Published 24 June 2026
AWS Cost Protection Strategy
How a billing audit led to a layered AWS cost protection strategy using budget alerts, monthly reviews, region restrictions and IAM guardrails to reduce the risk of unexpected charges.
Read note →Cloud Engineering Portfolio
AWS projects by Cliff Smith
Cliffable is a cloud engineering portfolio documenting my transition from music and education into cloud architecture.
Through hands-on AWS projects, I design, build and document real systems covering web hosting, DNS, networking, monitoring and automation. Each project focuses on the architecture, implementation decisions and lessons learned along the way.
AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner. Currently preparing for AWS Solutions Architect Associate.
Featured Projects
Static Website on AWS with Automated CI/CD Pipeline
Designed and deployed a static website on AWS using S3, CloudFront, Route 53, ACM and GitHub Actions, with automated CI/CD, HTTPS and DNS routing.
Migrating a WordPress Website to AWS Lightsail
Migrated a live business website to AWS Lightsail with HTTPS, static IP, DNS configuration, backups and a 96% reduction in hosting cost.
Latest Engineering Notes
Short technical notes from building, operating and improving real cloud systems.
Published 12 June 2026
A WordPress Infrastructure Review
How a security alert and monitoring alarms led to a broader review of my WordPress infrastructure, exposing weaknesses in security, domain management and operational processes.
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Published 5 June 2026
Organising Domains, DNS and SSL in AWS
How I consolidated Cliffable domains into a dedicated AWS account and built HTTPS redirects for secondary domains using Route 53, CloudFront, ACM and S3.
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Published 31 May 2026
When a 1GB Lightsail Instance Wasn't Enough
How a production outage and memory exhaustion revealed the limitations of a 1 GB Lightsail instance and led to an infrastructure upgrade.
Read note →About
I’m transitioning into cloud architecture, focused on designing and building real-world systems on AWS.
Through hands-on projects, I explore how cloud services fit together in practice — from networking and DNS to scalable, production-ready architectures.
This site documents that journey, with a focus on clarity, structure, and real implementation.
Background in music and education (BMus Hons). AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner, preparing for Solutions Architect (Associate).