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Rangan Mahesh
Rangan Mahesh

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AWS Well-Architected Framework: Why you should know it to work with AWS

Building applications and infrastructure in the cloud is becoming easier everyday, it is very important to understand the need for better design that is scalable and efficient.

The AWS Well-Architected Framework helps you understand the pros and cons of decisions you make while building systems on AWS. Having well-architected systems greatly improves technical debt of your AWS landscape and the likelihood of business success.

The AWS Well-Architected framework focuses on the six pillars, namely:

  • Operational excellence
  • Security
  • Reliability
  • Performance efficiency
  • Cost optimization
  • Sustainability

Purpose and Focus of each pillar

Operational excellence

Purpose
Understand the importance of operations to effectively manage, monitor and support cloud workloads.

Key Focus

  • Perform operations as code
  • Make frequent, small, reversible changes
  • Refine operations procedures frequently
  • Anticipate failure
  • Learn from all operational failures

Learn more about Operational Excellence Pillar

Security

Purpose
Secure your workload in AWS by following best practices

Key Focus

  • Identity foundation
  • Traceability
  • Detection
  • Data protection
  • Incident response

Learn more about Security Pillar

Reliability

Purpose
The reliability pillar focuses on the ability of a workload to perform its intended function correctly and consistently. This includes the ability to operate and test the workload through its total lifecycle.

Key Focus

  • Recover from failure automatically
  • Test recovery procedures
  • Scale horizontally to eliminate a single point of failure
  • Automate changes
  • Stop guessing capacity

Learn more about Reliability Pillar

Performance Efficiency

Purpose
Make better use of resources in the cloud to manage requirements. Understand how to handle efficiency as demand changes and technologies evolve.

Key Focus

  • Effectively use better technology and tools in AWS
  • Use AWS Regions to provide better capabilities at lower latency
  • Go server-less and eliminate overhead work with servers/applications
  • Experiment to find your best match
  • Use technology that aligns with your goals

Learn more about Performance Efficiency Pillar

Cost Optimization

Purpose
Build and operate cost-aware workloads that achieve business outcomes while minimizing costs and allowing your organization to maximize its return on investment.

Key Focus

  • Implement cloud financial management
  • Adopt a consumption model
  • Measure overall efficiency

Learn more about Cost Optimization Pillar

Sustainability

Purpose
Understand the long-term environmental, economic, and societal impact of the services used. Quantify and apply design principles and best practices to reduce these impacts

Key Focus

  • Understand your impact
  • Establish sustainability goals
  • Maximize utilization
  • Anticipate and adopt new, more efficient hardware and software offerings
  • Use managed services
  • Reduce the downstream impact of your cloud workloads

Learn more about Cost Optimization Pillar

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