WAF++ Documentation
Community Framework · Vendor-neutral · Open Source
WAF++ is a community-driven framework for the structured assessment of cloud and platform architectures. It makes architectural decisions measurable, traceable, and auditable – across 7 clear pillars.
Scope
Cloud · Platform · Governance
Principle
Vendor-neutral
Output
Traceability & Auditability
Pillars
The 7 Pillars of WAF++
Each pillar is a self-contained focus area with concrete controls, best practices, and measurable evidence requirements. Click a pillar to dive right in.
🛡️
Pillar 1
Security
IAM, encryption, Zero Trust, network segmentation, Policy-as-Code.
💰
Pillar 2
Cost Optimization
FinOps, cost transparency, budgets, guardrails, right-sizing.
⚡
Pillar 3
Performance Efficiency
Scalability, latency, load balancing, auto-scaling, caching.
🔄
Pillar 4
Reliability
Resilience, SLOs, backup & recovery, failover, chaos engineering.
⚙️
Pillar 5
Operational Excellence
CI/CD, monitoring, observability, incident management, automation.
🌱
Pillar 6
Sustainability
Green IT, CO₂ footprint, energy efficiency, resource-efficient architecture.
🔐
Pillar 7
Sovereign
Data residency, exit strategies, GDPR, BSI C5, key ownership, jurisdiction control.
Practice
How to use WAF++
Architecture Reviews
Assess new platforms and workloads across the 7 pillars – structured, traceable, and auditable.
Platform Standards
Derive guardrails, default configurations, and standards – a paved road instead of ad-hoc decisions and sprawl.
Audit & Compliance
Controls and evidence requirements per pillar enable internally and externally auditable reviews.
WAF++ vs. Alternatives
A condensed comparison for quick orientation.
| Criterion | WAF++ | Alternatives |
|---|---|---|
| Vendor neutral | ✅ Yes | ✕ No |
| Governance model | ✅ Yes | ✕ No |
| Sovereignty as a pillar | ✅ Yes | ⚠ Partial |
| Evidence & auditable | ✅ Yes | ⚠ Partial |
Contribute
WAF++ is an open community project. We welcome contributions – whether pillar content, controls, or feedback.
Contribute →