I design and build secure, scalable cloud platforms.
I help engineering teams design, modernize, and operate production cloud infrastructure across multi-cloud and sovereign cloud environments.
From architecture and hybrid connectivity to Kubernetes, security, automation, and reliability, I take systems from design to implementation and validation, and leave your team with infrastructure they can own and operate.
Prefer to write first? Send me the details and I will reply within one business day.
From the Blog
Latest articles
How to Design a Production-Grade Google Cloud Landing Zone with Terraform
Before you deploy applications to Google Cloud, you need clear boundaries. You need to know which project each resource lives in, which network it uses, who can access it, and which security controls
Production Kubernetes Security: Enforcing Zero Trust with Kyverno & OPA Gatekeeper
Scanning and signing can confirm an image is acceptable, but they don't prevent unsafe images from running. Admission control fills this gap. However, many teams either skip this step or only partiall
Production Kubernetes Security: Building a Zero-Trust Supply Chain with Trivy, Cosign, and Falco
Kubernetes made orchestration easier, but it didn’t fix security. In fact, for many organisations, it quietly made things harder. Teams that once focused on securing a few monolithic servers now manag
Practice Areas
Cloud & Platform Engineering
I design and build production infrastructure with a focus on security, resilience, automation, and long-term operational ownership.
Resource hierarchy, networking, IAM, security controls, governance, shared services, and workload onboarding.
- Cloud foundation design (AWS / Azure / GCP)
- Resource hierarchy and account/subscription structure
- Network architecture and segmentation
- IAM and security controls
- Governance and policy frameworks
- Shared services and workload onboarding
Hybrid connectivity, routing, VPN, BGP, network segmentation, and cross-cloud architecture.
- Hybrid connectivity design (VPN, ExpressRoute, Interconnect)
- BGP routing and network segmentation
- Cross-cloud architecture and integration
- Private connectivity and service mesh
- Multi-cloud networking strategy
Cluster architecture, networking, security, automation, workload platforms, and operational practices.
- Platform architecture and multi-cluster design
- OpenShift or upstream Kubernetes standardization
- GitOps-based delivery (Argo CD / Flux)
- RBAC, identity, and workload isolation design
- Networking, service mesh, and ingress architecture
- Observability and operational readiness (day-2 operations)
Terraform, CI/CD, policy-as-code, environment management, configuration, and infrastructure validation.
- Infrastructure as code (Terraform / OpenTofu / Pulumi)
- CI/CD pipeline design and automation
- Policy-as-code and compliance enforcement
- Environment management and promotion strategies
- Configuration management and drift detection
- Infrastructure validation and testing
IAM, workload identity, least privilege, zero-trust principles, privileged access, network controls, and cloud security architecture.
- Identity and access management (IAM) design
- Workload identity and least-privilege access
- Zero-trust architecture principles
- Privileged access management
- Network security controls and segmentation
- Cloud security posture and compliance
Centralized logging, monitoring, alerting, incident response, reliability engineering, and operational readiness.
- Centralized logging and monitoring architecture
- Metrics, tracing, and alerting (Prometheus, Grafana, OpenTelemetry)
- SLI/SLO definition and reliability engineering
- Incident response workflows and escalation design
- Operational dashboards and reporting
- Operational readiness and runbook development
High availability, regional resilience, backup strategy, disaster recovery, business continuity, and recovery validation.
- High availability and regional resilience design
- Multi-region and multi-availability-zone architecture
- Backup and data replication strategies
- RTO/RPO planning and recovery procedures
- Business continuity planning
- Disaster recovery testing and validation
API gateways, AI service integration, Vertex AI, Gemini, model access, identity, security, observability, and platform governance.
- API gateway and AI service integration patterns
- Vertex AI, Gemini, and model access architecture
- Identity, security, and access controls for AI workloads
- Observability and cost management for AI platforms
- Platform governance and compliance
Built by a Practitioner
About
I'm Muhammad Rafay, a Cloud & Platform Engineer. I design and build production platforms on AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud: landing zones, hybrid connectivity, Kubernetes, IAM, infrastructure as code, observability, and disaster recovery.
I work hands-on across the full lifecycle, from architecture through implementation, validation, and handoff. The goal is simple: systems your team can understand, operate, and evolve without depending on a consultant.
How I Operate
Engineering without unnecessary layers.
Direct access
You work directly with the engineer designing and implementing your platform.
Clear scope
Defined deliverables, architecture decisions, milestones, and expectations from the beginning.
Hands-on delivery
I don’t stop at architecture diagrams. I implement, test, document, and validate the solution.
Full ownership
Your team receives the infrastructure, documentation, configuration, and knowledge required to operate it independently.
How I Work
From Architecture to Operational Ownership
A structured engagement designed to move from problem to working infrastructure without unnecessary process.
- 01.
Discovery
Understand the system.
A focused conversation to understand your current environment, technical constraints, business requirements, and desired outcome.
30 minutes · No obligation
- 02.
Architecture & Scope
Define the solution.
I assess the current state, identify architectural considerations, define the target approach, and establish clear deliverables.
Architecture · Scope · Timeline · Cost
- 03.
Implementation
Build the platform.
Architecture becomes working infrastructure. Infrastructure as code, cloud configuration, networking, security, automation, testing, and documentation are developed within your environment.
Typical engagements: 2–8 weeks
- 04.
Validation & Handoff
Prove it works.
The implementation is validated against the agreed requirements, documented, and handed over to your team. Architecture documentation, runbooks, walkthroughs, and operational knowledge are included.
30 days post-delivery support
No pitch deck. A direct conversation about your infrastructure.
From the Blog
Architecture, Engineering & Lessons from Production
I write about cloud architecture, platform engineering, Kubernetes, hybrid infrastructure, security, automation, and the engineering decisions behind production systems.
The goal isn't another collection of copy-and-paste tutorials. I focus on why an architecture is designed a certain way, what trade-offs are involved, and how to validate that the resulting platform actually works.
Read the blogLet's talk about your infrastructure
Tell me what you are building or where your platform is under strain. I read every enquiry myself and reply within one business day.
Prefer to just talk?
Book a 30-minute discovery call. No obligation, no pitch deck.
Book a 30-minute callOr email directly: [email protected]