Scaling AWS Network Architecture: Hub-and-Spoke vs. Mesh Patterns in Production

AWS VPC design fundamentally determines system scalability, security, and operational complexity, yet many architectures start simple and break under growth. This analysis examines real-world patterns—hub-and-spoke and full mesh—exposing hidden costs including Transit Gateway fees, traffic asymmetry risks, and troubleshooting complexity that enterprises face when scaling beyond a single VPC.