The AWS Well-Architected Framework describes the key concepts, design principles, and architectural best practices for designing and running workloads in the cloud. By answering a series of basic questions, you will learn how well your architecture aligns with cloud best practices and receive guidance for improvements.

• The “Operational Excellence” pillar deals with the execution and monitoring of the systems provided. The aim is to generate real added value for the business and to consistently optimize processes and procedures. Key topics include automating changes, responding to incidents and events, and defining standards for managing day-to-day operations.

• The “Security” pillar of the Well-Architected framework addresses the protection of information and systems. Key topics include data confidentiality and integrity, credential identification and management, system protection, and the establishment of controls to detect security events.

• The “Reliability” pillar focuses on ensuring that a workload performs its intended function correctly and consistently at the right time. A resilient workload recovers quickly from failures to meet business and customer demands. Key issues include distributed systems design, recovery planning, and change handling.

• The “Performance and Efficiency" pillar addresses the efficient use of IT and computing resources. Key topics include selecting the right resource types and sizes based on workload requirements, monitoring performance, and making informed decisions to maintain efficiency as business needs change.

• The “Cost Optimization" pillar is concerned with avoiding unnecessary costs. Key issues include understanding and controlling what money is spent on, selecting the most appropriate and right number of resource types, analyzing spend over time, and scaling to meet business needs without overspending.

• The “Sustainability” pillar addresses minimizing impacts on the environment through the use of cloud workloads. Core themes are the shared responsibility model for sustainability, understanding environmental impact, and making the best use of existing resources to reduce environmental impact.