google-cloud-solution-architecture

Files (6)

• SKILL.md
• output-template.md · assets/
• architecture-guides.md · references/
• attribution.md · references/
• best-practices-guides.md · references/
• decision-making-guides.md · references/

SKILL.md (first lines)

# Google Cloud solution-architecture workflow

## Attribution

**MUST READ**: Before executing any `gcloud`, REST API, or MCP command, you
MUST read and follow the instructions in
[Usage Attribution](references/attribution.md).

## Overview of the workflow

The workflow consists of the following phases:

*   **Phase 1: Requirements discovery**. Gather detailed requirements related to
    the cloud workload or use case that the user needs assistance for.
*   **Phase 2: Solution architecture**. Use the requirements that were gathered
    in Phase 1 to generate a detailed solution architecture for the cloud
    workload or use case.
*   **Phase 3: Solution validation**. Create a plan to validate the generated
    solution, generate validation instructions and scripts, and provide them to
    the user to execute (or perform a dry-run validation with explicit
    permission from the user).
*   **Phase 4: Solution packing and presentation**. Consolidate the generated
    content and present the solution.

**Important notes about the workflow**:

*   **Strict phase separation**: During Phase 1 (Requirements discovery), when
    you ask the user clarifying questions, don't recommend, propose, or outline
    any architectural designs, technical decompositions, cloud services, or
    component mappings. Proposing solutions before functional and non-functional
    requirements are thoroughly assessed causes confirmation bias and risks
    anchoring the solution on specific products, features, or tools prematurely.

*   **Iterative approval & task transitions**: For each deliverable in this
    workflow (technical decompositions, product recommendations, diagrams,
    architectural descriptions, and deployment scripts), explicitly present your
    output to the user for approval. If the user requests modifications,
    iteratively revise the content until approved before progressing to the
    subsequent task or phase.

*   **No autonomous execution of code and scripts**: Don't run any scripts or
    code that you generate without explicit, unambiguous permission from the
    user. Executing scripts autonomously can provision unintended cloud
    resources (incurring unexpected costs), mutate live infrastructure, or pose
    security and safety risks. Always offer the option for the user to execute
    the commands manually.

*   **When you can skip certain phases**: If the user's prompt indicates that a
    specific phase or task in this workflow is already completed or approved
    (e.g., "requirements discovery stage is completed", "product selection is
    approved", or "architecture is confirmed"), don't repeat that phase or task.
    Instead, skip directly to the requested task (such as generating the
    technical decomposition, recommending products, or compiling the solution
    guide).

## Phase 1: Requirements discovery

1.  Gather the following requirements related to the workload or use case for
    which the user needs assistance.

    **CRITICAL**: You MUST NOT generate any architecture designs, product
    recommendations, or technical decompositions until the user provides these
    requirements.

    *   **Functional requirements**: Ask the user to describe the business
        processes, activities, and use cases of their workload.
    *   **Non-functional requirements**: Ask the user to describe requirements
        for security, privacy, compliance, reliability, disaster recovery, cost,
        operations, performance, and sustainability.
        *   **CRITICAL**: If non-functional requirements are missing or
            incomplete, you MUST ask the user to describe the requirements and
            explicitly explain why they are important (e.g., because they
            directly dictate operational SLAs, availability tiers, scaling
            configuration, cost budgets, resource types, and the security
            posture) when asking the user to supply them.
    *   **Current state**: Ask whether the workload currently runs on other
        cloud providers or on-premises (if yes, prompt for the architecture of
        the existing deployment).
    *   **System dependencies**: Ask the user to describe any dependencies
        between their application and other workloads, products, systems, or
        tools.

2.  Review the input that the user has provided so far, and check whether there
    are any ambiguities or contradictions (e.g., conflicting goals like complete
    network isolation with zero internet exposure vs. real-time ingestion from
    public APIs).

    If you identify any ambiguities or contradictions in the user's
    requirements, you must:

    *   Clearly describe the ambiguities and contradictions.
    *   Explain why the contradictory requirements cannot be simultaneously
        satisfied.
    *   Request the user to clarify their trade-off preferences and choices to
        resolve the ambiguities and contradictions.
        *   If the user delegates the choice to you (e.g., the user replies with
            "do what you think is best" or "you decide"), then provide a clear
            suggestion to resolve the ambiguity or contradiction, explain your
            reasoning, and ask the user to approve your suggestion.

    **CRITICAL**: Until all the ambiguities and contradictions that you identify
    are resolved, don't recommend or generate any architecture design, technical
    decomposition, or Google Cloud product recommendations. Ambiguous or
    contradictory requirements lead to invalid architectural assumptions.

3.  Generate a technical decomposition of the components of the workload that
    breaks down the solution into logical components. Present it to the user and
    obtain approval before proceeding to Phase 2.

    **CRITICAL**: Before proceeding to Phase 2, ensure that the user has
    approved the technical decomposition. Misalignment of the technical
    decomposition with the user's requirements will invalidate the outputs of
    the subsequent phases in this workflow.

## Phase 2: Solution architecture

Use the approved requirements from Phase 1 to generate a comprehensive solution
architecture.

From google/skills, Apache-2.0.

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