# Day 2. Wicked Spooky's architecture review

**Plan → Execute → Certify → Impact.** Wicked Spooky reviews the AWS features against Crisis Cat's budget, integration assumptions and ambition to reach thousands of subscribers.

## The architect's commitment

“Crisis Cat, I am responsible for the cloud environment that will make your design deliverable. My 30 years in IT help me recognize the operational problems; SAA-C03 study gives us the AWS vocabulary and architectural choices. We will prove those choices with evidence. We will design for the viral moment before it happens, without paying for speculative capacity today.”

We applied [iLab's product design journey](https://ilab.wickedspooky.ai/), not a service shopping list. Discover separated the pitch from facts. Plan selected boundaries, dependencies and success criteria. Execute means bounded implementation experiments. Certify means measured acceptance. Impact checks whether the product earns enough to operate and produces useful outcomes. A failure returns us to discovery and planning with better evidence.

## Crisis Cat's “everything is in place” assumption

The scenario assumes necessary infrastructure and integrations exist. The architect does not treat that assumption as deployment evidence. We turned it into this readiness ledger. Every row is **unverified in this design lab**; live delivery depends on the actual proof.

| Prerequisite | Wicked Spooky's evidence requirement | SAA tasks |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Account and environment | Region, account offers/credit expiry, root MFA, deployment roles, environment isolation and rollback | 1.1 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain1.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain1-task1) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/FZFYKYYV19/domain-1-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/1SSMX53WP6) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/iam/), 2.2 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain2.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain2-task2) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/53VSXZ83QZ/domain-2-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/GPR3NYS8MB) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/backup), 4.2 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4-task2) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/JWG25A9Y72/domain-4-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/ER14KB81AS) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/costmanagement/) |
| DNS and presentation | Ownership/TLS/route checks; future Creator product ingress; current training pages stay in the existing .ai Amplify application | 1.3 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain1.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain1-task3) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/FZFYKYYV19/domain-1-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/1SSMX53WP6) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/kms), 3.4 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain3.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain3-task4) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/1V5S9MC41R/domain-3-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/TKXSQ4NNZF) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/vpc/), 4.4 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4-task4) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/JWG25A9Y72/domain-4-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/ER14KB81AS) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/costmanagement/) |
| Identity and tenant model | Cognito flow, membership/approver roles, cross-tenant denial and server-owned authorization | 1.1 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain1.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain1-task1) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/FZFYKYYV19/domain-1-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/1SSMX53WP6) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/iam/), 1.2 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain1.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain1-task2) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/FZFYKYYV19/domain-1-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/1SSMX53WP6) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/vpc/) |
| Durable state and media | Key/index access patterns, private objects, version/checksum, retention and backup/restore | 1.3 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain1.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain1-task3) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/FZFYKYYV19/domain-1-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/1SSMX53WP6) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/kms), 3.1 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain3.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain3-task1) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/1V5S9MC41R/domain-3-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/TKXSQ4NNZF) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/s3/), 3.3 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain3.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain3-task3) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/1V5S9MC41R/domain-3-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/TKXSQ4NNZF) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/dynamodb/home), 4.1 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4-task1) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/JWG25A9Y72/domain-4-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/ER14KB81AS) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/s3/), 4.3 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4-task3) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/JWG25A9Y72/domain-4-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/ER14KB81AS) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/dynamodb/home) |
| Social integrations | Developer apps, reviewed scopes/use cases, OAuth lifecycle, account types, verified media origin, per-feature capability contract | 1.2 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain1.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain1-task2) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/FZFYKYYV19/domain-1-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/1SSMX53WP6) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/vpc/), 2.1 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain2.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain2-task1) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/53VSXZ83QZ/domain-2-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/GPR3NYS8MB) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/sqs/), 3.5 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain3.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain3-task5) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/1V5S9MC41R/domain-3-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/TKXSQ4NNZF) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/glue/) |
| Subscription integrations | Hosted checkout/portal, signed events, entitlement policy, fees, refunds and settlement reconciliation | 1.2 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain1.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain1-task2) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/FZFYKYYV19/domain-1-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/1SSMX53WP6) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/vpc/), 2.2 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain2.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain2-task2) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/53VSXZ83QZ/domain-2-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/GPR3NYS8MB) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/backup), 4.2 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4-task2) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/JWG25A9Y72/domain-4-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/ER14KB81AS) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/costmanagement/) |
| AI execution | Model license/version, local benchmark, cloud fallback, data handling and per-task quality evaluation | 1.3 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain1.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain1-task3) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/FZFYKYYV19/domain-1-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/1SSMX53WP6) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/kms), 3.2 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain3.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain3-task2) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/1V5S9MC41R/domain-3-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/TKXSQ4NNZF) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/ec2/), 4.2 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4-task2) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/JWG25A9Y72/domain-4-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/ER14KB81AS) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/costmanagement/) |
| Capacity | Actual account quotas, Bedrock model/Region quotas, platform limits, backlog/drain test and recovery targets | 2.1 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain2.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain2-task1) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/53VSXZ83QZ/domain-2-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/GPR3NYS8MB) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/sqs/), 2.2 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain2.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain2-task2) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/53VSXZ83QZ/domain-2-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/GPR3NYS8MB) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/backup), 3.2 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain3.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain3-task2) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/1V5S9MC41R/domain-3-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/TKXSQ4NNZF) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/ec2/), 3.3 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain3.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain3-task3) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/1V5S9MC41R/domain-3-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/TKXSQ4NNZF) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/dynamodb/home) |
| Operations | Redacted telemetry, approval audit, alarms, DLQ runbooks, cost reservations and kill-switch drill | 1.3 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain1.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain1-task3) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/FZFYKYYV19/domain-1-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/1SSMX53WP6) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/kms), 2.2 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain2.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain2-task2) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/53VSXZ83QZ/domain-2-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/GPR3NYS8MB) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/backup), 4.2 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4-task2) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/JWG25A9Y72/domain-4-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/ER14KB81AS) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/costmanagement/) |

All supported platforms and billing capabilities must be ready **before that capability is sold**, rather than rushed into existence after signups arrive. Missing access narrows the advertised supported set and becomes a recorded design event. No backend resource, provider account, credential, checkout or commercial commitment is created by reading this lab.

## AWS feature review

| Component | Why it fits Crisis Cat's mission | Boundary we must test | SAA tasks |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Amplify Gen 2](https://docs.amplify.aws/react/build-a-backend/) | Managed presentation and typed backend definitions; custom CDK for event infrastructure | UI is not the job runner; underlying services have their own bills | 2.1 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain2.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain2-task1) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/53VSXZ83QZ/domain-2-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/GPR3NYS8MB) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/sqs/), 2.2 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain2.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain2-task2) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/53VSXZ83QZ/domain-2-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/GPR3NYS8MB) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/backup), 3.2 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain3.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain3-task2) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/1V5S9MC41R/domain-3-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/TKXSQ4NNZF) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/ec2/), 4.2 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4-task2) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/JWG25A9Y72/domain-4-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/ER14KB81AS) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/costmanagement/) |
| [Cognito](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/cognito/latest/developerguide/what-is-amazon-cognito.html) + IAM/STS | People authenticate; scoped roles authorize service/worker access | Login does not grant every tenant or approver permission | 1.1 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain1.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain1-task1) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/FZFYKYYV19/domain-1-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/1SSMX53WP6) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/iam/), 1.2 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain1.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain1-task2) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/FZFYKYYV19/domain-1-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/1SSMX53WP6) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/vpc/) |
| [AppSync](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/appsync/latest/devguide/what-is-appsync.html) | Owner-facing tenant queries/commands, status and review queue | Approval/reservation mutations are guarded server operations | 1.1 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain1.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain1-task1) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/FZFYKYYV19/domain-1-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/1SSMX53WP6) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/iam/), 1.2 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain1.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain1-task2) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/FZFYKYYV19/domain-1-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/1SSMX53WP6) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/vpc/), 2.1 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain2.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain2-task1) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/53VSXZ83QZ/domain-2-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/GPR3NYS8MB) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/sqs/) |
| [DynamoDB](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/amazondynamodb/latest/developerguide/Introduction.html) | Conditional state, leases, transactional outbox and usage ledger | Hot keys, indexes, transaction costs, restore and request caps | 2.2 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain2.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain2-task2) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/53VSXZ83QZ/domain-2-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/GPR3NYS8MB) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/backup), 3.3 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain3.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain3-task3) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/1V5S9MC41R/domain-3-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/TKXSQ4NNZF) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/dynamodb/home), 4.3 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4-task3) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/JWG25A9Y72/domain-4-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/ER14KB81AS) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/dynamodb/home) |
| [S3](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonS3/latest/userguide/Welcome.html) | Private media/research/brief objects, versions and lifecycle | Signed access, upload/egress size, retention and recovery cost | 1.3 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain1.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain1-task3) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/FZFYKYYV19/domain-1-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/1SSMX53WP6) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/kms), 3.1 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain3.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain3-task1) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/1V5S9MC41R/domain-3-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/TKXSQ4NNZF) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/s3/), 4.1 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4-task1) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/JWG25A9Y72/domain-4-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/ER14KB81AS) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/s3/) |
| [Scheduler](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/scheduler/latest/UserGuide/what-is-scheduler.html) / [EventBridge](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/eventbridge/latest/userguide/eb-what-is.html) | Timing and domain-event fan-out remain headless | Duplicate/late delivery, timezone, event schema and target DLQ | 2.1 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain2.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain2-task1) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/53VSXZ83QZ/domain-2-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/GPR3NYS8MB) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/sqs/), 2.2 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain2.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain2-task2) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/53VSXZ83QZ/domain-2-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/GPR3NYS8MB) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/backup), 3.5 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain3.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain3-task5) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/1V5S9MC41R/domain-3-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/TKXSQ4NNZF) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/glue/) |
| [Step Functions](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/step-functions/latest/dg/welcome.html) | Bounded orchestration with explicit retry/catch histories | Transition costs; approval stays in durable state and resumes a new job | 2.1 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain2.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain2-task1) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/53VSXZ83QZ/domain-2-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/GPR3NYS8MB) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/sqs/), 2.2 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain2.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain2-task2) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/53VSXZ83QZ/domain-2-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/GPR3NYS8MB) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/backup), 4.2 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4-task2) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/JWG25A9Y72/domain-4-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/ER14KB81AS) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/costmanagement/) |
| [SQS / DLQs](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSSimpleQueueService/latest/SQSDeveloperGuide/welcome.html) | Queue bursts, isolate provider/model workers, expose poison work | Visibility/leases, duplicates, partial batch responses and safe redrive | 2.1 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain2.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain2-task1) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/53VSXZ83QZ/domain-2-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/GPR3NYS8MB) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/sqs/), 2.2 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain2.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain2-task2) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/53VSXZ83QZ/domain-2-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/GPR3NYS8MB) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/backup), 3.2 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain3.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain3-task2) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/1V5S9MC41R/domain-3-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/TKXSQ4NNZF) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/ec2/), 3.5 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain3.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain3-task5) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/1V5S9MC41R/domain-3-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/TKXSQ4NNZF) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/glue/) |
| [Lambda](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/lambda/latest/dg/welcome.html) | Stateless APIs, normalization, adapters and aggregation without idle servers | Memory/duration/concurrency; rate limits need separate token buckets | 2.1 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain2.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain2-task1) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/53VSXZ83QZ/domain-2-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/GPR3NYS8MB) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/sqs/), 2.2 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain2.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain2-task2) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/53VSXZ83QZ/domain-2-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/GPR3NYS8MB) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/backup), 3.2 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain3.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain3-task2) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/1V5S9MC41R/domain-3-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/TKXSQ4NNZF) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/ec2/), 4.2 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4-task2) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/JWG25A9Y72/domain-4-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/ER14KB81AS) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/costmanagement/) |
| [ECS](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonECS/latest/developerguide/Welcome.html) / [EC2](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSEC2/latest/UserGuide/concepts.html) / managed inference | AWS-local small-model and long-media execution where benchmarked useful | Idle cost, model loading, GPU availability, scaling/cold start and endpoint exposure | 1.2 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain1.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain1-task2) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/FZFYKYYV19/domain-1-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/1SSMX53WP6) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/vpc/), 3.2 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain3.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain3-task2) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/1V5S9MC41R/domain-3-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/TKXSQ4NNZF) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/ec2/), 4.2 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4-task2) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/JWG25A9Y72/domain-4-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/ER14KB81AS) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/costmanagement/) |
| [Bedrock](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/bedrock/latest/userguide/what-is-bedrock.html) | Replaceable bounded reasoning and cloud fallback | Exact rate card, tokens, quotas, evaluation and retries | 2.1 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain2.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain2-task1) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/53VSXZ83QZ/domain-2-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/GPR3NYS8MB) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/sqs/), 3.2 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain3.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain3-task2) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/1V5S9MC41R/domain-3-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/TKXSQ4NNZF) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/ec2/), 4.2 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4-task2) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/JWG25A9Y72/domain-4-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/ER14KB81AS) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/costmanagement/) |
| [Secrets Manager](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/secretsmanager/latest/userguide/intro.html) / [KMS](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/kms/latest/developerguide/overview.html) | OAuth/billing secret isolation and appropriate encryption keys | Scoped reads/decrypt, rotation, fixed fees and no secret-bearing logs | 1.1 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain1.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain1-task1) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/FZFYKYYV19/domain-1-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/1SSMX53WP6) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/iam/), 1.2 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain1.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain1-task2) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/FZFYKYYV19/domain-1-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/1SSMX53WP6) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/vpc/), 1.3 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain1.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain1-task3) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/FZFYKYYV19/domain-1-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/1SSMX53WP6) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/kms) |
| [API Gateway](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/apigateway/latest/developerguide/welcome.html) + adapters | Verified provider/billing webhooks and capability-specific integrations | Signature/replay checks, receipt reconciliation and durable acknowledgement | 1.2 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain1.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain1-task2) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/FZFYKYYV19/domain-1-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/1SSMX53WP6) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/vpc/), 2.1 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain2.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain2-task1) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/53VSXZ83QZ/domain-2-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/GPR3NYS8MB) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/sqs/), 3.4 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain3.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain3-task4) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/1V5S9MC41R/domain-3-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/TKXSQ4NNZF) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/vpc/), 3.5 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain3.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain3-task5) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/1V5S9MC41R/domain-3-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/TKXSQ4NNZF) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/glue/) |
| [CloudWatch](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonCloudWatch/latest/monitoring/WhatIsCloudWatch.html) + tracing/audit | Business outcomes, failure detection and actionable runbooks | Sensitive payload redaction, log retention/cardinality and alert drill | 1.3 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain1.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain1-task3) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/FZFYKYYV19/domain-1-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/1SSMX53WP6) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/kms), 2.2 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain2.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain2-task2) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/53VSXZ83QZ/domain-2-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/GPR3NYS8MB) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/backup), 3.2 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain3.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain3-task2) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/1V5S9MC41R/domain-3-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/TKXSQ4NNZF) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/ec2/), 4.2 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4-task2) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/JWG25A9Y72/domain-4-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/ER14KB81AS) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/costmanagement/) |
| [Budgets](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/cost-management/latest/userguide/budgets-managing-costs.html) / cost ledger | Forecasting plus immediate application admission limits | Billing lag means alerts are not hard spending caps | 4.1 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4-task1) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/JWG25A9Y72/domain-4-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/ER14KB81AS) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/s3/), 4.2 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4-task2) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/JWG25A9Y72/domain-4-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/ER14KB81AS) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/costmanagement/), 4.3 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4-task3) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/JWG25A9Y72/domain-4-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/ER14KB81AS) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/dynamodb/home), 4.4 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4-task4) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/JWG25A9Y72/domain-4-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/ER14KB81AS) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/costmanagement/) |
| Approval, attribution, daily brief and entitlements | Trust, measurable results and sustainable paid admission | Version races, duplicate conversions/refunds and stale subscription events | 1.1 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain1.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain1-task1) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/FZFYKYYV19/domain-1-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/1SSMX53WP6) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/iam/), 2.2 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain2.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain2-task2) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/53VSXZ83QZ/domain-2-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/GPR3NYS8MB) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/backup), 3.3 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain3.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain3-task3) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/1V5S9MC41R/domain-3-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/TKXSQ4NNZF) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/dynamodb/home), 3.5 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain3.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain3-task5) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/1V5S9MC41R/domain-3-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/TKXSQ4NNZF) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/glue/), 4.2 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4-task2) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/JWG25A9Y72/domain-4-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/ER14KB81AS) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/costmanagement/) |

## From almost no budget to paid growth

We chose one paid AWS account, one primary Region (`us-east-1`), static presentation, queues and managed services with no speculative always-running fleet. Training uses synthetic data, dry-run publishing, local work where useful and small live experiments. A proposed $10/month AWS cash target is a planning envelope, not a guarantee; the founder needs runway for secrets, storage, logs and other charges even before paying customers.

AWS's post-July-15-2025 Free Tier separates temporary credits from recurring service allowances. New eligible accounts receive $100 and can earn up to $100 more; credit validity is 12 months from account creation. The Free account plan's maximum six-month period is a different rule. This owner already chose the **Paid plan**, so usage beyond applicable offers/credits is billable. Joining/creating an AWS Organization can invalidate credits. Verify the account rather than infer benefits from older service-page examples. [AWS Free Tier FAQ](https://aws.amazon.com/free/free-tier-faqs/)

| Meter | Training assumption checked October 8, 2026 | Paid design implication |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [Lambda](https://aws.amazon.com/lambda/pricing/) | Published monthly allowance: 1M requests and 400,000 GB-seconds | Meter memory × duration and requests; shared allowance is not per subscriber |
| [SQS](https://aws.amazon.com/sqs/pricing/) | 1M requests/month under offer rules | Send/receive/delete, polls and payload chunks count |
| [Step Functions](https://aws.amazon.com/step-functions/pricing/) | Standard 4,000 transitions/month | $0.000025/transition in us-east-1; retries add transitions |
| [Scheduler / EventBridge](https://aws.amazon.com/eventbridge/pricing/) | Scheduler 14M invocations/month | Custom bus events, archival/replay and other features have separate charges |
| [DynamoDB](https://aws.amazon.com/dynamodb/pricing/) | Standard storage offer; 25 RCU/25 WCU allowance belongs to provisioned mode | Our on-demand baseline pays per request; include GSIs, transactions, PITR and replicas |
| [Cognito](https://aws.amazon.com/cognito/pricing/) | Lite/Essentials direct/social allowance differs from SAML/OIDC and other features | Price the chosen identity flow and tier |
| [Amplify](https://aws.amazon.com/amplify/pricing/) / [AppSync](https://aws.amazon.com/appsync/pricing/) / [S3](https://aws.amazon.com/s3/pricing/) | Budget paid unless time-limited eligibility is verified | Existing .ai hosting and future Creator resources remain distinct cost allocations |
| [Bedrock](https://aws.amazon.com/bedrock/pricing/) / small-model hosting | No assumed always-free inference or GPU | Compare frontier tokens with full compute, loading, storage, energy and operations cost |
| [Secrets](https://aws.amazon.com/secrets-manager/pricing/) / [KMS](https://aws.amazon.com/kms/pricing/) / [CloudWatch](https://aws.amazon.com/cloudwatch/pricing/) | Offers do not erase fixed charges or every feature meter | Secrets baseline $0.40/secret-month; customer-managed key baseline $1/month, with applicable API/rotation charges |

Paid subscriptions are priced against **full replacement cost**, not a temporary discounted bill. The [operations case study](https://github.com/wickedspookyit-spec/wickedspooky.org/blob/main/public/docs/creator-workbench-case-study.md) contains the complete assumptions, arithmetic and subscription hypotheses. Save a dated [Pricing Calculator](https://calculator.aws/) estimate before each experiment and refresh the rate card before implementing. Model availability and fees can change.

## Local AI: what we selected and what we rejected

| Option | Decision | Why / when to revisit | SAA tasks |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Rules/templates for totals, entitlement and obvious lead intent | Selected first | Cheapest predictable path; models do not add revenue or authorize publishing | 2.1 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain2.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain2-task1) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/53VSXZ83QZ/domain-2-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/GPR3NYS8MB) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/sqs/), 3.3 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain3.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain3-task3) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/1V5S9MC41R/domain-3-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/TKXSQ4NNZF) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/dynamodb/home), 4.2 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4-task2) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/JWG25A9Y72/domain-4-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/ER14KB81AS) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/costmanagement/) |
| Small model on existing local hardware | Selected for training experiments | Reduces frontier calls, but availability/energy/security and quality are measured | 1.2 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain1.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain1-task2) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/FZFYKYYV19/domain-1-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/1SSMX53WP6) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/vpc/), 3.2 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain3.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain3-task2) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/1V5S9MC41R/domain-3-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/TKXSQ4NNZF) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/ec2/), 4.2 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4-task2) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/JWG25A9Y72/domain-4-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/ER14KB81AS) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/costmanagement/) |
| Small model hosted near the AWS workload | Selected as a benchmarked commercial option | Keeps the contract and durable queue; only adopt if full cost/quality beats managed alternatives | 2.1 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain2.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain2-task1) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/53VSXZ83QZ/domain-2-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/GPR3NYS8MB) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/sqs/), 3.2 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain3.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain3-task2) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/1V5S9MC41R/domain-3-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/TKXSQ4NNZF) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/ec2/), 4.2 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4-task2) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/JWG25A9Y72/domain-4-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/ER14KB81AS) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/costmanagement/) |
| SageMaker asynchronous endpoint | Candidate when model support and workload fit | Can be configured to scale to zero; cold start and infrastructure cost remain. [AWS guidance](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/sagemaker/latest/dg/async-inference.html) | 2.1 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain2.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain2-task1) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/53VSXZ83QZ/domain-2-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/GPR3NYS8MB) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/sqs/), 3.2 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain3.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain3-task2) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/1V5S9MC41R/domain-3-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/TKXSQ4NNZF) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/ec2/), 4.2 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4-task2) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/JWG25A9Y72/domain-4-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/ER14KB81AS) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/costmanagement/) |
| Bedrock Custom Model Import | Candidate for supported architecture/version | Managed copies can scale, but CMU compute is billed; not “free local AI.” [AWS cost guidance](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/bedrock/latest/userguide/import-model-calculate-cost.html) | 2.1 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain2.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain2-task1) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/53VSXZ83QZ/domain-2-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/GPR3NYS8MB) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/sqs/), 3.2 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain3.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain3-task2) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/1V5S9MC41R/domain-3-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/TKXSQ4NNZF) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/ec2/), 4.2 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4-task2) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/JWG25A9Y72/domain-4-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/ER14KB81AS) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/costmanagement/) |
| Bedrock economical/premium model | Selected bounded cloud fallback / escalation | Headless customer service cannot depend on a powered-on home machine | 2.2 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain2.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain2-task2) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/53VSXZ83QZ/domain-2-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/GPR3NYS8MB) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/backup), 3.2 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain3.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain3-task2) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/1V5S9MC41R/domain-3-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/TKXSQ4NNZF) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/ec2/), 4.2 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4-task2) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/JWG25A9Y72/domain-4-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/ER14KB81AS) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/costmanagement/) |
| One always-on GPU or frontier agent for everything | Rejected for the opening envelope | Idle capacity or unconstrained token loops can erase the subscription margin | 2.1 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain2.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain2-task1) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/53VSXZ83QZ/domain-2-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/GPR3NYS8MB) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/sqs/), 4.2 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4-task2) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/JWG25A9Y72/domain-4-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/ER14KB81AS) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/costmanagement/) |

The inference contract records model/version, task, tenant, source IDs, token or compute usage, output schema and evaluation result. A task deadline determines whether an unavailable local worker is requeued, escalated within the reserved budget, or returned for review. Lease expiry permits recovery without two workers committing the same result. Infrastructure roles enforce authority; model outputs cannot grant it.

## Options and architecture decisions

| Choice | Selected path | Alternative and switching condition | SAA tasks |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Orchestration | EventBridge + short Standard workflows, durable approval state | Express for benchmarked short idempotent transforms; no developer-agent runtime loop | 2.1 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain2.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain2-task1) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/53VSXZ83QZ/domain-2-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/GPR3NYS8MB) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/sqs/), 2.2 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain2.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain2-task2) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/53VSXZ83QZ/domain-2-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/GPR3NYS8MB) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/backup), 4.2 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4-task2) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/JWG25A9Y72/domain-4-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/ER14KB81AS) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/costmanagement/) |
| Operational database | DynamoDB on-demand with access-pattern-first keys | Provisioned capacity for predictable traffic/cost exercise; relational engine when joins/transactions demand it | 3.3 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain3.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain3-task3) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/1V5S9MC41R/domain-3-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/TKXSQ4NNZF) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/dynamodb/home), 4.3 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4-task3) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/JWG25A9Y72/domain-4-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/ER14KB81AS) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/dynamodb/home) |
| Burst handling | SQS, independently bounded workers, provider token buckets | Kinesis when ordered replay/stream analytics requirements warrant it | 2.1 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain2.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain2-task1) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/53VSXZ83QZ/domain-2-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/GPR3NYS8MB) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/sqs/), 3.2 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain3.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain3-task2) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/1V5S9MC41R/domain-3-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/TKXSQ4NNZF) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/ec2/), 3.5 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain3.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain3-task5) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/1V5S9MC41R/domain-3-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/TKXSQ4NNZF) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/glue/) |
| Media storage | Private S3 objects and direct signed uploads | EFS/EBS for genuine file/block workloads; avoid database blobs | 1.3 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain1.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain1-task3) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/FZFYKYYV19/domain-1-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/1SSMX53WP6) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/kms), 3.1 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain3.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain3-task1) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/1V5S9MC41R/domain-3-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/TKXSQ4NNZF) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/s3/), 4.1 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4-task1) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/JWG25A9Y72/domain-4-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/ER14KB81AS) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/s3/) |
| Compute | Lambda for short adapters/aggregation | ECS/EC2/Batch for sustained inference or long rendering; benchmark dimensions and purchasing options | 3.2 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain3.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain3-task2) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/1V5S9MC41R/domain-3-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/TKXSQ4NNZF) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/ec2/), 4.2 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4-task2) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/JWG25A9Y72/domain-4-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/ER14KB81AS) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/costmanagement/) |
| Network | No customer VPC for baseline Lambda HTTPS API work | Private dependencies justify subnets/endpoints/NAT and explicit network budget | 1.2 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain1.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain1-task2) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/FZFYKYYV19/domain-1-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/1SSMX53WP6) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/vpc/), 3.4 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain3.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain3-task4) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/1V5S9MC41R/domain-3-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/TKXSQ4NNZF) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/vpc/), 4.4 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4-task4) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/JWG25A9Y72/domain-4-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/ER14KB81AS) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/costmanagement/) |
| Recovery | One-Region managed availability plus backups and IaC | Cross-Region backup/standby when the paid recovery commitment justifies it | 2.2 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain2.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain2-task2) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/53VSXZ83QZ/domain-2-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/GPR3NYS8MB) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/backup), 4.1 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4-task1) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/JWG25A9Y72/domain-4-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/ER14KB81AS) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/s3/), 4.3 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4-task3) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/JWG25A9Y72/domain-4-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/ER14KB81AS) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/dynamodb/home), 4.4 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4-task4) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/JWG25A9Y72/domain-4-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/ER14KB81AS) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/costmanagement/) |
| Subscription | Included usage with opt-in overages and server entitlements | Unlimited low-priced AI is rejected; premium/media workloads priced separately | 2.1 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain2.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain2-task1) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/53VSXZ83QZ/domain-2-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/GPR3NYS8MB) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/sqs/), 4.2 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4-task2) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/JWG25A9Y72/domain-4-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/ER14KB81AS) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/costmanagement/) |

## What happens when the marketing catches fire?

We did not design a magical free-to-paid conversion at the moment of virality. On the owner's Paid account, applicable metered usage simply becomes billable after offers. Resources scale **inside configured bounds**. The business admits paid, budget-reserved work; queues absorb bursts; caps, downstream quotas and platform limits determine completion time.

{{diagram:growth}}

Training generation concurrency begins at 2; a commercial experiment begins at 10 with a per-tenant outstanding-job ceiling of 20. These are proposed settings, not AWS default quotas or tested capacity. Reserve separate capacity for approvals, verified billing/webhooks and reconciliation so generation cannot starve trust-critical paths.

Effective throughput is the minimum of worker capacity, database access-pattern capacity, model request/token quota, provider rate allowance and funded usage. A concurrency cap alone does not enforce requests/minute. Warmup, backlog age, throttles, deadlines and drain time are measured with one-tenant, 100-tenant and 10× burst scenarios before promising thousands of customers. Actual new-account quotas may differ from published defaults. [Lambda scaling](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/lambda/latest/dg/lambda-concurrency.html)

DynamoDB on-demand maximum throughput targets offer useful protection but are best effort and can be exceeded temporarily by burst capacity; they are not a hard dollar cap. [AWS throughput guidance](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/amazondynamodb/latest/developerguide/on-demand-capacity-mode-max-throughput.html) Immediate commercial controls remain atomic reservations, bounded tokens/bytes/retries, worker limits and circuit breakers. Quota requests and architecture changes are planned before a launch, not assumed instantaneous during a spike.

## Subscription economics and the profitability guardrail

We retained the **30% runtime gross-margin floor** and selected a **50% operating contribution-margin target** after allocated support, fixed cost and a maintenance reserve. A 30% markup yields only 23.08% gross margin. The floor requires net revenue at least `runtime cost / 0.70`; the operating target requires roughly a 100% markup on all-in cost before payment fees and refund allowance.

```text
All-in cost = fixed monthly cost / conservative paid subscriber floor
              + included-use cost envelope + support + reserve
Minimum price = (all-in cost / 0.50 + fixed payment fee)
                / (1 - variable fee rate - refund reserve rate)
```

Prior hypotheses remain $19 Solo (one brand, two channels, 120 text drafts, 60 destination publications, 30 briefs, 1 GB media) and $49 Studio (three brands, six connections, 400 drafts, 240 destination publications, 90 briefs, 5 GB media). They are **not offers on this lab site**. With assumed 3% variable fees, $0.30 fixed fees and a 2% refund reserve, net revenue is $17.75/$46.25. All-in envelopes of $8/$21 yield about 54.9%/54.6% contribution margin; measured costs and actual fee terms must validate those envelopes.

No speculative viral subscriber count reduces today's fixed-cost allocation. If few subscribers cannot cover the minimum cost, the founder funds runway, changes pricing or delays launch. Heavy rendering, premium models and media egress are explicit add-ons. Overage charging requires opt-in; advertised included use is enforced server-side.

Each admitted job reserves worst-case cost and usage atomically. At 70% allowance we notify, at 90% we offer upgrade/overage options, and at exhaustion we reject new expensive work or offer a bounded lower-cost path. Forecast runtime margin below 35% triggers investigation; below 30% blocks new subsidized admission. The 50% operating target has its own stricter envelope. Accepted work keeps its reservation and visible status. Billing lag and ambiguous third-party charges require contingency; AWS budget alerts are not a hard stop.

## Observability, resiliency and recovery

CloudWatch observes backlog age/depth, DLQs, function errors/throttles/duration, workflow failures, model tokens/latency, hot keys, unknown publication receipts, due publication delay and cost/job. Approval, platform and billing events carry redacted correlation IDs. Durable minimal business audit is separate from short-retention debug logs; secrets and private messages are not copied into evidence.

Design targets are p95 acknowledgement <2 seconds at declared load, 99% of due publications attempted within five minutes when providers are available, and briefs ready by 08:00 tenant local time. They are **unmeasured**. Provider outage, exhausted entitlement and unknown delivery remain visible. Proposed business-data RPO is <=24 hours for synthetic training and <=15 minutes for commercial service, with regional restore RTO <=4 hours. A Region-loss commitment needs cross-Region protection and a timed restore; regional PITR alone is insufficient.

Retries are bounded and jittered. Permanent authentication/permission errors stop; timeout after an external send is reconciled first. DLQ redrive rechecks current approval, entitlement and provider receipts. Duplicates are expected across event boundaries; conditional state and deterministic keys handle them. We do not promise exactly-once publication across independent systems.

## Quality inputs, replaceable models

We designed the workbench around a portable input package: objective, source evidence and dates, brand profile, permissions, constraints, expected schema, evaluation rubric and cost allowance. A provider adapter translates that package into the chosen model API and normalizes the output. Claude, a licensed local model, or another supported cloud model can be evaluated against the same acceptance criteria. We select models by measured quality, privacy, tool support, latency and total runtime cost. Model agnostic does not mean every model behaves identically; compatibility and regression evidence determine which adapters are enabled.

Vendor links help readers explore the tools. Partner referrals and implementation services are supplementary business opportunities; the subscription guardrail assumes no referral income. Anthropic's [Claude Partner Network](https://claude.com/partners) provides one documented partner route for delivery expertise and registered business referrals.

## All 14 SAA-C03 task statements

The [official guide](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03.html) weights secure/resilient/high-performing/cost-optimized domains at 30%/26%/24%/20%. This case study maps each task to its design application and evidence requirements.

| Task | Day 1 / Day 2 design application | Evidence or bounded extension |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1.1 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain1.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain1-task1) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/FZFYKYYV19/domain-1-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/1SSMX53WP6) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/iam/) Access | Tenant/approver/workload roles and local-agent scope | MFA, policy denial, STS/federation, resource policy and multi-account/SCP lab |
| 1.2 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain1.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain1-task2) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/FZFYKYYV19/domain-1-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/1SSMX53WP6) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/vpc/) Workload security | OAuth secrets, signed ingress and private inference | VPC/subnet/SG/NACL design, WAF/Shield, endpoints and hybrid connection comparison |
| 1.3 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain1.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain1-task3) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/FZFYKYYV19/domain-1-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/1SSMX53WP6) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/kms) Data security | Private objects, version-bound approval, key/TLS policy and retention | Encrypt/decrypt denials, rotation/renewal, classification and restore |
| 2.1 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain2.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain2-task1) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/53VSXZ83QZ/domain-2-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/GPR3NYS8MB) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/sqs/) Loose coupling/scaling | Headless modules, queues, event routing and independent workers | Close-browser test, serverless/container boundary and technology-fit choices |
| 2.2 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain2.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain2-task2) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/53VSXZ83QZ/domain-2-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/GPR3NYS8MB) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/backup) Availability/resilience | Outbox, DLQs, unknown-send reconciliation, IaC and recovery | Failure injection, regional restore, DR alternatives and legacy-service improvement |
| 3.1 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain3.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain3-task1) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/1V5S9MC41R/domain-3-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/TKXSQ4NNZF) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/s3/) Storage | S3 media/research/briefs | Object/file/block comparison and EBS/EFS/FSx/hybrid extension |
| 3.2 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain3.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain3-task2) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/1V5S9MC41R/domain-3-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/TKXSQ4NNZF) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/ec2/) Compute | Local/small/cloud AI routing, memory/concurrency choice | Benchmarks plus EC2 Auto Scaling/ALB or ECS/Batch rendering experiment |
| 3.3 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain3.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain3-task3) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/1V5S9MC41R/domain-3-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/TKXSQ4NNZF) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/dynamodb/home) Database | Tenant keys/indexes and conditional writes | Hot-key test; relational engine/read replica/proxy/cache lab |
| 3.4 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain3.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain3-task4) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/1V5S9MC41R/domain-3-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/TKXSQ4NNZF) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/vpc/) Network | Stable TLS ingress, signed media delivery and resource placement | Edge/global/hybrid topology, load-balancer and bandwidth comparison |
| 3.5 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain3.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain3-task5) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/1V5S9MC41R/domain-3-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/TKXSQ4NNZF) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/glue/) Ingestion/transformation | Source intake, webhooks, conversion aggregation and brief | Secure lake, JSON/CSV-to-Parquet, Athena/Glue visualization and Kinesis comparison |
| 4.1 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4-task1) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/JWG25A9Y72/domain-4-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/ER14KB81AS) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/s3/) Storage cost | Retention, versions, transfer and direct uploads | Lifecycle/retrieval break-even, backup and hybrid/migration comparison |
| 4.2 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4-task2) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/JWG25A9Y72/domain-4-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/ER14KB81AS) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/costmanagement/) Compute cost | Local-versus-Bedrock economics, subscription reservations | Full-price ledger; instance sizing and Spot/commitment/on-demand alternatives |
| 4.3 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4-task3) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/JWG25A9Y72/domain-4-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/ER14KB81AS) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/dynamodb/home) Database cost | On-demand/provisioned decision, indexes/PITR | Request-size model, relational cost comparison, schema/data migration |
| 4.4 [Learn](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/solutions-architect-associate-03/solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4.html#solutions-architect-associate-03-domain4-task4) · [Practice](https://skillbuilder.aws/learn/JWG25A9Y72/domain-4-review-aws-certified-solutions-architect--associate-saac03--english/ER14KB81AS) · [Execute](https://console.aws.amazon.com/costmanagement/) Network cost | No speculative NAT, cache/egress/Region costs | NAT/endpoints/CDN, cross-AZ/Region routing, throttling and hybrid bandwidth estimate |

The detailed per-skill acceptance register and extension plans remain in the [operations case study](https://github.com/wickedspookyit-spec/wickedspooky.org/blob/main/public/docs/creator-workbench-case-study.md). Extension work is bounded and torn down after testing. Account-organization exercises are isolated/deferred when necessary to preserve credit eligibility. Designing unnecessary services into Creator would increase cost; studying and demonstrating those options is still required for broad exam coverage.

## Fail-forward: evidence changes the design

No incident is fabricated. Each real failure records requirement, observed symptom, impact, detection signal, competing hypotheses, root-cause evidence, containment, alternatives, fix, rollback, verification and the affected SAA skills. This is Continuous Learning applied to a concrete delivery decision.

| Planned experiment — not a historical incident | What we will learn | Verification after correction |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Local model worker loses power mid-job | Lease/heartbeat expiry and cloud fallback cannot depend on a home machine | One committed result, bounded fallback cost and usable status |
| Provider accepts a post but the response times out | Blind retry can duplicate an external side effect | Unknown receipt is reconciled; successful destination is not resent |
| Several generation requests reserve the same allowance | Non-atomic accounting can destroy margin | Parallel reservations cannot exceed the tenant/global envelope |
| Draft edited after approval | Content identity is part of authority | Old approval cannot authorize the replacement version |
| 10× burst creates a hot database partition | Managed scaling does not fix a poor access pattern | Revised partitioning/caps meet measured latency, drain and cost targets |

The event is only “verified” after the original failure case and relevant regressions pass with linked artifacts. Symptoms, unsuccessful hypotheses and cost impact stay in the record. Fail-forward means controlled repair and demonstrated learning, not proceeding with unresolved unauthorized publication or unbounded spend.

## Day 2 handoff: ready to build the right thing

We closed the design review with the AWS feature matrix, integration readiness ledger, budget/paid-growth distinction, local AI contract, explicit alternatives, subscription guardrails and exam evidence plan. The next implementation slice begins with identity, tenant state, observability and dry-run research/content; subsequent slices prove approval, publishing, subscriptions, attribution and recovery before commercial enablement.

The lab will evolve as those experiments generate evidence. The eventual Creator Workbench is built from these specifications; this training section remains its discussion, decision and learning record.