Summary

Designing a solution requires different approaches. This chapter went through the basics of the design stages and why each of them matters.

The first stage goes through analyzing the problem the design aims to solve, while at the same time asking the right questions. This will help define the actual requirements and narrow the scope to the real business needs. Working with the initial problem statement will impose problems further down the road, making this stage extremely important, as it will prevent unnecessarily going back and forth.

Then, we considered the possible paths or solutions we can take to solve the already defined problem. With the right questions asked in the previous stage, we should be able to construct several options for the customer to select, and can later implement a POC. POCs help both customers and architects understand how the solution will behave in an actual working environment. Normally, POCs are scaled-down versions of the final solution, making implementation and testing more agile.

Finally, the implementation stage deals with the actual configuration and hands-on aspects of the project. Based on the findings during the POC, changes can be made to accommodate the specifics of each infrastructure. Documentation delivered through this stage will help align parties to ensure that the solution is implemented as expected.

In the next chapter, we will jump into solving a problem that affects every type of implementation, regardless of cloud provider, software, or design, showing the necessity of high-performance redundant storage.