Three-Tier Architecture

Classic presentation, business, and data layer separation for scalable applications

Overview

Three-tier architecture is a well-established software architecture pattern that separates applications into three logical and physical computing tiers: the presentation tier (user interface), the application tier (business logic), and the data tier (data storage and management).

Architecture Components

Presentation Tier

The user interface layer that handles user interactions and displays information. This includes web browsers, mobile apps, or desktop applications.

  • User interface components
  • Client-side validation
  • Session management

Application Tier

The business logic layer that processes user requests, enforces business rules, and coordinates between the presentation and data tiers.

  • Business logic processing
  • API endpoints
  • Authentication & authorization

Data Tier

The data storage layer that manages data persistence, retrieval, and integrity through databases and data management systems.

  • Database management
  • Data validation
  • Backup and recovery

Benefits & Use Cases

Scalability

Each tier can be scaled independently based on demand

Maintainability

Clear separation of concerns makes updates easier

Security

Multiple layers provide defense in depth

Flexibility

Technology choices can vary per tier

AWS Implementation

Common AWS services for implementing three-tier architecture:

  • Presentation Tier: CloudFront, S3 (static hosting), ALB
  • Application Tier: EC2, ECS, Lambda, API Gateway
  • Data Tier: RDS, DynamoDB, ElastiCache, S3

Infrastructure as Code Samples

CloudFormation Templates

AWS Three-Tier Web Architecture Workshop

Complete CloudFormation templates for VPC, subnets, ALB, EC2, RDS with step-by-step implementation guide

GitHub Repository

AWS CloudFormation Templates Collection

Production-ready CloudFormation templates including three-tier web applications and enterprise patterns

GitHub Repository

AWS Quick Start - LAMP Stack

Three-tier LAMP architecture with CloudFormation, including web servers, application logic, and database tiers

GitHub Repository

Terraform Modules

Terraform AWS VPC Module

Modular VPC setup for three-tier architecture with public/private subnets and NAT gateways

GitHub Repository

HashiCorp Learn - AWS Three-Tier

Complete Terraform tutorial for building three-tier infrastructure on AWS with best practices

Tutorial + Code

Multi-AZ Three-Tier Terraform

High-availability multi-AZ three-tier infrastructure with Terraform modules and configurations

GitHub Repository

AWS Whitepapers & Documentation

AWS Well-Architected Framework - Multi-Tier Architecture

Official AWS guidance on building resilient multi-tier architectures with reliability best practices

AWS Documentation

AWS Architecture Center - Reference Architectures

Collection of reference architecture diagrams including three-tier web applications and enterprise patterns

AWS Architecture Center