Cloud Architecture

Infrastructure designed
to scale, secured
to stay live

We design, deploy, and manage production-grade cloud infrastructure for web applications, APIs, and SaaS platforms on AWS, DigitalOcean, and Cloudflare. Zero-downtime deployments, automated pipelines, and 99.9% uptime as a baseline, not a target.

AWS & DigitalOcean Cloudflare CDN + WAF CI/CD Pipelines Zero-Downtime Deployments 24/7 Uptime Monitoring Auto-Scaling
0.9%
Target Uptime SLA
0+
Production Environments
from ₦200k
Setup Starting Price
24/7
Monitoring Coverage
What We Do

Everything your application
needs to stay alive at scale

Most applications are built with excellent code but deployed on infrastructure that is one traffic spike away from going down. We close that gap by designing infrastructure that matches the ambition of the product running on it, from a single DigitalOcean droplet to a multi-region AWS deployment with auto-scaling groups.

Cloud Infrastructure Design

End-to-end architecture design for web applications, APIs, and SaaS platforms. We define every layer, including compute, networking, storage, database, caching, and CDN, before writing a single configuration file.

Architecture ReviewAWSDigitalOceanDiagram & Docs

Server Setup & Deployment

Full server provisioning and configuration for operating system hardening, web server setup, runtime configuration, database installation, SSL, firewall rules, and application deployment.

Ubuntu ServerNginxPHP 8.3Laravel Forge

CI/CD Pipeline Setup

Automated test-and-deploy pipelines using GitHub Actions. Every commit runs your test suite, and only green builds reach production, with rollback paths ready if anything fails.

GitHub ActionsZero-downtimeAuto RollbackEnvironments

CDN & Edge Configuration

Cloudflare setup covering DNS management, CDN caching rules, WAF protection, DDoS mitigation, SSL/TLS configuration, and performance optimisation at the edge.

CloudflareWAF RulesCache PoliciesDDoS Shield

Database Infrastructure

Managed and self-hosted database deployments for MySQL, PostgreSQL, and Redis with backups, replication, connection pooling, and disaster recovery procedures.

PostgreSQLMySQLRedisReplication

Monitoring & Incident Response

24/7 uptime monitoring, server resource alerts, error tracking, log visibility, and defined incident response procedures so issues are seen early and handled fast.

Uptime RobotSentryLaravel TelescopeSlack Alerts
Reference Architecture

A production-grade cloud
architecture, layer by layer

This is the reference architecture we deploy for production web applications and SaaS platforms. Every layer is documented, every component has a defined role, and every failure mode has a mitigation. We adapt this pattern to match each project's scale, budget, and compliance requirements.

User Traffic
Users & Clients
Web browsers · Mobile apps · API consumers
Any device, anywhere
↓ ↓ ↓
Edge & Security Layer
Cloudflare, CDN · WAF · DDoS · DNS
Global edge network · SSL termination · Cache static assets · Block malicious traffic · Rate limiting
Managed Edge
Traffic Distribution
Load Balancer, Nginx / DigitalOcean LB
Round-robin routing · Health checks · SSL offloading · Sticky sessions (optional)
Auto-routes on failure
↓ ↓
Application Layer
App Server 1 (Primary)
Laravel 11 · PHP 8.3 · Nginx · Horizon queue worker · OPcache
Running
App Server 2 (Replica)
Identical config · Auto-provisioned on load spike · Terminates when traffic drops
Auto-scaled
↓ ↓ ↓ ↓
Data & Caching Layer
PostgreSQL Primary
Managed DB · Daily backups · Point-in-time restore · Connection pooling
Healthy
PostgreSQL Replica
Read replica · Async replication · Auto-promotes on primary failure
Standby
Redis Cluster
Session cache · Query cache · Job queues via Laravel Horizon
Running
↓ ↓ ↓
Supporting Services
Object Storage
Cloudflare R2 / S3 · Media files · Backups
Managed
Queue Workers
Email · Payments · Reports · Background jobs
Active
Monitoring
Sentry · Uptime Robot · Telescope · Slack alerts
Watching
CI/CD Pipeline
GitHub Actions · Tests → Build → Deploy → Verify
Automated
Cloud Providers

AWS, DigitalOcean, or Cloudflare,
which is right for you?

The right cloud provider depends on your application scale, technical requirements, internal team capacity, and budget. We work across AWS, DigitalOcean, and Cloudflare, then recommend the cloud stack that gives you the best performance, security, and long-term value.

The most feature-rich cloud platform, ideal for large-scale enterprise and complex workloads.
  • Widest service catalogue, including Lambda, RDS Aurora, ECS, SQS, and 200+ more
  • Industry-leading compliance certifications (HIPAA, SOC 2, ISO 27001)
  • Global infrastructure across 30+ regions
  • Best choice for high-traffic auto-scaling workloads
Best for Enterprise applications, fintech with compliance requirements, SaaS platforms expecting rapid traffic growth, or teams with existing AWS expertise.
Not a traditional cloud provider, but an essential layer in every architecture we design.
  • Global CDN with 200+ edge locations, so content is cached close to every user
  • WAF and DDoS protection that handles millions of requests per second
  • Cloudflare R2 for S3-compatible object storage with zero egress fees
  • DNS management with instant propagation globally
Best for Used alongside AWS or DigitalOcean on every project we deploy. It is not an alternative to a cloud provider. It is a core performance and security layer in front of one.
CI/CD Pipelines

Code changes deploy
themselves, safely

Manual deployment is the enemy of reliability. Every time a developer SSH's into a production server and manually pulls code, there is a chance of human error, a missed migration, a forgotten environment variable, or a service not restarted. These are the incidents that cause downtime at the worst possible time.

We build GitHub Actions CI/CD pipelines that automate the path from a merged pull request to a live production deployment. The process includes testing, validation, zero-downtime release steps, and rollback protection so your application stays stable while your team ships faster.

"A deployment pipeline is not just convenient. It protects your product, your team, and your users the first time it stops a bad release from reaching production."

  • Automated test suites run on every push to any branch, so broken code is caught before it reaches main
  • Staging deployment on every pull request, so reviewers test on a live environment instead of a local machine
  • Production deployment triggered only when all tests pass on the main branch
  • Zero-downtime deployment via Laravel Forge's atomic release strategy
  • Automatic rollback on post-deploy health check failure, so the previous version stays live
  • Deployment notifications to Slack with commit details, author, and deploy status
  • Environment-specific configuration, with secrets managed through GitHub Actions instead of committed to code
Set Up My Pipeline →
GitHub Actions, deploy.yml
Push to main branch
0s
Triggered by merge of PR #148, "Add subscription billing"
git pushmain branch
Run test suite (Pest)
48s
148 tests passed · 0 failed · Coverage 84%
php artisan test--parallelUbuntu 22.04
Build & asset compilation
32s
npm ci · Vite build · assets fingerprinted · 412 KB bundle
npm civite buildoptimise
Deploy to production (zero-downtime)
18s
Atomic release via Forge, php artisan migrate --force, cache:clear
forge deployatomicmigrate
Post-deploy health check
8s
HTTP 200 on /health · Queue workers restarted · Sentry release tagged
health checksentry release✓ slack notif
✓ Deployment successful · 1m 46s total · PR #148 live in production
How We Work

From blank server to
production environment

Every cloud infrastructure project follows a structured and documented process. We do not guess at production settings or experiment on live servers. Every change is planned, version-controlled, tested, and reversible.

Phase 01
Infrastructure Audit & Requirements

For new projects, we run a requirements session covering expected traffic, data sensitivity, compliance needs, budget, and the existing technology stack. For existing infrastructure, we audit the current setup, identify single points of failure, security gaps, performance bottlenecks, and cost inefficiencies. You receive a written infrastructure requirements or remediation document before work begins.

Requirements DocRisk AssessmentCost EstimateArchitecture Draft
Phase 02
Architecture Design & Approval

We create a full cloud architecture diagram that covers compute, networking, databases, caching, storage, monitoring, and CDN strategy, with clear reasons for each decision. We also include estimated monthly cloud costs for each provider option. You review and approve the design before any resources are provisioned.

Architecture DiagramProvider RecommendationCost ProjectionDesign Approval
Phase 03
Server Provisioning & Hardening

Cloud resources are provisioned through the provider console or Infrastructure as Code, with Terraform used on larger deployments. Every server is hardened with SSH key authentication, UFW firewall rules, fail2ban, automatic security updates, and only the services your application needs. Nginx, PHP, Redis, and related services are configured and tested before application code goes live.

Server SetupSecurity HardeningNginx ConfigSSL Certificate
Phase 04
Application Deployment & Configuration

Application codebase deployed to the server via Laravel Forge or direct Git integration. Environment variables, queue workers, scheduled task crons, and storage configurations are all set up and verified. Staging environment is deployed and tested thoroughly before production goes live. All environment-specific configuration is documented in a Server Configuration Reference.

App DeploymentEnv ConfigQueue WorkersStaging First
Phase 05
CI/CD Pipeline & Database Setup

We build and test a GitHub Actions workflow for automated deployment from the main branch, with a full test suite, zero-downtime release steps, and post-deploy health checks. The managed database is provisioned with primary and replica setup, daily backups, and connection pooling based on expected traffic. Redis is configured for sessions, caching, and queues.

GitHub ActionsZero-downtime DeployDB ReplicationBackup Verification
Phase 06
Cloudflare, Monitoring & Handover

Cloudflare is configured for DNS, CDN cache rules, WAF policies, SSL settings, and DDoS protection. The monitoring stack includes Uptime Robot for availability, Sentry for application errors, and server health tracking. Final handover includes documentation, credentials, and a live walkthrough with your team.

Cloudflare SetupMonitoring AlertsDocumentationSecure Handover
Technology Stack

The tools that power
our cloud deployments

Every tool is selected for reliability, documentation quality, and long-term maintainability. We do not use obscure or experimental infrastructure tooling in production because your uptime depends on proven, widely supported technology with strong communities behind it.

Cloud Providers
Where your infrastructure lives
Amazon Web Services
EC2, RDS, S3, CloudFront, Route53
Enterprise
DigitalOcean
Droplets, Managed DB, Spaces, App Platform
Recommended
Cloudflare
CDN, WAF, R2 Storage, DNS, Workers
Edge
Server & Runtime
What runs on the machines
Ubuntu Server 22.04 LTS
Hardened OS, automatic security updates
OS
Nginx
Web server, reverse proxy, SSL termination
Web Server
PHP 8.3 + OPcache
FPM, JIT compilation, optimised config
Runtime
Redis 7
Sessions, cache, queues, pub/sub
Cache
Deployment & DevOps
How code gets to production safely
GitHub Actions
CI/CD pipeline automation, test & deploy
CI/CD
Laravel Forge
Server management, zero-downtime deploy
Deployment
Terraform
Infrastructure as Code for larger deployments
IaC
Let's Encrypt + Certbot
Automated SSL certificate management
SSL
Monitoring & Security
Seeing everything, missing nothing
Sentry
Application error tracking, release tracking
Errors
Uptime Robot
1-min uptime checks, instant Slack alerts
Uptime
Laravel Telescope
Request, query, job, mail, and cache inspection
Debug
UFW + Fail2ban
Firewall rules, brute-force protection
Security
Monitoring & Alerting

You know about problems
before your users do

Unmonitored infrastructure is infrastructure waiting to fail silently. Without proper monitoring, your first indication of a server going down, a database running out of connections, or a deployment introducing a critical error is an angry user or a lost transaction.

Every production environment we manage includes a layered monitoring stack with defined escalation procedures. Uptime checks run every 60 seconds. Server resource metrics are collected continuously. Application errors are tracked and grouped in Sentry. And every alert fires to a Slack channel so your team is never the last to know.

  • 60-second uptime checks, with alerts firing within 2 minutes of downtime
  • CPU, memory, disk, and network monitoring with configurable thresholds
  • Error rate monitoring, so a spike in 5xx responses triggers an immediate alert
  • Database connection pool monitoring, with alerts before connections are exhausted
  • Queue depth monitoring, so failed or backed-up jobs are caught early
  • Deployment tracking, with every release tagged in Sentry by commit SHA and author
  • Monthly infrastructure health report delivered in writing
Set Up Monitoring →
Infrastructure Dashboard, Live
System Overview
All Systems Operational
99.98%
Uptime (30d)
1.18s
Avg Response
42ms
DB Query avg
18%
CPU Usage
2.1GB
Memory / 4GB
0
Active Alerts
Requests / minute (last 24h)
All 3 uptime monitors passing · Last checked 54s agoNow
Deployment #42 successful · PR #148 · by @dev · 0 errors post-deploy2h ago
High traffic spike detected · Auto-scaled to 2 app servers · ResolvedYesterday
What You Get

Everything included in
every cloud engagement

From architecture diagrams to incident runbooks, every deliverable is documented and transferred in full. You own the infrastructure, the accounts, and the documentation. We simply build it the right way.

Architecture Diagram & Documentation

A full visual diagram of every infrastructure component, with written rationale for each architectural decision, delivered before and after setup.

Hardened Production Server

Provisioned, configured, and security-hardened server with Nginx, PHP 8.3, Redis, SSL, firewall, fail2ban, and all required services installed and verified.

CI/CD Pipeline

GitHub Actions workflow that automatically tests and deploys every push to main, with zero-downtime releases, rollback on failure, and Slack notifications.

Managed Database + Backups

Primary/replica database setup with daily automated backups, point-in-time restore capability, and backup verification tests run on delivery.

Cloudflare Configuration

DNS setup, CDN cache rules, WAF policies, DDoS protection, SSL/TLS configuration, and performance rules, all documented with cache purge instructions.

Monitoring Stack

Uptime Robot, Sentry, and server metric monitoring configured and connected to your Slack or email. Every alert tested before handover.

Server Operations Guide

A written operations guide covering: how to deploy a new release, how to SSH in, how to restart services, how to restore a backup, and how to respond to common alerts.

Secure Credential Handover

All server SSH keys, cloud provider account credentials, DNS access, monitoring logins, and database credentials transferred securely. Full ownership, unconditionally.

Pricing

Cloud packages by
infrastructure scale

All cloud architecture and cloud infrastructure projects are scoped after a free consultation. These ranges reflect typical project categories, and your final quote is itemised before any commitment is made. Monthly AWS, DigitalOcean, and Cloudflare costs are billed directly by the provider to you.

Startups & MVPs
Starter Setup

A production-ready single-server environment with CI/CD, SSL, and monitoring for your first deployment.

₦200k one-time setup
Single cloud server (DO or AWS)
Full server hardening & Nginx config
SSL certificate (Let's Encrypt)
Cloudflare DNS + basic CDN
GitHub Actions CI/CD pipeline
Uptime monitoring + Slack alerts
Sentry error tracking
Server Operations Guide
Load balancer
Database replication
Enterprise & High-Traffic
Enterprise Cloud

Multi-region deployments, compliance architecture, custom auto-scaling, and ongoing managed infrastructure.

Custom quoted on scope
Multi-region deployment
Terraform Infrastructure as Code
Custom auto-scaling policies
AWS advanced services (ECS, Lambda)
Compliance architecture (HIPAA-aware)
Load testing & capacity planning
Security penetration test review
Ongoing managed infrastructure
SLA with 4-hour response
Dedicated on-call engineer
Proven Outcomes

Infrastructure that delivers
measurable reliability

These are real performance figures from production environments we have designed and deployed. Good cloud infrastructure is almost invisible when it works well, and these numbers show the value of strong architecture, monitoring, and deployment systems.

99.98%
Uptime across all managed production environments in the last 12 months

Achieved through load-balanced multi-server configurations, Cloudflare edge protection, and automated failover on managed database services.

0%
Reduction in server response time after infrastructure optimisation on an existing application

YBLocal platform migration moved from a single shared-hosting account to a properly architected DigitalOcean environment with Redis caching and CDN. Response time dropped from 4.2 seconds to 1.1 seconds.

0 failed
Production deployments blocked by CI/CD pipeline across all active clients in the past 6 months

Every test failure and build error was caught in the pipeline before reaching production, with zero user-impacting incidents caused by bad deployments across managed applications.

Client Reviews

What clients say about
our infrastructure work

★★★★★

"Before i2Medier, our site would go down every time traffic spiked. Now we have a properly architected cloud environment with auto-scaling and Cloudflare in front of it, and we have not had a single unplanned outage in eight months. That peace of mind is worth every naira."

Y
Co-founder
YBLocal Platform
★★★★★

"The CI/CD pipeline they set up has completely changed how our team ships. We used to dread deployments. Now they are automatic, tested, and zero-downtime. Our customers have never even noticed a release happening. That is exactly how it should be."

C
Founder
Careerclev Platform
★★★★★

"The Server Operations Guide they delivered was genuinely useful, not the usual PDF that gets filed and forgotten. When I needed to restart a queue worker at midnight, I found the exact command in three seconds. The monitoring setup means I usually know about issues before our users do."

N
Executive Director
NTF Foundation Platform
FAQ

Cloud architecture questions,
answered plainly

Still have questions?

Cloud infrastructure questions are often specific to your application and stack. Email us and we'll give you a direct, honest answer tailored to your situation.

Email Us →
It depends on your application's scale and complexity. DigitalOcean is our default recommendation for most web applications, APIs, and Laravel platforms. It offers managed databases, object storage, load balancers, and an excellent developer experience at a fraction of AWS pricing, with much less operational overhead. AWS is the right choice for applications that need advanced services such as Lambda, ECS, RDS Aurora, CloudFront at scale, or enterprise-level compliance. We work with both and recommend what fits your requirements and budget, not what sounds more impressive.
CI/CD stands for Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment. The pipeline runs your test suite every time code is pushed and deploys to your server only when checks pass. Without one, deployments rely on manual SSH access, manual commands, and manual verification, which often leads to avoidable outages. With one, code moves from a merged pull request to a validated production deployment in minutes. We recommend a CI/CD pipeline for any application serving real users.
Zero-downtime deployment means your application keeps serving requests while a new version is deployed. Traditional deployments briefly take the application offline while code is pulled, migrations run, and services restart. Zero-downtime deployment uses an atomic release process where the new version is prepared first and then made live in a near-instant switch. Users see no interruption. We implement this as a standard part of managed deployments.
Every server we configure includes: SSH key-only authentication (password login completely disabled), UFW firewall with minimal open ports (only 22, 80, 443), fail2ban blocking repeated failed SSH attempts, automatic unattended security package upgrades, SSL/TLS certificates via Let's Encrypt with automatic renewal, Cloudflare WAF and DDoS protection at the edge, and application-level security headers configured in Nginx. We run a security scan after setup and provide a Security Configuration Summary document on handover.
Yes. Cloud migrations are a common engagement. We audit your current infrastructure, identify risks and dependencies, design the target cloud architecture, and execute the migration with minimal downtime. Typically we deploy the new environment in parallel, migrate data, run parallel validation, then cut over DNS with a short TTL to minimise the actual switchover window. We maintain the legacy environment in parallel for a defined rollback window (usually 72 hours) before decommissioning it.
We architect for 99.9% uptime as a baseline, which equals less than 9 hours of downtime per year. For mission-critical applications, multi-region deployments with automated failover can reach 99.99%, or less than 1 hour per year. Actual uptime depends on the architecture tier and the underlying cloud provider SLA. All production environments include 24/7 uptime monitoring, so you know quickly when something is wrong and what is being done about it.
Yes. We offer monthly managed infrastructure support that covers security patching, server health monitoring, performance monitoring, backup verification, dependency updates, and priority incident response with a defined SLA. Monthly retainers start from ₦100,000 per month, depending on environment complexity. Enterprise clients can also request a dedicated on-call engineer. You can start with a one-time setup and manage the infrastructure yourself if that fits your team better.

Ready to build infrastructure
that never lets you down?

Tell us about your application and we'll design the right cloud architecture for your scale, budget, and reliability requirements.

Start Your Cloud Project →