Stack Organization Patterns
Atmos Design Patterns
These patterns show how to organize your stack files as your infrastructure grows from simple to complex.
Start Here
New to Atmos? Start with the simplest pattern that meets your needs:
| Pattern | Best For |
|---|---|
| Basic Stack Organization | Single region, dev/staging/prod environments |
| Multi-Region Configuration | Deploying to multiple AWS regions |
| Organizational Hierarchy | Enterprise with multiple teams, accounts, regions |
Building Blocks
These patterns can be combined with the patterns above:
| Pattern | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Mixins | Reusable configuration fragments (region defaults, stage defaults) |
| Layered Stack Configuration | Group components by function (network, data, compute) |
| _defaults.yaml Convention | Naming convention for inheritance files |
Progression Path
Most teams follow this progression as they grow:
Basic (dev/staging/prod)
↓
Multi-Region (add regions)
↓
Organizational Hierarchy (add teams/accounts)
Each pattern builds on the previous one. You don't need to start with the most complex pattern—start simple and evolve.
tip
Even if you know you'll need enterprise scale eventually, start with the Basic pattern to learn Atmos concepts, then migrate to more complex patterns as needed.
Related Patterns
- Component Catalog - Organize reusable component defaults
- Component Inheritance - Inherit configuration between components
