Align with cloud architecture frameworks (Microsoft CAF, AWS Well-Architected). Check alignment with pillars, identify gaps.
Use this skill when you need to:
Keywords: cloud adoption framework, caf, well-architected, azure, aws, landing zone, governance, security pillar, reliability, cost optimization, sustainability
CAF provides comprehensive guidance for Azure cloud adoption through 7 methodologies:
| # | Methodology | Purpose | Key Activities |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Strategy | Define business justification | Motivations, outcomes, business case |
| 2 |
| Plan |
| Create adoption plan |
| Digital estate, skills, timeline |
| 3 | Ready | Prepare environment | Landing zones, governance baseline |
| 4 | Adopt | Migrate/innovate workloads | Migration waves, modernization |
| 5 | Govern | Manage cloud governance | Policies, compliance, cost management |
| 6 | Secure | Implement security | Zero trust, identity, data protection |
| 7 | Manage | Operate cloud estate | Monitoring, optimization, resilience |
For current CAF documentation, use the microsoft-learn MCP server:
mcp__microsoft-learn__microsoft_docs_search: "cloud adoption framework [topic]"
mcp__microsoft-learn__microsoft_docs_fetch: [specific URL]
MCP Server Requirement: This skill uses mcp__microsoft-learn__* tools for fetching current Microsoft documentation. If the microsoft-learn MCP server is not configured:
allowed-tools includes MCP tools - if unavailable, queries will failWebSearch or WebFetch to access Microsoft Learn documentation directly at https://learn.microsoft.com/azure/cloud-adoption-framework/references/caf-pillars.md file contains static CAF reference contentThe Well-Architected Framework provides guidance through 6 pillars:
| Pillar | Focus | Key Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Operational Excellence | Run and monitor systems | How do you manage workload and events? |
| Security | Protect data and systems | How do you manage identities and permissions? |
| Reliability | Recover from failures | How do you manage service failures? |
| Performance Efficiency | Use resources efficiently | How do you select appropriate resources? |
| Cost Optimization | Avoid unnecessary costs | How do you manage usage and cost? |
| Sustainability | Minimize environmental impact | How do you reduce carbon footprint? |
| Aspect | Microsoft CAF | AWS Well-Architected |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | End-to-end adoption | Workload design |
| Structure | 7 methodologies | 6 pillars |
| Focus | Journey/transformation | Design principles |
| Governance | Strong emphasis | Part of security |
| Sustainability | Part of manage | Dedicated pillar |
# Cloud Alignment Assessment: [System Name]
**Date**: YYYY-MM-DD
**Framework**: [CAF | Well-Architected | Both]
**Cloud Provider**: [Azure | AWS | Multi-cloud]
## Executive Summary
[High-level alignment status]
## Alignment Score
| Area | Status | Score |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [Pillar/Methodology 1] | [Aligned/Partial/Gap] | X/10 |
| [Pillar/Methodology 2] | [Aligned/Partial/Gap] | X/10 |
| ... | ... | ... |
## Detailed Assessment
### [Area 1]
**Status**: [Aligned | Partial | Gap]
**Current state**: [Description]
**Recommendation**: [Action]
**Priority**: [High | Medium | Low]
## Improvement Roadmap
[Prioritized list of improvements]
## References
[Links to relevant framework documentation]
Date: 2025-12-05 Model: claude-opus-4-5-20251101