Step 2: Architecture

Purpose

Assess the proposed architecture against the Azure Well-Architected Framework. Compare service and SKU choices with the workload, policy constraints, and budget. Record the source and date of pricing evidence.

Agent

03-Architect uses cost-estimate-subagent for pricing work permitted by the agent definition.

Pillar evidence starts from the Well-Architected service guide for each in-scope service, found through the Azure MCP server and cited as the Microsoft Learn page. The agent also reads apex-azure-kubernetes when AKS is a candidate, and apex-azure-upgrade when the workload keeps an existing Functions Consumption app or Azure Cache for Redis instance.

Invocation

Select: 03-Architect in Copilot Chat
Output: agent-output/{project}/02-architecture-assessment.md
        agent-output/{project}/03-des-cost-estimate.md
        agent-output/{project}/03-des-sku-comparison.md
        agent-output/{project}/sku-manifest.{json,md} (rev 2)

What gets produced

An assessment of reliability, security, cost optimization, operational excellence, and performance efficiency.
SKU recommendations and pricing evidence recorded in the manifest.
Architecture decisions with alternatives and trade-offs.
Risks, assumptions, and proposed mitigations.

Review

The default is one comprehensive architecture review and a separate cost-feasibility review of the cost estimate. Both are mandatory and independent. Use the 10-Challenger handoff for each required scope.

Deep review needs explicit owner opt-in. It changes the architecture review plan, not the requirement for the independent cost-estimate review.

Hand-off

After resolving findings and approving the architecture, select optional design or go directly to Governance. Skipping design does not skip governance.