AWS Architecture: Why an AWS architect is unable to fix your cost and performance issues long term

Steve Rastall (Founder & CEO) 20-Nov-2024 10:57:43

AWS Managed Cloud Service

Summary

If you're an IT manager, then you know that cloud computing is a big deal. AWS (Amazon Web Services) is one of the most popular cloud platforms out there, and for good reason—it's incredibly versatile.

But configuring AWS to run your custom applications can be daunting, especially if you're not familiar with all its features. We'll walk you through the key considerations for a successful AWS architecture and successful deployment.

These are the areas you need to think about if you are having persistent issues with performance or cost or both. Your AWS architecture is nearly always the root of the problem. You might have legacy development constraints from moving your workload over from on-premise as you join the global cloud. However, these are constraints you can redevelop for outside AWS. They should not stop your architecture in AWS from performing as you need them to.

What is an AWS architecture and what does it do?

AWS architectures are AWS-specific ways of representing AWS environments. They define the AWS resources that make up an environment and how those resources interact with each other. AWS architectures also specify the AWS management tools and services that can be used to manage and deploy AWS environments. AWS architectures are designed to provide a high degree of flexibility and scalability while minimizing costs. AWS architectures can be used to represent both simple and complex AWS environments.

What causes bottlenecks in AWS performance and increases in cost (IS my AWS well-architected)?

AN AWS architecture is designed to provide you with the flexibility to deploy your applications in a wide variety of configurations. You can choose to deploy your application in a single Availability Zone or across multiple Availability Zones. Availability Zones are physically separate data centres that are located in different areas of the world. By deploying your application in multiple Availability Zones, you can protect your application from localized outages. In addition, you can also choose to deploy your application on an Auto Scaling group, which will automatically scale your application based on demand. As a result, AWS architecture provides you with the ability to deploy your applications in a manner that is both highly available and scalable.

There are many potential causes of performance bottlenecks and cost increases in AWS. However, the most common cause is an incorrect or poorly designed AWS architecture. A well-designed AWS architecture will take into account the needs of the applications and workloads it will support, as well as the anticipated growth of those applications and workloads. In contrast, a poorly designed AWS architecture is often the result of a "one size fits all" approach that fails to take into account the specific needs of the applications and workloads it will support. As a result, bottlenecks can develop that slow down performance and increase costs.

How do I know if my AWS architecture is the problem?

If you're experiencing persistent problems with performance or cost, then it's likely that your AWS cloud architecture is the root of the problem. To determine if your architecture is the cause of your problems, you can ask yourself the following questions:

Is my AWS cloud architecture well designed for the applications and workloads it supports?
Have I taken into account the anticipated growth of my applications and workloads when designing my AWS architecture?
Have I checked if there are any areas of my architecture that seem inefficient or unnecessary?

If you answered "No" to any of these questions, then it's likely that your AWS architecture is the cause of your problems. To fix these problems, you'll need to rework your architecture configuration. All the time reference your issues to your architecture diagram and see where they could be related.

Should I have an AWS architecture diagram or blueprint?

As any IT professional knows, a well-designed architecture is essential for any cloud-based system. By creating a clear and concise architecture diagram, of your deployment, you can ensure that all parts of your system are properly connected and that your resources are being used efficiently. AWS architecture diagrams can also help you to troubleshoot problems and pinpoint areas for improvement.

If you are a SaaS or ISV business and run multiple implementations of the same environment then a set of architecture diagrams documenting the known differences between development, testing and live deployments are a must.

In short, architecture diagrams are a valuable tool for any organization that relies on Amazon Web Services. If you're responsible for managing resources, then you should absolutely create architecture diagrams. To operate your AWS infrastructure for the long term this is a must. Doing so will save you time, money and frustration in the long run.

Should an architect be AWS certified and what resources and media are available?

Any architect worth their salt should be AWS certified. Amazon Web Services certification is in high demand across industries, and the, pay premiums for those who have the credential can be upwards of 20-30% more than their non-certified counterparts. Furthermore, employers are increasingly looking for candidates who are certified in AWS, as the platform is becoming more and more popular for businesses of all sizes.

There are a plethora of resources and media available to help potential candidates study for and obtain their AWS certification on the AWS website as well as many forums and guides covering a broad range of AWS-related topics and news. In addition, there are many tutorials and API references (Documentation for AWS services) available free of charge. There are also live online presentations covering documentation for popular services aiming to bring the AWS computing community together online. With so many resources at their disposal, there is no excuse for any architect not to be AWS certified.

If you are using an AWS-certified third party like an AWS Partner, then they should always have a level of certification.

What impact does this have on your software deployment in AWS?

If you have a poorly designed AWS architecture, it can lead to bottlenecks in performance and increases in cost. As a result, it's important to make sure that your AWS architecture is well designed before deploying your software in AWS.

Otherwise, you will end up spending more money than necessary, or you may not be able to scale your software as your business grows. The end result of this is that although your workloads have moved to the cloud you have not realised any of the benefits of moving to the cloud. You will not be able to accelerate your business outcomes and goals for the cloud.

Why is an AWS architect / Expert not the answer to your problems long term?

While an AWS architect / expert can help you redesign your AWS architecture, they are not a long-term solution to your problems. Once your AWS architecture is redesigned, you'll need to continue to monitor it and make changes as needed to keep it running efficiently. So, an approach based on the professional services of a consultant is not going to be reactive enough, especially as a good AWS consultant is hard to find.

Amazon Web Services is not a static platform in the same way that an on-premise environment could be. With this in mind, you will want to stay on top of changes to the platform and the services you use, but you don't want that to cause break-fix issue resolution times to increase for your deployments.

In addition, as your business grows and changes, you'll need to update your AWS architecture to accommodate those changes. As a result, it's important to have someone on your team who is responsible for monitoring and maintaining your AWS architecture long-term.

What is an Alternative to an AWS architect?

As any IT professional knows, cloud architecture is essential for managing a growing business. Not only does it provide scalability and flexibility, but it also helps to save money on infrastructure costs.

Cloud management software is an excellent alternative to AWS architecture. It provides all of the benefits of a cloud platform without the lock-in. Additionally, it gives businesses the ability to manage multiple clouds from a single interface. As a result, it is an ideal solution for businesses that are looking for an alternative to AWS architecture.

What advantages does this have for ISVs or SaaS software businesses?

When it comes to custom software deployments in AWS, one of the biggest concerns is overspending. As businesses scale, they can quickly rack up unexpected costs due to increased usage of AWS resources. This can put a strain on budgets and cause businesses to re-evaluate their deployment strategies.

In order to avoid overspending, it is important to carefully monitor resource usage and track costs on a regular basis. Additionally, businesses should consider using reserved instances or other cost-saving strategies. By taking these steps, businesses can ensure that their software deployment is both efficient and cost-effective.

How can you move your architecture to a NoOps approach using AWS management software?

Software development teams are under constant pressure to release new features and updates at a rapid pace. In order to meet these demands, many organizations have adopted a DevOps approach, which emphasizes collaboration between developers and operations teams. However, even with a DevOps approach, there can be bottlenecks in the release process. One way to address these bottlenecks is to move to a NoOps approach.

In a NoOps environment, all software development is managed by automation tools. This includes infrastructure provisioning, application deployments, and monitoring. By using automation, organizations can release new features and updates much faster, without the need for manual intervention.

This also has a beneficial effect on your cloud architecture as it controls and stabilises it across your multiple environments from development to live. To read more about this and how CloudOps can help your team move towards this read our article on the subject.

How can IG CloudOps help

Getting the right AWS architecture in place for your situation is like hitting a moving target. It needs to evolve as the AWS platform evolves. An AWS consultancy exercise or professional services engagement is not likely to get you the result you need in the long term for this reason.

CloudOps includes the monitoring and professional managed services for your architecture ongoing. CloudOps doesn't go on holiday or take breaks. It will augment your team's cloud capabilities as well as monitor, maintain and then make recommendations for your specific workload to effectively optimize your AWS costs and performance.

To find out more about how CloudOps can help you optimise your AWS architecture take a test drive.

CloudOps includes:

24/7 assisted support
Single pane of glass dashboards
Cost analysis and reduction recommendations
Licence / Risk registers
Monitoring with fault find and fix
Automated backup
Automated patching and maintenance

On top of that, we also provide you with a technology adoption manager who will learn your business inside out, as well as advisory services, guidance, and support. So, book a test drive and see how CloudOps can resolve your Azure issues and keep your Azure deployments on track.

CloudOps is designed specifically to give you full transparency, control, and support, for your cloud infrastructure.

Get in touch with a member of our team to learn more, and we’d be happy to help!

Steve Rastall