Practical Cloud Architecture Test – AWS VPC, Subnets, Routing & Secure S3 Storage Assessment 2

Learning Outcomes Assessed

LO2: Formulate business problems and recommend infrastructure solutions
LO3: Apply governance, compliance, and cloud management practices
LO5: Analyse security and risk management in the cloud context

Task Overview

You are required to design and implement a cloud-based network and storage solution using AWS Free Tier. Your solution must simulate a secure and scalable architecture for a hypothetical business deploying a small-scale web application.

Scenario

You’ve been hired by a startup to help design a basic web-hosting architecture that includes:

• A Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) with at least 2 subnets (public and private).
• Routing configuration for traffic between subnets and the internet.
• Secure S3 bucket setup for static file storage.
• Proper use of IAM policies or bucket policies to restrict access.

Do You Need Assessment 2 of This Question

Request to Buy Answer

Required Deliverables (PDF Report)

You must submit a document including:

1. Architecture Overview (Diagram + Description)

High-level diagram of your VPC setup including:

• VPC CIDR block
• Public and private subnets
• Internet Gateway and routing tables
• S3 Bucket and access flow
• Use Google Drawing, Lucidchart, or draw.io and paste/export into the report.

2. Configuration Steps & Screenshots

Screenshots of your actual AWS setup for:

• VPC creation
• Subnet setup
• Internet Gateway
• Routing Table config
• S3 Bucket setup
• S3 Bucket Policy or IAM Role applied
• Each screenshot must contain either your full name or student ID in the AWS resource name or tag.

3. Security & Access Explanation

• How does your configuration restrict unauthorized access?
• How would you secure traffic between subnets and to/from S3?

4. Reflection

• What challenges did you face during this test?
• How would you improve or expand this solution for a larger deployment?

Structure & Format

• Cover Page (Student name, ID, Unit, Date, Academic Integrity declaration)
• Architecture Overview
• Implementation Steps with Screenshots
• Security & Access Section
• Reflection
• References (APA 7) – if any documentation or sources are used

Marking Rubric

Criteria	Weight	HD (85–100%)	D (75–84%)	C (65–74%)	P (50–64%)	F (0–49%)
VPC Configuration	20%	VPC, CIDR, subnets, routes, and gateway clearly configured with zero errors	Complete VPC setup with minor miscon figurations	VPC setup mostly correct, some gaps	Basic VPC attempt, minimal explanation	No or incorrect VPC setup
S3 Configuration	20%	Secure, functional S3 bucket with appropriate policy and clear evidence	S3 bucket created with basic access configuration	Functional S3, but lacks proper security controls	S3 bucket created  but poorly secured	S3 missing or incorrect
Architecture Diagram & Design	20%	Clear, labelled, and accurate architecture with components and flows	Mostly clear diagram, slight layout or label issues	Diagram present, basic structure correct	Weak diagram, hard to interpret	No or incorrect diagram
Security & Policy Implementation	15%	Policies well-applied, access explained in detail	Mostly good explanation of security measures	General description of access and roles	Weak security focus, vague terms	No e vidence of security consideration
Reflection & Understanding	15%	Insightful reflection, clear understanding of cloud design principles	Reasonable reflection, discusses some issues	Basic summary with some understanding	Surface-level or vague	No reflection or unclear responses
Presentation & Submission Quality	10%	Well-formatted, clear writing, all screenshots ID-tagged, submitted on time	Good formatting, all key parts included	Acceptable submission with minor format issues	Disorganised or poorly structured	Missing sections, unreadable or no ID in screenshots