AWS Well-Architected

Learn, measure, and build using architectural best practices

Get started with the AWS Well-Architected Tool

AWS Well-Architected helps cloud architects build secure, high-performing, resilient, and
efficient infrastructure for a variety of applications and workloads. Built around six pillars—
operational excellence, security, reliability, performance efficiency, cost optimization, and
sustainability—AWS Well-Architected provides a consistent approach for customers and
partners to evaluate architectures and implement scalable designs.

The AWS Well-Architected Framework includes domain-specific lenses, hands-on labs,

and the AWS Well-Architected Tool. The AWS Well-Architected Tool, available at no cost
in the AWS Management Console, provides a mechanism for regularly evaluating
workloads, identifying high-risk issues, and recording improvements.

AWS also provides access to an ecosystem of hundreds of members in the AWS Well-
Architected Partner Program. Engage a partner in your area to help analyze and review
your applications.

Reliance Steel and Aluminum Uses AWS Well-Architected Framework to Build Better in the
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AWS Well-Architected and the Six Pillars

Framework Overview
The AWS Well-Architected Framework describes key concepts, design principles, and
architectural best practices for designing and running workloads in the cloud. By
answering a few foundational questions, learn how well your architecture aligns with
cloud best practices and gain guidance for making improvements.

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Operational Excellence Pillar

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The operational excellence pillar focuses on running and monitoring systems, and
continually improving processes and procedures. Key topics include automating changes,
responding to events, and defining standards to manage daily operations.

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Security Pillar

The security pillar focuses on protecting information and systems. Key topics include
confidentiality and integrity of data, managing user permissions, and establishing controls
to detect security events.

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Reliability Pillar
The reliability pillar focuses on workloads performing their intended functions and how to
recover quickly from failure to meet demands. Key topics include distributed system
design, recovery planning, and adapting to changing requirements.

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Performance Efficiency Pillar

The performance efficiency pillar focuses on structured and streamlined allocation of IT

and computing resources. Key topics include selecting resource types and sizes
optimized for workload requirements, monitoring performance, and maintaining efficiency
as business needs evolve.

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Cost Optimization Pillar

The cost optimization pillar focuses on avoiding unnecessary costs. Key topics include
understanding spending over time and controlling fund allocation, selecting resources of
the right type and quantity, and scaling to meet business needs without overspending.

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Sustainability Pillar

The sustainability pillar focuses on minimizing the environmental impacts of running cloud
workloads. Key topics include a shared responsibility model for sustainability,
understanding impact, and maximizing utilization to minimize required resources and
reduce downstream impacts.

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AWS Well-Architected Lenses

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AWS Well-Architected Lenses extend the guidance offered by AWS Well-Architected to
specific industry and technology domains, such as machine learning (ML), data analytics,
serverless, high performance computing (HPC), IoT, SAP, streaming media, the games
industry, hybrid networking, and financial services. To fully evaluate workloads, use
applicable lenses together with the AWS Well-Architected Framework and its six pillars.

Whitepaper
Māori Data Lens - AWS Well-Architected
Best practices for applying Māori data considerations while using AWS.

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Māori Data Lens | Well-Architected Framework

August 2024

Whitepaper
Financial Services Industry Lens – AWS Well-Architected
Best practices for architecting your Financial Services Industry workloads on AWS.
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Financial Services | Well-Architected Framework

May 2024

Whitepaper
Mergers and Acquisitions Lens - AWS Well-Architected
Best practices for workload integration and migration to the cloud during mergers
and acquisitions.

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Mergers and Acquisitions | Well-Architected Framework

May 2024

Whitepaper
Migration Lens – AWS Well-Architected
Best practices for how to migrate to the AWS Cloud.

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Migration | Well-Architected Framework

January 2024

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 Whitepaper
Connected Mobility Lens – AWS Well-Architected
Best practices for integrating technology into transportation systems and enhancing
the overall mobility experience.

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Automotive | Transport & Logistics | Well-Architected Framework

January 2024

Whitepaper
Data Analytics Lens – AWS Well-Architected
This paper describes the AWS Well-Architected Data Analytics Lens, a collection of
customer-proven best practices for designing well-architected analytics workloads.
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Analytics | Well-Architected Framework

December 2023

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AWS Well-Architected Guidance

Unlike the Framework and Lenses, which are aligned with all six pillars of the Well-
Architected Framework, AWS Well-Architected Guidance focuses on a specific use case,
technology, or implementation scenario.

Whitepaper
Change Enablement in the Cloud
Discusses change enablement and the Well-Architected Framework in the context
of applying governance to deploying changes to your AWS environment.

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Management & Governance | Well-Architected Framework

June 2024

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Whitepaper
DevOps Guidance
Describes a structured approach that organizations of all sizes can follow to
cultivate a high-velocity, security-focused culture capable of delivering substantial
business value using modern technologies and DevOps best practices.
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Management & Governance | Well-Architected Framework

September 2023

Whitepaper
Reducing the Scope of Impact with Cell-Based Architecture
Describes how using a cell-based architecture can increase the resilience of critical
applications by applying the same fault isolation concepts that AWS applies in its
Availability Zones and Regions to your architecture.
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Well-Architected Framework

September 2023

Whitepaper
Operational Readiness Reviews (ORR)
Describes how the AWS Operational Readiness Review (ORR) was created and
guides you in creating your own ORR program as part of the AWS Well-Architected
Framework.

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Management & Governance | Well-Architected Framework

June 2022

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 Whitepaper
Disaster Recovery of Workloads on AWS: Recovery in the
Cloud
This paper outlines the best practices for planning and testing disaster recovery for
any workload deployed to AWS, and offers different approaches to mitigate risks,
improve resilience, and meet the Recovery Time Objective (RTO) and Recovery
Point Objective (RPO) for that workload.

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Management & Governance | Storage | Well-Architected Framework

February 2022

Whitepaper
Management and Governance Cloud Environment Guide –
AWS…
Provides prescriptive guidance on how to manage your AWS workloads so that you
have environments that are migration-ready, scale-ready, and cost-efficient.
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Management & Governance | Well-Architected Framework

November 2021

AWS Well-Architected References

CyberAgent, Inc.

“CyberAgent, Inc. has been able to rapidly learn about AWS and visualize potential
business risks by adopting the AWS Well-Architected Framework. In addition, we
were able to use the knowledge we accumulated from AWS Well-Architected best
practices to implement architectural changes and successfully resolve risks.”

Shota Tsuge, Senior Organizational Reliability Engineer - CyberAgent, Inc.

NEC Corporation

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 “NEC has conducted AWS Well-Architected Framework Reviews on various
projects to improve the quality of integration. In the development of Water Counter
Cloud Service, we conducted a review at an early stage of the design process. This
enabled us to identify design issues early and resolve them quickly, allowing us to
deliver services to Sakai City Waterworks and Sewerage Bureau as quickly as
possible. The AWS Well-Architected Framework is also very useful for training
engineers, and is indispensable for improving our technical capabilities as a system
integrator.”

Nobuaki Iijima, General Manager - NEC Corporation

AWS Well-Architected Partners

AWS Well-Architected Partner Program members have in-depth training on the AWS
Well-Architected Framework, and are empowered to implement best practices, measure
workload states, and make improvements where required.

Customers engaged with these partners see significant cost savings, improved
application performance, and reduced security risks. Engage an AWS Well-Architected
Partner and ask about AWS service credits.

Architect Learning Path

If you’re new to AWS, use this path to learn how to design applications and systems on
AWS. Build technical skills as you progress along the path toward AWS Certification.

Learn about the AWS Well-Architected Tool

The AWS Well-Architected Tool, available at no cost in the AWS

Management Console, helps you review the state of your workloads,
compares them to the latest AWS architectural best practices, and
offers suggestions to improve them.

Learn more

Register for training

Take our self-paced training that provides pillar-specific design

principles and examples of AWS Well-Architected best practices.

Register now

Become a partner

Learn more about what it takes to become an AWS Well-Architected

Partner and how to run a successful engagement.

Sign up

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