Table of contents
1.
Introduction
2.
AWS Well-Architected Framework
3.
What is AWS Well-Architected Tool?
4.
Definitions
5.
Provisioning an IAM User
5.1.
Full Access
5.2.
Read-Only Access
6.
Define a Workload
7.
Document a Workload
8.
FAQs
8.1.
What is AWS's well-architected tool?
8.2.
What exactly is a well-architected review in AWS?
8.3.
What are the five pillars of a well-architected framework?
9.
Conclusion
Last Updated: Mar 27, 2024

AWS Well-Architected Tool

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Introduction

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is an Amazon company that provides on-demand cloud computing platforms and APIs to people, businesses, and governments on a pay-as-you-go basis. These cloud computing web services provide distributed computing processing capability and software tools via AWS server farms. Now, let us start with AWS Well-Architected Tool Framework. 

AWS Well-Architected Framework

The AWS Well-Architected Framework includes fundamental questions that help you understand how a particular design corresponds with cloud best practices. The framework provides a uniform way of assessing systems against the traits that current cloud-based systems are expected to have. The framework proposes enhancements to your architecture based on the current state of your architecture.

What is AWS Well-Architected Tool?

AWS Well-Architected Tool is a cloud service that provides a consistent approach for assessing your architecture following AWS best practices. The Amazon Web Services WA Tool assists you throughout the product lifecycle by

  • Assisting with the documentation of your decisions
  • Making advice regarding how to improve your Workload based on best practices
  • Advising you on how to make your workflows more dependable, secure, efficient, and cost-effective
     

One may use the AWS WA Tool to document and measure the Workload following the AWS Well-Architected Framework best practices. AWS Solutions Architects established these best practices based on their years of experience designing solutions for a wide range of enterprises. The framework offers a systematic approach to measuring architectures and guidance for implementing designs that grow with the requirements over time.

Definitions

Here we will see some of the popular terms related to AWS Well-Architected Tool and AWS Well-Architected Framework:

  • The Workload is a collection of components that provide business value. The workload is often the level of detail about which business and technology executives communicate. Workloads include marketing websites, e-commerce websites, a mobile app's backend, and analytic systems.
     
  • Milestones represent significant changes in your architecture as it grows throughout the product lifecycle – design, testing, going live, and production.
     
  • Lenses allow you to continuously compare your structures to best practices and find opportunities for improvement.
     
  • High-risk issues (HRIs) are architectural and operational decisions discovered by AWS which can negatively impact a business. These HRIs might impact organizational operations, assets, and personnel.
     
  • Medium-risk issues (MRIs) are architectural and operational decisions discovered by AWS which can have a lower impact on business than HRIs.
     

Provisioning an IAM User

In this step, the organization grants an IAM user permission to use the AWS Well-Architected Tool. 

  • Create a new IAM user or use one that is already connected with the AWS account. 
  • Permit the IAM user to utilize the AWS Well-Architected Tool.

 

Here, we can give two types of access to an IAM User:

Full Access

It gives the user complete control over the AWS WA Tool. This permission is necessary to define workloads, delete workloads, view workloads, and update workloads.

Apply the WellArchitectedConsoleFullAccess managed policy to the user or we can also use a custom inline policy:

{
  "Version": "2022-05-22",
  "Statement" : [  
    {
    "Effect" : "Allow",
    "Action" : [
          "wellarchitected:*"
    ],
    "Resource": "*"
    }
  ]
}

 

Read-Only Access

It only allows the user to view the workloads.

Apply the WellArchitectedConsoleReadOnlyAccess managed policy to the user or we can also apply a custom inline policy to the user:

{
  "Version": "2022-05-22",
  "Statement" : [  
    {
    "Effect" : "Allow",
    "Action" : [
          "wellarchitected:Get*",
          "wellarchitected:List*"
    ],
    "Resource": "*"
    }
  ]
}

 

Now, we will see how we can define a workload.

Define a Workload

Following are the steps required to Define a workload:

1. Sign in to the AWS Management Console and access the AWS Well-Architected Tool console.

2. Select Define workload from the Define a workload section.

3. Enter a name for your workload in the Name box.

4. Enter a description of the workload in the Description box. The description must be between three and two hundred characters long.

5. Enter the name, email address, or identity of the primary group or individual controlling the workload review process in the Review owner box.

6. Select the Regions for your workload under the Regions section:

  • AWS Regions - Select the AWS Regions in which your workload will execute one at a time.
  • Non-AWS regions - Enter the names of non-AWS areas where your workload executes. You can enter up to five distinct areas, separated by commas. Choose both the options, if your workload requires it.    


7. Select Next - If a required box is left blank or a provided value is incorrect, you must fix the problem before proceeding.

8. Select the lenses that are appropriate for this workload. A task can have up to 20 lenses. AWS provides the following lenses:

  • AWS Well-Architected Framework - This lens offers a collection of foundational questions to explore for all of your cloud designs. All workloads are viewed via this lens.
     
  • FTR Lens - Choose this lens to see a list of extra questions to think about before seeking a Foundational Technical Review (FTR) in the AWS Partner Network (APN).
     
  • Serverless Lens - Choose this lens to get a list of additional questions to think about for your serverless application workloads.
     
  • SaaS Lens - Choose this lens to get a list of extra questions to think about for your software as a service (SaaS) workloads. 
     
  • If you have created custom lenses, or custom lenses have been shared with you, they will also appear in the list.
     

9. Select Define workload - If a required box is left blank or a provided value is incorrect, you must rectify the problem before defining your workload.

Document a Workload

After a workload has been defined, we document its state.

Following are the steps to document a workload:

1. After you define a workload, you will see a page that displays the current information about your task. To begin, choose Start reviewing. Otherwise, pick Workloads from the left navigation pane and then the name of the workload to view the workload information page. Select Continue reviewing.

2. The first question is now presented to you. For each question:

  • Read the question and decide if it relates to your task.
  • Choose Info to examine the information on the right panel for more help.
  • Select Question does not apply to this workload if the question does not apply to your workload.
  • Otherwise, choose the best practices from the list that you are presently using.
  • If you are not already following any of the recommended practices, choose none of these
     

3. If one or more best practices do not apply to your task, choose Mark's best practice(s) that do not apply to this workload. You may optionally specify a rationale and provide further details for each selected best practice. 

4. Use the Notes section to fill in details about the question. For example, you may explain why the question does not apply or provide additional information on the best practices chosen.

5. Select Next to go to the next question.

6. Repeat these steps for each pillar's question.

7. To save your changes and pause documenting your workload, choose Save and Quit at any moment.

8. Return to the questions by visiting the workload information page and selecting Continue reviewing.

FAQs

What is AWS's well-architected tool?

AWS's well-architected tool can assess and measure your architecture as a free service; depending on your answers in the form, it will show you possible hazards and suggestions for your infrastructure.

What exactly is a well-architected review in AWS?

AWS Well-Architected Tool helps you to assess your additional infrastructure through a methodical workload evaluation, displaying possible risks and recommendations for your infrastructure.

As a result, the well-architected AWS assessment enables us to establish a workload and obtain critical information about the present infrastructure setups.

What are the five pillars of a well-architected framework?

Amazon Web Services has used 5 AWS well-architected framework pillars to highlight those crucial concerns to execute on an application that is vital for your application's interest:

  • Operational Excellence
  • Security
  • Reliability
  • Efficiency
  • Cost Optimization

Conclusion

In this blog, we have extensively discussed AWS Well-Architected tool. We have also discussed the AWS well-architected framework and the terms of the AWS WA tool. We have learned how we can define and document a workload.

We hope that this blog has helped you enhance your knowledge regarding the topic of AWS Well-Architected Tool, and if you would like to learn more, check out our articles on our platform Coding Ninjas Studio

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