Well-Architecting Review Optimization at T-Systems: The Role of the AWS Well-Architected Framework and the aws-wafr-cli Tool
Tags: aws, python, eks, tsystem
Published: 2023-01-20 14:33:08

The **AWS Well-Architected Framework** is a set of guidelines and best practices for designing and operating systems in the cloud that are reliable, secure, efficient, and cost-effective. [T-Systems](https://www.t-systems.com/de/en), as an _AWS Premier Consulting Partner_, offers AWS consulting services to its customers and also conducts regular Well-Architected reviews. However, during these reviews, a significant amount of time is often spent on tasks that are already covered by the internal Landing Zone solutions. To streamline this repetitive and time-consuming process, T-Systems has developed a command-line interface (CLI) tool called `aws-wafr-cli`. This tool allows for faster and more efficient Well-Architected reviews. 

The `aws-wafr-cli` tool is built using _Python_ and the _boto3_ library. It can be used to create or update Well-Architected Tool workloads with preconfigured answers that have already been solved e.g. by central Landing Zone solutions. Additionally, the tool can be used to migrate workloads from one account to another, store custom lens templates, and publish them to your AWS accounts.

The `aws-wafr-cli` tool is open-source and available on [GitHub](https://github.com/t-systems/aws-wafr-cli). It is designed to be easy to use and can be installed with just a few simple commands. It can help you to optimize your _EKS_ workloads and ensure that they are aligned with the best practices and guidelines outlined in the AWS Well-Architected Framework.

One of the key benefits of using the `aws-wafr-cli` tool is that it allows you to standardize and automate the review process across multiple accounts and regions, making it easier to identify and address areas for improvement. The tool can also be used to generate _custom lens_ templates for _EKS_ clusters, which can be used to ensure that your clusters are aligned with your organization's specific security and compliance requirements.

_T-Systems_ has already performed several _EKS_ reviews with the help of this tool and with the help of its own _Managed EKS_ service. This allowed us to gain valuable insights and experience in reviewing and optimizing EKS workloads and to ensure that our customers have a secure and reliable service.

In conclusion, this tool allows us to streamline the process of reviewing and optimizing our customers' workloads. By utilizing the AWS Well-Architected Framework and the `aws-wafr-cli` tool, we are able to ensure that our customers' systems are reliable, secure, efficient, and cost-effective, while also reducing the time and effort required to perform reviews. 

If you're an AWS customer looking to optimize your EKS workloads, or if you're an AWS partner looking to streamline your review process, the `aws-wafr-cli` tool is a valuable resource that can help you to achieve your goals faster. 

If you're interested in learning more about the `aws-wafr-cli` tool, or if you're looking for assistance with optimizing your EKS workloads, please don't hesitate to reach out to us. We're always happy to help and provide guidance on how to best use the tool and the Well-Architected Framework in general.