Cloud Shape

The Cloud shape represents cloud computing services, remote processes, or any operation performed in the cloud or by external services.

What is a Cloud Shape?

The Cloud shape represents:

• Cloud computing operations
• Remote API calls
• SaaS services
• Cloud storage (S3, Azure Blob, etc.)
• Third-party integrations
• Serverless functions

While not part of the original ISO 5807 standard, the Cloud shape has become a modern addition for representing cloud-based operations.

When to Use

Use the Cloud shape for:

• Cloud services: "Upload to S3", "Call AWS Lambda", "Store in Azure"
• API integrations: "Call Stripe API", "Fetch weather data"
• SaaS operations: "Send via SendGrid", "Process with Zapier"
• CDN operations: "Serve from CloudFlare", "Cache in CDN"
• Remote processing: "Execute in cloud function"

Visual Appearance

In DiagramKit, the Cloud shape appears as:

• Dimensions: 160×100 pixels
• Color: Light blue (#f0f9ff)
• Border: Blue (#3b82f6)
• Shape: Cloud outline

Best Practices

✅ Good Usage

[Prepare file]
   ↓
[Upload to S3]
   ↓
[Get public URL]
   ↓
[Save URL to database]

• Specify cloud service (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud)
• Indicate operation type (upload, call, fetch)
• Show what data is involved
• Include error handling for remote calls

❌ Avoid

• ❌ Local operations: "Save to disk" (use Stored Data)
• ❌ Local database: "Query MySQL" (use Database)
• ❌ Too vague: "Cloud" (which service?)
• ❌ Without service name

Common Examples

Example 1: File Upload

[Select file]
   ↓
[Validate file type]
   ↓
<Valid?>
  ↙    ↘
Yes    No
 ↓      ↓
[Upload [Error]
 to S3
 bucket]
 ↓
[Generate
 CloudFront
 URL]

Example 3: Payment Processing

[Collect payment details]
   ↓
[Tokenize with Stripe]
   ↓
[Call Stripe charge API]
   ↓
<Payment success?>
  ↙            ↘
Yes            No
 ↓              ↓
[Send         [Handle
 receipt       payment
 via           failure]
 SendGrid]

Common Cloud Services

Storage

• AWS: "Upload to S3", "Store in Glacier"
• Azure: "Save to Blob Storage", "Queue in Azure"
• Google Cloud: "Upload to Cloud Storage"

Computing

• Functions: "Execute Lambda", "Run Cloud Function"
• Serverless: "Process in Azure Functions"
• Containers: "Deploy to ECS", "Run on Cloud Run"

APIs & SaaS

• Payment: "Charge via Stripe", "Process with PayPal"
• Email: "Send via SendGrid", "Mail with Mailgun"
• Communication: "Send SMS via Twilio"

Error Handling with Cloud Services

[Prepare API request]
   ↓
[Call external API]
   ↓
<Success?>
  ↙         ↘
Yes         No
 ↓           ↓
[Process]  <Retry count < 3?>
  ↙              ↘
Yes              No
 ↓                ↓
[Wait 2s]      [Log error]
 ↓                ↓
(retry API)    [Fallback]

Related Shapes

• Database - For local databases
• Stored Data - For local files
• Data I/O - For general I/O
• Predefined Process - For API wrappers

Next Steps

• Learn about Database for local data storage
• Explore Data I/O for general operations
• Review API integration patterns for workflows
• Understand error handling best practices