Cloud Architecture
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Document infrastructure before a redesign: inventory, dependencies, L0–L2 layers, IaC and Mermaid as docs, AI automation, and as-is vs to-be artifacts that prevent costly migration surprises.
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The goal of pre-redesign documentation isn't to create a perfect historical record. It's to give you a clear, actionable map of your current infrastructure so you know exactly what to keep, what to replace, and what dependencies you can't afford to break.
Here's how to document your infrastructure before a major redesign, from assessment to execution.
Before you can document anything, you need to know what exists. This isn't about assumptions — it's about discovery.
Begin by taking a complete inventory of your current IT infrastructure and dependencies, including applications, servers, databases, network components, and more. This is the foundation everything else builds on.
For a cloud environment, this means cataloging:
Don't assume anything. Verify what's actually running against what you think is running. Documentation drift is real — diagrams and inventories that don't match production are worse than no documentation at all.
A resource list isn't enough. You need to understand how everything connects.
Document all workload dependencies, including network configurations, data flows, and external integrations. This is where most redesigns fail — teams understand individual components but miss the connections between them.
Key questions to answer:
This is the part that makes the documentation useful for the redesign itself.
Document:
This isn't about blame — it's about understanding what you're fixing and why.
With your inventory and dependency map in hand, you need to choose how to represent this information. The format matters — it determines how useful the documentation will be during the redesign.
The most reliable approach is to treat your infrastructure code as the documentation itself. When infrastructure is defined in code, the code is the source of truth.
Terraform state files and configuration contain the complete resource graph of your deployed infrastructure. Tools can parse this state and render it as visual diagrams.
Pulumi has a built-in pulumi stack graph command that generates architecture diagrams directly from your deployed infrastructure state.
CloudFormation templates can be documented with tools like cfdoc, which automatically generates hyperlinked documentation from CloudFormation templates.
The advantage: diagrams update automatically when infrastructure code changes, ensuring 1:1 alignment with production.
If you're not ready to treat IaC as documentation, diagram-as-code tools offer a middle ground.
Mermaid provides syntax for cloud infrastructure diagrams using architecture-beta for service topology and network layout. You define your infrastructure in text, and the tool renders the diagram.
PlantUML supports UML diagrams and can represent infrastructure relationships.
VPasCode uses Graphviz DOT language to define cloud architecture programmatically, creating living visual representations that stay synchronized with your systems through automation.
The advantage: diagrams are version-controlled, reviewable in pull requests, and can be automatically validated.
For teams that need visual tools, draw.io and Lucidchart support infrastructure diagrams with official cloud provider icons.
Draw.io includes shape libraries for AWS, Azure, GCP, and OCI, and supports real-time collaboration.
Lucidchart offers similar capabilities with stronger collaboration features.
The tradeoff: visual diagrams require manual updates and are prone to documentation drift.
One diagram can't show everything. Create a layered documentation set that addresses different audiences and use cases.
A high-level overview for stakeholders who need to understand the scope and impact of the redesign.
Shows the major components and their relationships without getting into implementation details.
The detailed infrastructure diagram that shows exactly what's deployed.
Detailed network documentation that prevents chaos during the redesign.
Shows exactly what depends on what.
Manual documentation creation is time-consuming and error-prone. The best approach is to automate as much as possible.
AI tools can generate infrastructure documentation automatically.
SystemViz automates architecture visualization and documentation using AI, analyzing all components, their relationships, and patterns in legacy IT systems, infrastructure code, and Kubernetes clusters to provide a complete view of the IT landscape.
aws-architecture-diagrams-with-crewai automatically generates comprehensive AWS architecture documentation including PlantUML diagrams, technical runbooks, executive summaries, and developer guides using AI agents.
ai-infra-documenter parses Terraform and AWS Cloud Development Kit files and produces comprehensive documentation and architectural diagrams.
InfraDocGen automatically scans cloud environments to create comprehensive, real-time documentation with detailed configuration reports and dependency maps.
Integrate documentation generation into your CI/CD pipeline.
Add a step to your CI pipeline that flags pull requests for documentation review when infrastructure templates change significantly. This ensures documentation stays in sync with infrastructure changes.
Use the same tools and processes for documentation as you do for application development. Documentation should be stored in a versioned source code repository and written in a machine-readable markup language.
Once you understand your current infrastructure, create a document specifically for the redesign.
Document the resources you don't migrate and the architecture decisions you make. This is critical for:
Make a defined list of the goals you wish to achieve through your redesign. This helps you:
Create side-by-side documentation showing the current state and the proposed future state. This helps:
| Tool | Best For | Key Feature |
|---|---|---|
| AI Line Studio | Rapid diagram generation | Prompt-first cloud architecture diagrams with 3,000+ official icons in 15-20 seconds |
| Terraform/Pulumi | IaC as documentation | Diagrams from deployed state |
| Mermaid | Diagram-as-code | Version-controlled, reviewable diagrams |
| draw.io | Visual diagrams | Free, extensive cloud icon libraries |
| cfdoc | CloudFormation documentation | Auto-generates hyperlinked docs from templates |
| InfraDocGen | Automated discovery | Scans AWS environments for real-time documentation |
| SystemViz | AI-powered visualization | Analyzes components and relationships automatically |
| VPasCode | Diagram-as-code | Graphviz-based cloud architecture definition |
1. Documenting after the redesign starts.
Start documentation before you make any changes. The current state is your baseline for measuring success.
2. Relying on memory instead of discovery.
What you remember is probably wrong. Verify everything against actual infrastructure.
3. Creating documentation that's too detailed or not detailed enough.
Match the level of detail to the audience and use case. One diagram won't serve everyone.
4. Not documenting dependencies.
The most common redesign failure point is a missed dependency. Document everything that connects to everything else.
5. Letting documentation become stale.
Documentation is a living artifact. Update it as infrastructure changes, or automate the updates.
6. Ignoring the "why."
Document not just what exists, but why it exists. Business context matters for redesign decisions.
Documenting your infrastructure before a major redesign isn't optional — it's the foundation of a successful project. The goal isn't to create a perfect historical record. It's to give yourself and your team the map you need to navigate the redesign with confidence.
The approach that works:
The tools that help:
The time you invest in documentation before the redesign is time you won't spend firefighting during it. A clear map makes the journey faster, safer, and more predictable.