Quick Wins That Matter: Improve Your AWS Architecture Now

I first wrote a similar version of this article in my blog, playingaws.com, where I share hands-on AWS insights. But since quick wins are always useful, I thought it made sense to bring it here too!

1. Introduction

2. Take action: Quick Wins You Can Apply Today

• offer immediate improvements without requiring a complete revision of your cloud environment.
• enhance performance, security, and cost-efficiency quickly.
• help teams build momentum before tackling more complex optimizations.

2.1. Operational Excellence

Main Recommendation: Automate everything you can to minimize human error and improve operational efficiency.

• Quick-Wins
  • Enable AWS Config: Start tracking configuration changes for auditing.
  • Set up CloudWatch alerts: Get notified about issues before they escalate.
  • Use AWS Trusted Advisor: Identify operational improvements instantly.
  • Document key processes: A simple shared document can prevent chaos.
• Other important recommendations
  • Continuously improve operations through feedback and automation.
  • Build a culture of accountability and iteration.

2.2. Security

Main Recommendation: Apply security from the beginning and at every layer.

• Quick-Wins
  • Enable AWS Security Hub: Get a centralized view of security alerts.
  • Enable AWS Security Hub best practice standards: Configure built-in best practice standards to assess compliance and detect potential security gaps.
  • Activate GuardDuty: Detect threats and unauthorized activities in real-time.
  • Enable MFA: Multi-Factor Authentication is a must-have.
  • Turn on EBS default encryption: Protect your storage automatically.
• Other important recommendations
  • Build layered security across identity, encryption, and networking.
  • Regularly assess and audit your security posture with automated compliance checks.

2.3. Reliability

Main Recommendation: Build for failure. Assume services will fail and design for recovery.

• Quick-Wins
  • Create CloudWatch alarms: Detect failures before they cause downtime.
  • Automate backups: Use AWS Backup to centralize backup management.
  • Document recovery procedures: Ensure your team knows what to do when things go wrong.
  • Test resilience: Simulate failures with AWS Fault Injection Simulator.
• Other important recommendations
  • Ensure redundancy and fault tolerance at all levels of your architecture.
  • Implement proactive monitoring and automated recovery for critical services.

2.4. Performance Efficiency

Main Recommendation: Continuously review your resource usage to ensure you're not over-provisioned.

• Quick-Wins
  • Use AWS Compute Optimizer: Get recommendations for right-sizing resources.
  • Optimize EC2 instances: Adjust sizes for better performance and cost savings.
  • Clean up unused resources: Terminate unused EC2 instances, EBS volumes, etc.
• Other important recommendations
  • Regularly optimize and scale resources based on demand.
  • Consider serverless or managed services for efficiency.

2.5. Cost Optimization

Main Recommendation: Always optimize by rightsizing and using savings plans.

• Quick-Wins
  • Review AWS Trusted Advisor: Identify cost-saving opportunities instantly.
  • Set budget alerts: Use AWS Budgets to create cost thresholds and receive alerts if you're exceeding your budget.
  • Use AWS Cost Explorer: Understand and optimize spending patterns.
  • Delete unused resources: Stop paying for things you don’t use.
  • Minimize data transfer costs by keeping workloads and resources within the same region.
• Other important recommendations
  • Adopt a pay-for-what-you-use mindset.

2.6. Sustainability

Main Recommendation: Optimize infrastructure usage with serverless and managed services.

• Quick-Wins
  • Use AWS Managed Services: Benefit from AWS’s energy-efficient infrastructure.
  • Turn off idle resources: Automate shutdowns during off-hours.
  • Optimize storage: Enable S3 Intelligent-Tiering for cost efficiency.
  • Track your AWS carbon footprint with the AWS Customer Carbon Footprint Tool.
• Other important recommendations
  • Reduce environmental impact by optimizing resource usage.
  • Automate infrastructure management to minimize waste.

2.7. Visualizing the Quick-Wins

3. Conclusion

Remember, the Well-Architected Framework isn’t a one-time exercise. It’s a continuous improvement journey. Start small, iterate often, and keep refining your AWS architecture.

4. Next steps

• Overview of the AWS Well-Architected Framework: Why It’s Essential for Every Cloud Professional
• Deep Dive: Six Pillars
• AWS Well-Architected Tool: How the AWS Well-Architected Tool Can Transform Your Cloud Architecture

• AWS Well-Architected Framework
• Well-Architected Labs
• Online map tool