Revolutionizing Assessments: A Dive into AWS Well-Architected Tool's Newest Feature – “Review Templates”

​Table of Contents

Introduction
What is Review Template?
Benefits of Review Template
Review Templates in Action

Accessing the AWS Well-Architected Tool
Creating a Review Template
Customizing Your Review Template
Defining Workload from Template

Well Architected Tool pricing
Resource Clean up
Conclusion

Introduction

AWS continues to empower organizations with tools that enhance operational efficiency, scalability, and reliability. One such tool, the AWS Well-Architected Tool, has recently introduced a game-changing feature - the “Review Template”. This innovative addition promises to revolutionize how organizations approach and implement best practices, fostering consistency and standardization across teams and workloads.

What is Review Template?

Review templates in the AWS Well-Architected Tool serve as a powerful solution to the challenge of repeatedly filling in the same answers for best practices across various workloads. These templates enable users to pre-fill answers for both Well-Architected Framework and custom lens best practice questions. The primary goal is to streamline the process of conducting Well-Architected reviews while ensuring that common best practices are consistently applied.

Benefits of Review Template

Review Templates in Action

Accessing the AWS Well-Architected Tool

• Begin by logging into the AWS Management Console and navigating to the Well-Architected Tool.

Creating a Review Template

• Once in the Well-Architected Tool, locate the "Review Templates" section.

• Click on "Create Template" to initiate the process.

• Name your template and provide a brief description to help users understand its purpose.

• Select the relevant workload type (e.g., production, development) for which you intend to use the template.

• Select "AWS Well-Architected Framework" and then click on "Create Template"

• You will see that your template is created and as of now you have not answered any questions of the Well-Architected Framework Pillar.

Customizing Your Review Template

• The beauty of Review Templates lies in the ability to pre-fill answers for common best practice questions.

• Navigate through the well-architected pillars and questions, providing answers that align with your organization's standards.

• As you progress, notice how the Review Template auto-populates answers, saving you valuable time during future well-architected reviews.

• Once you have provided answers to questions of various well-architected pillars, you will see that the template will get updated.

Defining Workload from Template

• Once your Review Template is configured, you can use it to define workloads effortlessly.

• Select "Define workload from template" and choose the template you created.

• The tool will apply the pre-filled answers and notes to the new workload, ensuring consistency with established best practices.

• Now select the Review Template that you have already created.
  

• Enter details of your workload such as Name, Description, Review Owner, environment and regions and then click "Next"

• Keep it as it is and click "Next"

• Applying Profile is optional. You can apply if you want to, as of now we are skipping it and click on "Next"

• In Lenses, click on "AWS Well-Architected Framework"

• Here, you can see that your workload is created and automatically the questions are answered because we have created this workload using the Review Template.

• If there are few questions that you want to edit, click on "Edit". Once you answer those questions it will reflect in "Workload overview"

Edit Review Template

• To edit a review template choose the review template and then select 'Edit' in the Template details section of the Overview tab to update the Name, Description, or Template notes.

• To modify applied lenses for the review template, select 'Edit applied lenses' in the Lenses section of the Overview tab.

Share Review Template

• Navigate to the Review templates section in the left menu, choose the desired template, click on the Shares tab, and then create and select "Share with IAM users or accounts" to specify user or account IDs in the Send invitations box before choosing Create.

• Create and choose "Share with Organizations" to share with an organization or organizational unit. Opt for "Grant permissions to the entire Organization" for the entire organization or select "Grant permissions to individual Organizational Units," specify the unit, and click Create for sharing with a specific organizational unit.

Well Architected Tool pricing

The AWS Well-Architected Tool itself is generally offered at no additional cost. However, it's essential to note that the AWS Well-Architected Review process may involve the use of other AWS services, and the cost associated with those services is separate from the Well-Architected Tool itself. For example, if your review identifies recommendations for changes to your AWS architecture, implementing those changes might involve using additional AWS resources or services that have their own associated costs.

Resource Clean up

After performing this practical, DO NOT FORGET to delete all your resources.

Conclusion

The introduction of the Review Template feature in the AWS Well-Architected Tool marks a significant step forward in simplifying and enhancing the well-architected review process. By reducing manual efforts, promoting consistency, enabling collaboration, and facilitating the scaling of best practices, this feature aligns seamlessly with AWS's commitment to providing tools that empower users to build robust and efficient cloud architectures.

Embrace the power of Review Templates to elevate your AWS architecture to new heights of efficiency and excellence!