# Cloud Design Patterns > Choose and compare cloud design patterns for distributed systems. Use when reviewing architecture, selecting workload patterns, or mapping reliability, performance, messaging, security, and migration concerns to concrete design options. - Skill: `bg-szy/cloud-design-patterns` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add bg-szy/cloud-design-patterns` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/bg-szy/cloud-design-patterns/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: DevOps & Infra - Author: bg-szy (https://skillmd.com/u/bg-szy) - Updated: 2026-09-17 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/bg-szy/cloud-design-patterns --- # Cloud Design Patterns Use proven distributed-systems patterns to choose safer architectures and surface trade-offs early. - Leverage native parallel subagent dispatch and 200k+ context windows where available. ## When to Use Use symptom -> action triggers: when one matches, apply this skill and verify with the protocol below. - You are designing or reviewing a cloud or distributed-system architecture. - A workload has reliability, latency, scaling, messaging, migration, or security concerns. - You need to shortlist patterns before writing an ADR, design doc, or implementation plan. - You want a technology-agnostic pattern discussion before choosing platform services. ## Pattern Selection Workflow 1. State the main workload goal and the main constraint. 2. Identify the top concerns: reliability, performance, messaging, migration, deployment, security, or eventing. 3. Use the concern-to-pattern map below to shortlist candidates. 4. Compare trade-offs instead of looking for a single perfect pattern. 5. Document why the chosen pattern fits the workload better than the obvious alternatives. ## Concern-To-Pattern Map | Concern | Common patterns | Reference | |---------|-----------------|-----------| | reliability and fault tolerance | Bulkhead, Circuit Breaker, Retry, Health Endpoint Monitoring, Saga | [Reliability And Resilience](./references/reliability-resilience.md) | | performance and scale | Cache-Aside, CQRS, Queue-Based Load Leveling, Rate Limiting, Sharding | [Performance](./references/performance.md) | | messaging and workflow coordination | Publisher-Subscriber, Pipes and Filters, Competing Consumers, Choreography | [Messaging And Integration](./references/messaging-integration.md) | | architecture boundaries and API shape | Anti-Corruption Layer, Backends for Frontends, Gateway patterns, Sidecar, Strangler Fig | [Architecture And Design](./references/architecture-design.md) | | deployment and operations | Deployment Stamps, External Configuration Store, Geode, Static Content Hosting | [Deployment And Operational](./references/deployment-operational.md) | | security and controlled access | Federated Identity, Quarantine, Valet Key | [Security](./references/security.md) | | event sourcing and auditability | Event Sourcing | [Event-Driven](./references/event-driven.md) | ## Pattern Review Questions Ask these before locking in a pattern: - What failure mode is this pattern reducing? - What cost, complexity, or operational burden does it add? - Does the team have the observability needed to operate it? - Is the pattern local to one subsystem or does it create a cross-cutting contract? - What simpler alternative did we reject, and why? ## Anti-Patterns - Changing infrastructure before inspecting the current state: Cloud drift and hidden dependencies make blind edits risky. - Hardcoding credentials or environment assumptions: Rollouts stop being reproducible and secrets become harder to rotate. - Skipping rollback, observability, or validation planning: You only notice the missing safeguards after the deployment is already live. ## Verification Protocol Before claiming "skill applied successfully": 1. Pass/fail: The Cloud Design Patterns workflow starts from explicit success criteria, constraints, and stop conditions. 2. Pass/fail: Required evidence is collected before any completion, approval, or readiness claim. 3. Pass/fail: The next action follows the documented gate order without skipping review or verification steps. 4. Pressure-test scenario: Apply the workflow under time pressure with one failing check and one tempting shortcut. 5. Success metric: Zero rationalizations; blocked, failed, or unverified work is reported as such. ## Scripts And References - [Pattern Shortlist Helper](./scripts/pattern-shortlist.py) - [Reliability And Resilience](./references/reliability-resilience.md) - [Performance](./references/performance.md) - [Messaging And Integration](./references/messaging-integration.md) - [Architecture And Design](./references/architecture-design.md) - [Deployment And Operational](./references/deployment-operational.md) - [Security](./references/security.md) - [Event-Driven](./references/event-driven.md) - [Best Practices](./references/best-practices.md) - [Azure Service Mappings](./references/azure-service-mappings.md) ## Practical Guidance - Prefer a small pattern set that directly addresses the workload constraints. - Pair each selected pattern with explicit observability and rollback thinking. - Technology choice comes after pattern choice, not before it. - If a migration is underway, keep the transitional pattern and the target steady-state pattern separate in your notes. ## Cross-Client Portability This skill is written to stay usable across GitHub Copilot, Claude Code, and Codex. - GitHub Copilot: keep the folder in a Copilot-visible skill path or wrap the workflow in project instructions when folder discovery is unavailable. - Claude Code: keep the folder in a local skills directory or a compatible plugin source. - Codex: install or sync the folder into `$CODEX_HOME/skills/cloud-design-patterns` and restart Codex after major changes. ## MCP Availability And Fallback Preferred MCP Server: None required - Fallback prompt: "Use the Cloud Design Patterns skill without MCP. Rely on the local `SKILL.md`, bundled references or scripts, and manual verification. Show the exact commands, evidence, and final checks you used before concluding." - If the current host does not expose a matching server, use the bundled references, scripts, native toolchain, and manual workflow already described in this skill. - Treat direct local verification, rendered output, logs, tests, or screenshots as the fallback evidence path before completion. ## Related Skills - [azure-integrations](../azure-integrations/SKILL.md): Use it when the workflow also needs Azure deployment and infrastructure automation. - [powerbi-modeling](../powerbi-modeling/SKILL.md): Use it when the workflow also needs Power BI semantic model design and DAX work. - [microsoft-development](../microsoft-development/SKILL.md): Use it when the workflow also needs microsoft development guidance. - [sql-development](../sql-development/SKILL.md): Use it when the workflow also needs SQL query, schema, and performance tuning work.