The Well-Architected Framework is one of the more useful things to have internalised for serious AWS work. It comes up in architecture trade-off discussions, CDK design decisions, cost justifications, security reviews - not as a formal checklist but as a consistent vocabulary for reasoning through decisions. I started writing notes to keep the structure clear and they grew into this series.
The framework is AWS’s documented approach to evaluating cloud workloads against a set of architectural best practices. It is structured around six pillars, supported by a tool for running formal reviews against your own workloads, and extended by Lenses that apply the same thinking to specific domains like serverless or SaaS. This series works through each component.
The six pillars
The pillars are the core of the framework. Each defines a set of design principles and best practices.
| Pillar | What it addresses |
|---|---|
| Operational Excellence | Running and monitoring workloads, improving processes over time |
| Security | Protecting data, systems, and assets |
| Reliability | Recovering from failures and meeting demand |
| Performance Efficiency | Using resources efficiently as demand changes |
| Cost Optimization | Avoiding unnecessary spend |
| Sustainability | Minimising the environmental impact of cloud workloads |
No pillar operates in isolation - a decision that improves reliability (multi-AZ) has cost implications; a decision that improves performance (larger instance) has sustainability implications. The framework acknowledges these trade-offs rather than pretending they do not exist.
The series
Chapter 1 - The Well-Architected Tool
What the Tool is, how to run a workload review, how to interpret findings, and how the Tool differs from ad hoc pillar checklists.
Chapter 2 - The Six Pillars
An overview of all six pillars - design principles, key questions, and the trade-offs each one introduces. The map before the deep dives.
Chapter 3 - Security Pillar
Identity, detection, infrastructure protection, data protection, and incident response - the security pillar in detail.
Chapter 4 - Reliability Pillar
Foundations, workload architecture, change management, and failure management - what reliability means in the context of AWS workloads.
Chapter 5 - Lenses
How Lenses extend the framework for specific domains - Serverless, SaaS, Machine Learning, and others - and when to apply them.
Notes
- Content is based on the public AWS Well-Architected Framework documentation, not any specific workload or employer environment.
- More chapters added as I dive deep into each pillar.