optimize later
C	Performance → Reliability → Security → Cost	Perf before protection = exposure window
D	Reliability → Cost → Performance → Security	Security controls arrive too late

Context	Drivers	Constraints
E-commerce rebuild expecting 10x traffic surge	Scale readiness, low latency, checkout continuity	Limited rehearsal windows pre-event

Option	Approach	Assessment
A	Single region + basic monitoring	High outage blast radius; no failover
B	Active-passive + autoscale	Balanced resilience + cost; warm standby
C	Active-active + predictive scale	Highest cost / complexity; may be overkill initially
D	Pure serverless minimal planning	Cold start & latency variability under sustained load

Context	Drivers	Constraints
Nightly monolithic batch system	Need faster cycles, partial near-real-time flows	Limited refactor budget this quarter

Option	Path	Assessment
A	Lift-and-shift VMs	Preserves toil; no structural gains
B	Full microservices + events	Premature fragmentation risk
C	Replatform to managed services	Gains ops + scalability; incremental evolution
D	Full rebuild w/ AI/ML	High risk + delayed value

Context	Drivers	Constraints
Seed-stage app seeking product-market fit	Speed of iteration, cost discipline	Uncertain growth trajectory

Option	Strategy	Assessment
A	Heavy upfront security/compliance	Slows learning; misaligned with current risk profile
B	MVP + incremental hardening	Fast feedback, layered maturity
C	Immediate multi-region deployment	Cost burn + operational overhead
D	Heavy early ops automation	Automates unknowns; wasted effort

### 🎯 **Collaboration Artifacts** - Architecture review boards - Design thinking workshops - Failure scenario planning - Cost optimization sessions -

Removed missing image: img/roi-chart.png (not found). Consider adding a local chart image or keep text KPIs only.

Risks: L1 False recoverability; L2 Late backup corruption detection; L3 Hidden SPOF; L4 Design vs reality drift; L5 Slow novel failure detection.

Outcome: lower dwell time & blast radius with reduced analyst toil. Risks if Ignored (by Level): 1: Credential stuffing / leaked keys 2: Flat trust zones expand blast radius 3: Slow breach containment 4: Analyst fatigue / alert backlog 5: Control regressions undetected

Treat cost like a performance metric: observable, owned, iterated Cost Risks if Ignored (by Level): 1: Unattributed spend growth 2: Surprise overruns / reactive cuts 3: Persistent waste in idle flows 4: Scaling costs outpace revenue 5: Overpaying for unused resilience Aim for unit economics clarity before advanced forecasting automation.

Operational Excellence Risks if Ignored (by Level): 1: Tribal ops knowledge silos 2: Inconsistent release quality 3: Alert noise & unclear severity 4: Repeating incidents / slow MTTR gains 5: Innovation slowdown / shadow ops Reliability & velocity converge when feedback loops are automated and trusted.

Outcome: Sustained latency control & scalable performance via automated, hypothesis-driven tuning loops. Performance Efficiency Risks if Ignored (by Level): 1: Over/under provision early tiers 2: Blind to regressions / tail spikes 3: Chasing symptoms not causes 4: Latency creep enters production 5: Plateau after easy wins

Previous bullet list version retained for reference: Global edge + health routing; Strong identity + least privilege; Observability spine (logs, metrics, traces); Autoscale + lightweight architecture; Policy & automation as guardrails. Guiding Principle: One design decision, multi-pillar benefit.

Original trade-offs block preserved for rollback: # Trade-Offs (empty slide) # Key Well-Architected Framework Trade-Offs (two-column layout: Performance vs Security, Reliability vs Cost) -- End original block

Answer: B. Notes: Establish identity hardening, encryption, audit logging before tuning performance / cost. Original verbose table preserved in VCS history.

> Aim for right-sized resilience with rehearsal capability (Answer: B; C may be evolution path if sustained global demand proves out).

Facilitator Notes: Highlight rehearsal (chaos / load) and autoscale thresholds; discuss progression B → C if error budgets stress.

> Prioritize platform leverage + incremental decomposition (Answer: C).

Facilitator Notes: Map quick wins: managed DB, queue, scheduler; carve out hotspots post replatform KPI baseline.

> Optimize for validated learning; mature controls as risk & scale increase (Answer: B).

Facilitator Notes: Introduce maturity runway: baseline hygiene → observability → scaling → advanced security & multi-region.

Needed for mermaid

The Well-Architected Architect

Modernizing Cloud Excellence

Chris Ayers

Chris Ayers

Agenda

Solution Architecture Fundamentals

7 Principles for Cloud Excellence

Strategic

Operational

Collaborative

Architecture Fundamentals - Core Role Focus

Architecture Fundamentals - Decision Framework

Keys

Architecture Fundamentals - Pattern & Forward Thinking

Patterns

Forward Scan

Architecture Fundamentals - Supportability & Collaboration

Supportability

Collaboration

Architecture Fundamentals - Method & Improvement

Toolkit

Loop

1. Decision-Making Framework

Architecture Decision Records

Key Elements

2. Master Cloud Design Patterns

Reliability Patterns

Performance Patterns

Security Patterns

Modern Patterns

3. Forward-Thinking Design

Anticipate Change

Embrace Innovation

Avoid Design Cliffs

4. Design for Supportability

Observable by Default

Every service includes

Support-Friendly

5. Continuous Skill Enhancement

Learning Paths

Hands-On Practice

AI-Augmented Skills

Community

6. Collaboration Excellence

Key Partnerships

Internal Teams

External Experts

7. Methodical Design Approach

Structure Brings Success

Essential Tools

Microsoft Azure Well-Architected Framework

Microsoft Azure Well-Architected Framework Goals

Business Impact: Real Numbers

Proven ROI & Outcomes

Framework Benefits

Azure Well-Architected Framework Overview

Reliability Pillar

Reliability - Principles

Reliability - Practices

Reliability - Key Metrics

Reliability - Architecture Example

Reliability - Maturity Progression

Reliability - At a Glance

Security Pillar

Security - Principles

Security - Practices & Patterns

Security - Key Metrics

Security - Architecture Example

Security Maturity (Progression + Accelerators)

Security - At a Glance

Cost Optimization Pillar

Cost Optimization - Principles

Cost Optimization - Practices & Governance

Cost Optimization - Key Metrics

Cost Optimization - Architecture Example

Cost Optimization Maturity Progression

Cost Optimization - At a Glance

Operational Excellence Pillar

Operational Excellence - Principles

Operational Excellence - Practices & Automation