From Good to Great: Using AWS Well-Architected Tool for Cloud Excellence
Tags: aws, wellarchitected, cloud, workload
Published: 2024-05-23 18:23:48

Operation excellence, Security, Reliability, Performance Efficiency, Cost Optimisation, Sustainability

Introduction
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A few years ago, AWS provided us with the AWS Well-Architected Framework on their website, which describes key concepts, design principles, and architectural best practices for designing and running workloads in the cloud. The page features six pillars: **Operational Excellence, Security, Reliability, Performance Efficiency, Cost Optimization, and Sustainability**. For each pillar, there is an option to read more about it, as well as a lab option. After some time, AWS enabled us to define workloads through the service AWS Well-Architected Tool. Today, I will write more about how excellent this service is and how it can help our workload function better than before.



![1](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/tamv9kll7lefmep3osh3.png)
Downloaded from: [https://afdclinics.com/the-six-pillars-of-health/](https://afdclinics.com/the-six-pillars-of-health/)

Prerequisites
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Create [AWS Account](https://aws.amazon.com/resources/create-account/). I already have an AWS Account, so I won’t be creating a new one.

Define a workload
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You need to do a few steps to define your workload:

1.  Go to your account on AWS Console and type in the search bar **AWS Well-Architected Tool.**


![1](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/axm3cpgea033q8vf0yfz.png)
    

2\. Click the **Define workload** orange button.


![2](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/oplvsebxm27k0ay2civ2.png)


3\. You need to define a few parameters for your workload, such as N**ame, Description, Review owner, Environment, and Region**. Every other parameter is **optional**. When you are finished, press the **Next** button


![3](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/ngu3zh7alne0mbd924fk.png)


![4](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/rhicffavltlm4q4b3401.png)


4\. If you want, you can create a profile or search for it. I won’t do that.


![5](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/kym9vye3fj48rcfguybe.png)


5\. By default the **AWS Well-Architected Framework** is checked. Click the **Define workload** button.


![6](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/gnqg2dskdwdqhqie7gqe.png)


Workload overview part I
------------------------

Now that we have our workload, let’s see what options we have available. In the **overview** **section**, we have basic information such as:

*   Last updated
    
*   Overall questions answered
    
*   Overall risks
    
*   Workload notes


![7](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/c8c7ko39gd446acgonya.png)
    

The **Milestones section** is very important. In it, we store upgrades, for example, we receive results after the first review, and then based on the results we change certain things related to our application and want to perform a new upgrade. The new upgrade will be displayed in the Milestones section, just like the old one, which will remain there.

The **Properties section** has properties of our workload that we set before.

![8](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/o6y2hqxxlltw0tnug5mc.png)


In the **Shares section**, we can share this with the other Principals.

Start reviewing
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It’s time to answer the questions for each lens, just click the **Start reviewing** button.


![9](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/h3caxa9ja572pdsjpy85.png)


We have **six pillars** on the left side, and each pillar has several questions.


![10](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/bw7ta1ay63izq7gytbm5.png)


In the middle, we have the main question and several sub-questions.


![11](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/6e3d9l40offa3hrhrlcx.png)


On the right side, we have explanations for every sub-question.


![12](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/eobdnifqe92zadod30sf.png)


Our task now is to go through each pillar, each question, and each sub-question, and after we finish, it’s necessary to press the **Save and exit** button and **Save milestone** button.


![13](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/l7cnikyacj8yivwfkjuy.png)


Name your milestone and click the **Save** button.


![14](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/lvdjzymyd0haqi4jvhyu.png)


Workload overview part II
-------------------------

What did you get after you answered the questions? **I got 16 high-risk and 4 medium-risk** and I have to do everything to minimize the risk.


![15](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/rqczqj3x6qe3nhj0h2uf.png)


How can you do the same?

Scroll down and you will see **Lenses**. Click the High risks number (16).


![16](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/0w9kbrnmdbix5kf3lqbr.png)

You will see under the **improvement plan** what you need to improve.


![17](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/gtpyx63y5dirh9r31xbc.png)


For example, the question is **How do you securely operate your workload?** Click the **recommended improvement items** and you will see something like this:


![18](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/jg2jcjgmsxf5j6z8dv9j.png)


In my case, I will go to my app and I do as recommended.Don’t forget to click every recommendation, it will guide you to AWS documentation.

Continue reviewing
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If you have fixed what was risky, you can go to **Continue Reviewing** and check off what you have fixed. Go to your workload under the AWS Well-Architected tool and click the **Continue reviewing** button.


![19](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/pjylssdzkebtrtrnrb30.png)


After you have checked off what you have fixed, you need to click the **Save Milestone** button. I will name it **basketball-scoreboard-1.1**.


![20](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/xgea7l50l2yceuoddbqs.png)


Under the **Milestones section**, you will see your versions of the AWS Well-Architected tool.


![21](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/8wa5jg2c98tg8atrlofh.png)



Conclusion
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The AWS Well-Architected Tool is essential if you want your workload to operate according to the best AWS practices. Speaking from my experience, the AWS Well-Architected Tool has helped me a lot, especially in terms of security, so I highly recommend using it. As for pricing, there is no additional charge for the AWS Well-Architected Tool. You pay only for your underlying AWS resources.

[www.ahmedsrebrenica.com](https://www.ahmedsrebrenica.com/)