In the world of Cloud Engineering, precision is everything. Recently, I migrated my virtual machine environment to a more cost-effective setup with higher performance and exclusive resource monitoring. This transition has allowed me to work with greater agility and control.
After installing the Kiro IDE and CLI on the latest version of Ubuntu, my workflow underwent a significant transformation. Today, I want to share this approach as an example of what I consider a "possible professional workflow" applicable to cloud architecture.
🆙 The Leap to “Kiro 101”: Precision with AWS MCP
By configuring the Kiro IDE and loading the official AWS MCP (Model Context Protocol), the environment gains deep visibility into cloud services. At this stage, I call it moving from a standard environment to “Kiro 101.”
This level enables key capabilities:
🔍 Full Visibility: The IDE recognizes actual AWS service names, APIs, and resource structures.
📄 Intelligent Documentation: Generating READMEs, runbooks, and playbooks for deployment and troubleshooting becomes highly precise and aligned with the cloud provider's reality.
🏗️ Visualization: The Language of Architects
One of the greatest challenges in any repository or community contribution is generating visual impact. While ASCII diagrams are extremely useful for their simplicity and portability, many scenarios demand the formality and standardization offered by official AWS icons.
📝 Step 1: The ASCII Skeleton
To quickly validate the architectural logic, I use the following prompt in Kiro:
"Generate an AWS architecture ASCII diagram: VPC with 1 EC2 in a public subnet and an Internet Gateway. Use boxes with ├┤┌┐└┘─│. Show CIDR blocks. Connect EC2 → IGW → Internet."
┌─────────────────────────────────────┐
│ AWS Cloud │
│ │
│ ┌───────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ VPC 10.0.0.0/16 │ │
│ │ │ │
│ │ ┌─────────────────────────┐ │ │
│ │ │ Public Subnet │ │ │
│ │ │ 10.0.1.0/24 │ │ │
│ │ │ │ │ │
│ │ │ ┌──────────┐ │ │ │
│ │ │ │ EC2 │ │ │ │
│ │ │ └──────────┘ │ │ │
│ │ │ │ │ │
│ │ └─────────────────────────┘ │ │
│ │ │ │ │
│ │ ┌────────┴────────┐ │ │
│ │ │ Internet Gateway│ │ │
│ │ └────────┬────────┘ │ │
│ └──────────────┼────────────────┘ │
│ │ │
└─────────────────┼────────────────────┘
│
Internet
This approach allows for a rapid review of relationships, traffic flows, and network boundaries before investing time in more elaborate visual diagrams.
🎨 Step 2: PNG Magic with Official Icons
Using the Kiro CLI, it is possible to transform that logic into a professional diagram using the Python diagrams library—a gold standard for cloud architecture documentation.
💻 Prompt for Visual Generation:
"Generate a PNG diagram of an AWS architecture using official icons and the Python 'diagrams' library (pip install diagrams). Requires pre-installation of: Python 3, pip, and Graphviz (apt install graphviz on Ubuntu/Debian).
Architecture:
VPC 10.0.0.0/16
1 Public Subnet 10.0.1.0/24
1 EC2 in the public subnet
Internet Gateway connected to the EC2
Use Cluster for VPC and Subnet. Diagram direction: TB (top-bottom). Save the result as vpc-diagram.png."
The result is a professional diagram ready for technical documentation, architectural proposals, or design reviews.
🎯 Conclusion: Understand to Deploy
This hybrid approach enables the creation of robust proposals, even starting from initial estimates defined in JSON files or incomplete configurations. The ability to build diagrams incrementally or with granular detail makes it easier to identify missing values before executing a live deployment.
In short: With this workflow, it is much easier to visually grasp what is actually being built before moving it into production.
⚖️ Technical & Legal Safe Harbor Disclaimer
AUTHORSHIP AND INDEPENDENT CAPACITY
This publication is authored solely by me in my individual and private capacity. The views, methodologies, and technical workflows expressed herein are my own and do not necessarily reflect the official policy, position, or strategic direction of my current or former employers, clients, or any legal entity I am affiliated with.
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY & CONFIDENTIALITY COMPLIANCE
Zero Proprietary Disclosure: This content has been developed using publicly available information and personal research. No confidential information or proprietary source code has been disclosed.
Independent Development: The workflows described are based on general industry best practices and personal experimentation. They were not developed as a "work-for-hire" nor as part of assigned organizational duties.
LIMITATION OF LIABILITY (NO WARRANTY)
All code snippets and architectural patterns are provided “AS IS”, without warranty of any kind. The author shall not be held liable for any claim arising from the use of this information.
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This contribution is shared in good faith under the AWS Builder Terms and the MIT-0 License for any included source code.
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