Core Whitepapers
To dive deeper into the AWS Well-Architected Framework and its pillars, review the following official whitepapers:
⚙️ Operational Excellence Pillar Resources
The Operational Excellence pillar of the AWS Well-Architected Framework focuses on running and monitoring systems effectively to deliver business value, while continuously improving processes. Below are key resources to help you adopt best practices in operations, monitoring, automation, and more.
📘 Modernizing operations in the AWS Cloud
Learn how to modernize operations as you migrate workloads to AWS.
📰 AWS DevOps Blog
Stay current with AWS DevOps announcements, launches, and best practices.
🗂️ Centralized Logging on AWS
Implement a centralized approach to collect and analyze logs from multiple AWS accounts and regions.
⏱️ Designing and implementing logging and monitoring with Amazon CloudWatch
A detailed guide on building observability using CloudWatch and related services.
💻 Monitor Amazon EC2
Best practices for monitoring EC2 instances and setting up alerts.
🔄 Reinventing Automated Operations (Part 1)
Strategies for improving operational efficiency through automation.
🔁 Reinventing Automated Operations (Part 2)
A continuation of automation best practices in AWS operations.
🛠️ Systems Manager Automation Runbook Reference
A comprehensive list of AWS Systems Manager runbooks to automate routine operational tasks.
🔐 Security Pillar Resources
The Security pillar of the AWS Well-Architected Framework emphasizes protecting information, systems, and assets while delivering business value through risk assessments and mitigation strategies. Below is a curated list of helpful AWS resources to guide you in building and managing secure cloud environments.
📘 Introduction to AWS Security Whitepaper
A comprehensive overview of AWS security practices and principles.
📰 AWS Security Blog
Stay updated with the latest security launches, guidance, and use cases from AWS.
🔐 Apply Least-Privilege Permissions
Best practices for granting only the permissions required to perform a task.
🔒 Enable MFA on the AWS Account Root User
A step-by-step guide to securing your root account with multi-factor authentication.
🧾 AWS Account Root User Credentials and IAM User Credentials
Understand which operations require root access and how to manage IAM roles safely.
✅ AWS Compliance Program
Explore AWS’s compliance certifications, regulations, and frameworks.
👤 AWS Account Root User
Additional info on managing and protecting your AWS root user.
🏢 Managing the Multi-Account Environment Using AWS Organizations and AWS Control Tower
Simplify multi-account governance using AWS native tools.
🗂️ Organizing Your AWS Environment Using Multiple Accounts
Whitepaper on account structure strategies for large organizations.
📄 Amazon Web Services: Risk and Compliance
Understand how AWS manages risk and maintains compliance at scale.
🌐 Logical Separation on AWS
Techniques for separating workloads and environments securely.
🔐 Security Best Practices for Your VPC
Tips to safeguard your Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) from unauthorized access.
🛡️ AWS Security Services
Explore AWS services purpose-built for security, compliance, and governance.
📥 Control Traffic to Resources Using Security Groups
Set up security groups to manage inbound/outbound traffic rules.
🌍 AWS Service Endpoints
A list of available AWS service endpoints across regions.
🚧 Control Traffic to Subnets Using Network ACLs
Network Access Control Lists for subnet-level security control.
🔍 Centralized Logging and Multiple-Account Security Guardrails
Best practices for centralized security monitoring across AWS accounts.
🔁 Reliability Pillar Resources
The Reliability pillar of the AWS Well-Architected Framework focuses on preventing and quickly recovering from failures to meet business and customer expectations. The resources below cover how to design highly available and fault-tolerant architectures, as well as proven strategies for disaster recovery in the AWS Cloud.
🏗️ Architecture I: How to Get High Availability
Learn foundational principles for achieving high availability in modern application architectures.
🌐 Building a Scalable and Secure Multi-VPC AWS Network Infrastructure
Explore how to design a multi-VPC setup that is both scalable and secure.
🏛️ Let’s Architect! Creating Resilient Architecture
An AWS Architecture Blog series post focused on building for resilience.
📡 Using Route 53 Private Hosted Zones for Cross-account Multi-region Architectures
Techniques for improving name resolution reliability in complex multi-account setups.
📈 Architecting for Reliable Scalability
Learn how to scale applications reliably using AWS-native tools and patterns.
☁️ Disaster Recovery Options in the Cloud
A whitepaper outlining disaster recovery models, from backup & restore to multi-site active/active.
🛠️ Disaster Recovery (DR) Architecture on AWS, Part I: Strategies for Recovery in the Cloud
Understand different DR strategies, their tradeoffs, and when to use them.
📦 Disaster Recovery (DR) Architecture on AWS, Part II: Backup and Restore with Rapid Recovery
A deep dive into fast recovery techniques using AWS storage services.
🔥 Disaster Recovery (DR) Architecture on AWS, Part III: Pilot Light and Warm Standby
Learn how to maintain minimal standby infrastructure for cost-effective resilience.
🌍 Disaster Recovery (DR) Architecture on AWS, Part IV: Multi-site Active/Active
Achieve the highest availability by running production workloads across multiple sites.
🚀 Performance Efficiency Pillar Resources
The Performance Efficiency pillar of the AWS Well-Architected Framework focuses on using cloud resources efficiently to meet system requirements and to maintain that efficiency as demand changes and technologies evolve. Below are key AWS resources to help you make the most of AWS infrastructure, architecture patterns, and connectivity options.
🌍 AWS Global Infrastructure
Learn how AWS’s global network of Regions and Availability Zones supports low-latency, highly available applications.
🏗️ AWS Architecture Center
Explore reference architectures, best practices, and design patterns for building on AWS.
🧰 AWS Solutions Library
Browse vetted, ready-to-deploy solutions that help solve common architectural challenges.
🌐 What to Consider when Selecting a Region for your Workloads
Key factors to evaluate when choosing an AWS Region for optimal performance and compliance.
🔌 Amazon Virtual Private Cloud Connectivity Options
Understand the available connectivity methods for your VPC, including VPN, Direct Connect, and more.
🌉 Hybrid Connectivity (PDF)
A whitepaper detailing how to connect on-premises environments to AWS securely and efficiently.
💸 Cost Optimization Pillar Resources
The Cost Optimization pillar of the AWS Well-Architected Framework is all about running systems to deliver business value at the lowest price point. These resources will help you manage, allocate, and optimize your AWS spend—without sacrificing performance or innovation.
📊 Overview of Data Transfer Costs for Common Architectures
Understand how data transfer costs vary across architectural patterns and how to design cost-effective systems.
🧮 AWS Data Transfer Charges for Server and Serverless Architectures
Breakdown of transfer charges specific to different compute models, with tips for managing them efficiently.
🏷️ Tagging AWS Resources
Leverage tags for effective cost allocation, governance, and management across your AWS environment.
🧾 Cost Allocation Blog Series #1: Cost Allocation Basics That You Need to Know
A deep dive into allocating AWS costs correctly and consistently across teams and projects.
📌 How Projects Can be Tracked on AWS to Increase Accountability and Reduce Cost
Learn how to track project spend and ownership using AWS tools for improved accountability and cost savings.
🛠️ AWS Pricing/TCO Tools
Explore calculators and tools to estimate pricing, model TCO, and project cloud costs with confidence.
📈 What are AWS Cost and Usage Reports?
Generate detailed usage reports to help you dive deep into cost analysis and forecasting.
📉 Optimizing Your Cost with Rightsizing Recommendations
Use AWS’s built-in tools to identify underutilized resources and rightsize them for optimal cost efficiency.
🌱 AWS Sustainability Resources
The Sustainability pillar focuses on environmental impact, helping you make informed decisions to reduce carbon emissions and operate more efficiently in the cloud. The following resources offer guidance on how to architect with sustainability in mind and leverage AWS tools to support your goals.
📘 Sustainability Pillar – AWS Well-Architected Framework
Dive into best practices, design principles, and key considerations for building sustainable workloads on AWS.
📝 Design Principles for Sustainability in the Cloud
Learn the core design principles that can help reduce the environmental impact of your cloud architectures.
📊 Customer Carbon Footprint Tool
Track, measure, and report your organization’s carbon emissions from AWS usage with this built-in tool.
📚 Sustainability in the Cloud Learning Plan
A free training plan to help individuals and teams understand and apply sustainability practices in AWS.
🌍 The Green Software Foundation
An industry-wide initiative that promotes sustainable software development practices, including AWS collaboration.
📈 Reducing the Environmental Impact of Your AWS Workloads
Practical guidance and optimization tips to make your workloads more energy efficient.