Azure Architecture Patterns

Well-Architected Framework principles and Azure best practices

fabioc-aloha Updated Sep 21, 2026

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Azure Architecture Patterns

Well-Architected Framework principles, reference architectures, and Azure best practices.

The Five Pillars

Pillar	Focus	Key Question
Reliability	Resiliency, availability	Will it stay up?
Security	Protection, compliance	Is it safe?
Cost Optimization	Efficiency, value	Is it worth it?
Operational Excellence	Manageability, observability	Can we run it?
Performance Efficiency	Scalability, responsiveness	Is it fast enough?

Reliability Patterns

Key Patterns

Circuit Breaker: Fail fast when downstream unhealthy (Polly)
Retry with Backoff: Handle transient failures with exponential delays
Availability Zones: Distribute across datacenters

Reliability Checklist

Single points of failure identified and mitigated
Health endpoints implemented (/health, /ready)
Retry policies with backoff
Circuit breakers for external dependencies
Availability zones utilized
RTO/RPO defined and tested

Security Patterns

Zero Trust

Principle	Implementation
Verify explicitly	Always authenticate/authorize
Least privilege	Minimal necessary permissions
Assume breach	Segment, encrypt, detect

Identity

Managed Identity: Eliminate credential management
RBAC: Built-in roles, scope to resource group, use groups

Network

Private Endpoints: Keep traffic on Azure backbone
NSG: Default deny, explicit allow (priority 100-4096)

Security Checklist

Managed identities (no stored credentials)
Key Vault for secrets/certificates
Private endpoints for PaaS services
NSG rules deny-by-default
TLS 1.2+ enforced
Microsoft Defender enabled

Cost Optimization

Strategy	Impact
Right-size	Match SKU to workload
Reserved Instances	40-72% savings
Spot VMs	90% discount (interruptible)
Auto-shutdown	Dev/test off at night
Serverless	Pay per execution

Compute Selection

Workload	Recommended
Steady-state web	App Service Premium
Event-driven	Azure Functions
Batch processing	Container Apps + KEDA
Big compute	Spot VMs + Batch
Dev/test	B-series VMs

Storage Tiers

Tier	Use Case	Cost
Hot	Frequent access	~$0.02/GB
Cool	Infrequent (30+ days)	~$0.01/GB
Archive	Rarely accessed	~$0.002/GB

Cost Checklist

Azure Advisor recommendations reviewed
Reserved Instances for predictable workloads
Auto-shutdown for non-prod
Right-sized based on utilization
Storage lifecycle policies
Cost alerts and budgets set

Operational Excellence

IaC Tools

Tool	Best For
Bicep	Azure-native, declarative
Terraform	Multi-cloud, state management
ARM	Legacy (avoid for new)

Observability Stack

Layer	Service
Logs	Log Analytics
Metrics	Azure Monitor
Traces	Application Insights
Alerts	Azure Alerts
Dashboards	Azure Workbooks

Operational Checklist

IaC for all resources (Bicep/Terraform)
CI/CD pipelines for deployment
Diagnostic settings to Log Analytics
Application Insights integrated
Alerts for critical metrics

Performance Efficiency

Scalability

Service	Mechanism
App Service	Autoscale rules
Azure Functions	Event-driven automatic
AKS	HPA + Cluster Autoscaler
VMSS	Autoscale rules

Caching Strategy

Type	Use Case	Service
CDN	Static content	Azure Front Door
Distributed	Session, computed	Redis Cache
Local	Hot data	In-memory

Performance Checklist

Autoscaling configured and tested
CDN for static content
Redis cache for hot data
Database indexes reviewed
Load testing completed

Reference Architectures

Web Application

Internet → Front Door → App Service → Azure SQL + Redis

Microservices

Internet → API Management → AKS → Cosmos DB + Service Bus

Serverless

Events → Event Grid → Functions → Cosmos DB + Storage

SKU Selection

Series	Use Case
B-series	Dev/test (burstable)
D-series	Most production
E-series	Memory-optimized
F-series	Compute-optimized

Anti-Patterns

Anti-Pattern	Fix
Monolithic deployment	Microservices or modular
Hardcoded config	App Configuration, Key Vault
Single region	Multi-region + Traffic Manager
Over-provisioned	Right-size + autoscale
No IaC	Bicep/Terraform everything

MCP Tools Available

Tool	Use Case
`mcp_azure_mcp_cloudarchitect`	Interactive architecture design
`mcp_azure_mcp_documentation`	Search Azure docs
`mcp_azure_mcp_get_bestpractices`	Code gen, deployment patterns
Service-specific tools	AKS, App Service, Functions, Cosmos, SQL

---name: azure-architecture-patterns-3description: Well-Architected Framework principles and Azure best practices---# Azure Architecture Patterns> Well-Architected Framework principles, reference architectures, and Azure best practices.## The Five Pillars| Pillar | Focus | Key Question ||--------|-------|--------------|| Reliability | Resiliency, availability | Will it stay up? || Security | Protection, compliance | Is it safe? || Cost Optimization | Efficiency, value | Is it worth it? || Operational Excellence | Manageability, observability | Can we run it? || Performance Efficiency | Scalability, responsiveness | Is it fast enough? |## Reliability Patterns### Key Patterns- **Circuit Breaker**: Fail fast when downstream unhealthy (Polly)- **Retry with Backoff**: Handle transient failures with exponential delays- **Availability Zones**: Distribute across datacenters### Reliability Checklist- [ ] Single points of failure identified and mitigated- [ ] Health endpoints implemented (`/health`, `/ready`)- [ ] Retry policies with backoff- [ ] Circuit breakers for external dependencies- [ ] Availability zones utilized- [ ] RTO/RPO defined and tested## Security Patterns### Zero Trust| Principle | Implementation ||-----------|----------------|| Verify explicitly | Always authenticate/authorize || Least privilege | Minimal necessary permissions || Assume breach | Segment, encrypt, detect |### Identity- **Managed Identity**: Eliminate credential management- **RBAC**: Built-in roles, scope to resource group, use groups### Network- **Private Endpoints**: Keep traffic on Azure backbone- **NSG**: Default deny, explicit allow (priority 100-4096)### Security Checklist- [ ] Managed identities (no stored credentials)- [ ] Key Vault for secrets/certificates- [ ] Private endpoints for PaaS services- [ ] NSG rules deny-by-default- [ ] TLS 1.2+ enforced- [ ] Microsoft Defender enabled## Cost Optimization| Strategy | Impact ||----------|--------|| Right-size | Match SKU to workload || Reserved Instances | 40-72% savings || Spot VMs | 90% discount (interruptible) || Auto-shutdown | Dev/test off at night || Serverless | Pay per execution |### Compute Selection| Workload | Recommended ||----------|-------------|| Steady-state web | App Service Premium || Event-driven | Azure Functions || Batch processing | Container Apps + KEDA || Big compute | Spot VMs + Batch || Dev/test | B-series VMs |### Storage Tiers| Tier | Use Case | Cost ||------|----------|------|| Hot | Frequent access | ~$0.02/GB || Cool | Infrequent (30+ days) | ~$0.01/GB || Archive | Rarely accessed | ~$0.002/GB |### Cost Checklist- [ ] Azure Advisor recommendations reviewed- [ ] Reserved Instances for predictable workloads- [ ] Auto-shutdown for non-prod- [ ] Right-sized based on utilization- [ ] Storage lifecycle policies- [ ] Cost alerts and budgets set## Operational Excellence### IaC Tools| Tool | Best For ||------|----------|| Bicep | Azure-native, declarative || Terraform | Multi-cloud, state management || ARM | Legacy (avoid for new) |### Observability Stack| Layer | Service ||-------|---------|| Logs | Log Analytics || Metrics | Azure Monitor || Traces | Application Insights || Alerts | Azure Alerts || Dashboards | Azure Workbooks |### Operational Checklist- [ ] IaC for all resources (Bicep/Terraform)- [ ] CI/CD pipelines for deployment- [ ] Diagnostic settings to Log Analytics- [ ] Application Insights integrated- [ ] Alerts for critical metrics## Performance Efficiency### Scalability| Service | Mechanism ||---------|-----------|| App Service | Autoscale rules || Azure Functions | Event-driven automatic || AKS | HPA + Cluster Autoscaler || VMSS | Autoscale rules |### Caching Strategy| Type | Use Case | Service ||------|----------|---------|| CDN | Static content | Azure Front Door || Distributed | Session, computed | Redis Cache || Local | Hot data | In-memory |### Performance Checklist- [ ] Autoscaling configured and tested- [ ] CDN for static content- [ ] Redis cache for hot data- [ ] Database indexes reviewed- [ ] Load testing completed## Reference Architectures### Web Application```Internet → Front Door → App Service → Azure SQL + Redis```### Microservices```Internet → API Management → AKS → Cosmos DB + Service Bus```### Serverless```Events → Event Grid → Functions → Cosmos DB + Storage```## SKU Selection| Series | Use Case ||--------|----------|| B-series | Dev/test (burstable) || D-series | Most production || E-series | Memory-optimized || F-series | Compute-optimized |## Anti-Patterns| Anti-Pattern | Fix ||--------------|-----|| Monolithic deployment | Microservices or modular || Hardcoded config | App Configuration, Key Vault || Single region | Multi-region + Traffic Manager || Over-provisioned | Right-size + autoscale || No IaC | Bicep/Terraform everything |## MCP Tools Available| Tool | Use Case ||------|----------|| `mcp_azure_mcp_cloudarchitect` | Interactive architecture design || `mcp_azure_mcp_documentation` | Search Azure docs || `mcp_azure_mcp_get_bestpractices` | Code gen, deployment patterns || Service-specific tools | AKS, App Service, Functions, Cosmos, SQL |

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