# PERF 1 How do you select the best performing architecture?
Often, multiple approaches are required for optimal performance across a workload. Well-architected systems use multiple solutions and features to improve performance.
**Topics**
+ [PERF01-BP01 Understand the available services and resources](perf_performing_architecture_evaluate_resources.md)
+ [PERF01-BP02 Define a process for architectural choices](perf_performing_architecture_process.md)
+ [PERF01-BP03 Factor cost requirements into decisions](perf_performing_architecture_cost.md)
+ [PERF01-BP04 Use policies or reference architectures](perf_performing_architecture_use_policies.md)
+ [PERF01-BP05 Use guidance from your cloud provider or an appropriate partner](perf_performing_architecture_external_guidance.md)
+ [PERF01-BP06 Benchmark existing workloads](perf_performing_architecture_benchmark.md)
+ [PERF01-BP07 Load test your workload](perf_performing_architecture_load_test.md)
# PERF01-BP01 Understand the available services and resources
Learn about and understand the wide range of services and resources available in the cloud. Identify the relevant services and configuration options for your workload, and understand how to achieve optimal performance.
If you are evaluating an existing workload, you must generate an inventory of the various services resources it consumes. Your inventory helps you evaluate which components can be replaced with managed services and newer technologies.
**Common anti-patterns:**
+ You use the cloud as a collocated data center.
+ You use shared storage for all things that need persistent storage.
+ You do not use automatic scaling.
+ You use instance types that are closest matched, but larger where needed, to your current standards.
+ You deploy and manage technologies that are available as managed services.
**Benefits of establishing this best practice:** By considering services you may be unfamiliar with, you may be able to greatly reduce the cost of infrastructure and the effort required to maintain your services. You may be able to accelerate your time to market by deploying new services and features.
**Level of risk exposed if this best practice is not established:** High
## Implementation guidance
Inventory your workload software and architecture for related services: Gather an inventory of your workload and decide which category of products to learn more about. Identify workload components that can be replaced with managed services to increase performance and reduce operational complexity.
## Resources
**Related documents:**
+ [AWS Architecture Center](https://aws.amazon.com/architecture/)
+ [AWS Partner Network](https://aws.amazon.com/partners/)
+ [AWS Solutions Library](https://aws.amazon.com/solutions/)
+ [AWS Knowledge Center](https://aws.amazon.com/premiumsupport/knowledge-center/)
**Related videos:**
+ [Introducing The Amazon Builders’ Library (DOP328)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKRdemSirDM)
+ [This is my Architecture](https://aws.amazon.com/architecture/this-is-my-architecture/)
**Related examples:**
+ [AWS Samples](https://github.com/aws-samples)
+ [AWS SDK Examples](https://github.com/awsdocs/aws-doc-sdk-examples)
# PERF01-BP02 Define a process for architectural choices
Use internal experience and knowledge of the cloud, or external resources such as published use cases, relevant documentation, or whitepapers, to define a process to choose resources and services. You should define a process that encourages experimentation and benchmarking with the services that could be used in your workload.
When you write critical user stories for your architecture, you should include performance requirements, such as specifying how quickly each critical story should run. For these critical stories, you should implement additional scripted user journeys to ensure that you have visibility into how these stories perform against your requirements.
**Common anti-patterns:**
+ You assume your current architecture will become static and not be updated over time.
+ You introduce architecture changes over time without justification.
**Benefits of establishing this best practice:** By having a defined process for making architectural changes, you enable using the gathered data to influence your workload design over time.
**Level of risk exposed if this best practice is not established:** High
## Implementation guidance
Select an architectural approach: Identify the kind of architecture that meets your performance requirements. Identify constraints, such as the media for delivery (desktop, web, mobile, IoT), legacy requirements, and integrations. Identify opportunities for reuse, including refactoring. Consult other teams, architecture diagrams, and resources such as AWS Solution Architects, AWS Reference Architectures, and AWS Partners to help you choose an architecture.
Define performance requirements: Use the customer experience to identify the most important metrics. For each metric, identify the target, measurement approach, and priority. Define the customer experience. Document the performance experience required by customers, including how customers will judge the performance of the workload. Prioritize experience concerns for critical user stories. Include performance requirements and implement scripted user journeys to ensure that you know how the stories perform against your requirements.
## Resources
**Related documents:**
+ [AWS Architecture Center](https://aws.amazon.com/architecture/)
+ [AWS Partner Network](https://aws.amazon.com/partners/)
+ [AWS Solutions Library](https://aws.amazon.com/solutions/)
+ [AWS Knowledge Center](https://aws.amazon.com/premiumsupport/knowledge-center/)
**Related videos:**
+ [Introducing The Amazon Builders’ Library (DOP328)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKRdemSirDM)
+ [This is my Architecture](https://aws.amazon.com/architecture/this-is-my-architecture/)
**Related examples:**
+ [AWS Samples](https://github.com/aws-samples)
+ [AWS SDK Examples](https://github.com/awsdocs/aws-doc-sdk-examples)
# PERF01-BP03 Factor cost requirements into decisions
Workloads often have cost requirements for operation. Use internal cost controls to select resource types and sizes based on predicted resource need.
Determine which workload components could be replaced with fully managed services, such as managed databases, in-memory caches, and ETL services. Reducing your operational workload allows you to focus resources on business outcomes.
For cost requirement best practices, refer to the *Cost-Effective Resources* section of the [Cost Optimization Pillar whitepaper](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/wellarchitected/latest/cost-optimization-pillar/welcome.html).
**Common anti-patterns:**
+ You only use one family of instances.
+ You do not evaluate licensed solutions versus open-source solutions
+ You only use block storage.
+ You deploy common software on EC2 instances and Amazon EBS or ephemeral volumes that are available as a managed service.
**Benefits of establishing this best practice:** Considering cost when making your selections will allow you to enable other investments.
**Level of risk exposed if this best practice is not established:** Medium
## Implementation guidance
Optimize workload components to reduce cost: Right size workload components and enable elasticity to reduce cost and maximize component efficiency. Determine which workload components can be replaced with managed services when appropriate, such as managed databases, in-memory caches, and reverse proxies.
## Resources
**Related documents:**
+ [AWS Architecture Center](https://aws.amazon.com/architecture/)
+ [AWS Partner Network](https://aws.amazon.com/partners/)
+ [AWS Solutions Library](https://aws.amazon.com/solutions/)
+ [AWS Knowledge Center](https://aws.amazon.com/premiumsupport/knowledge-center/)
+ [AWS Compute Optimizer](https://aws.amazon.com/compute-optimizer/)
**Related videos:**
+ [Introducing The Amazon Builders’ Library (DOP328)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKRdemSirDM)
+ [This is my Architecture](https://aws.amazon.com/architecture/this-is-my-architecture/)
+ [Optimize performance and cost for your AWS compute (CMP323-R1) ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zt6jYJLK8sg&ref=wellarchitected)
**Related examples:**
+ [AWS Samples](https://github.com/aws-samples)
+ [AWS SDK Examples](https://github.com/awsdocs/aws-doc-sdk-examples)
+ [Rightsizing with Compute Optimizer and Memory utilization enabled](https://www.wellarchitectedlabs.com/cost/200_labs/200_aws_resource_optimization/5_ec2_computer_opt/)
+ [AWS Compute Optimizer Demo code](https://github.com/awslabs/ec2-spot-labs/tree/master/aws-compute-optimizer)
# PERF01-BP04 Use policies or reference architectures
Maximize performance and efficiency by evaluating internal policies and existing reference architectures and using your analysis to select services and configurations for your workload.
**Common anti-patterns:**
+ You allow wide use of technology selection that may impact the management overhead of your company.
**Benefits of establishing this best practice:** Establishing a policy for architecture, technology, and vendor choices will allow decisions to be made quickly.
**Level of risk exposed if this best practice is not established:** Medium
## Implementation guidance
Deploy your workload using existing policies or reference architectures: Integrate the services into your cloud deployment, then use your performance tests to ensure that you can continue to meet your performance requirements.
## Resources
**Related documents:**
+ [AWS Architecture Center](https://aws.amazon.com/architecture/)
+ [AWS Partner Network](https://aws.amazon.com/partners/)
+ [AWS Solutions Library](https://aws.amazon.com/solutions/)
+ [AWS Knowledge Center](https://aws.amazon.com/premiumsupport/knowledge-center/)
**Related videos:**
+ [Introducing The Amazon Builders’ Library (DOP328)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKRdemSirDM)
+ [This is my Architecture](https://aws.amazon.com/architecture/this-is-my-architecture/)
**Related examples:**
+ [AWS Samples](https://github.com/aws-samples)
+ [AWS SDK Examples](https://github.com/awsdocs/aws-doc-sdk-examples)
# PERF01-BP05 Use guidance from your cloud provider or an appropriate partner
Use cloud company resources, such as solutions architects, professional services, or an appropriate partner to guide your decisions. These resources can help review and improve your architecture for optimal performance.
Reach out to AWS for assistance when you need additional guidance or product information. AWS Solutions Architects and [AWS Professional Services](https://aws.amazon.com/professional-services/) provide guidance for solution implementation. [AWS Partners](https://aws.amazon.com/partners/) provide AWS expertise to help you unlock agility and innovation for your business.
**Common anti-patterns:**
+ You use AWS as a common data center provider.
+ You use AWS services in a manner that they were not designed for.
**Benefits of establishing this best practice:** Consulting with your provider or a partner will give you confidence in your decisions.
**Level of risk exposed if this best practice is not established:** Medium
## Implementation guidance
Reach out to AWS resources for assistance: AWS Solutions Architects and Professional Services provide guidance for solution implementation. APN Partners provide AWS expertise to help you unlock agility and innovation for your business.
## Resources
**Related documents:**
+ [AWS Architecture Center](https://aws.amazon.com/architecture/)
+ [AWS Partner Network](https://aws.amazon.com/partners/)
+ [AWS Solutions Library](https://aws.amazon.com/solutions/)
+ [AWS Knowledge Center](https://aws.amazon.com/premiumsupport/knowledge-center/)
**Related videos:**
+ [Introducing The Amazon Builders’ Library (DOP328)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKRdemSirDM)
+ [This is my Architecture](https://aws.amazon.com/architecture/this-is-my-architecture/)
**Related examples:**
+ [AWS Samples](https://github.com/aws-samples)
+ [AWS SDK Examples](https://github.com/awsdocs/aws-doc-sdk-examples)
# PERF01-BP06 Benchmark existing workloads
Benchmark the performance of an existing workload to understand how it performs on the cloud. Use the data collected from benchmarks to drive architectural decisions.
Use benchmarking with synthetic tests and real-user monitoring to generate data about how your workload’s components perform. Benchmarking is generally quicker to set up than load testing and is used to evaluate the technology for a particular component. Benchmarking is often used at the start of a new project, when you lack a full solution to load test.
You can either build your own custom benchmark tests, or you can use an industry standard test, such as [TPC-DS](http://www.tpc.org/tpcds/) to benchmark your data warehousing workloads. Industry benchmarks are helpful when comparing environments. Custom benchmarks are useful for targeting specific types of operations that you expect to make in your architecture.
When benchmarking, it is important to pre-warm your test environment to ensure valid results. Run the same benchmark multiple times to ensure that you’ve captured any variance over time.
Because benchmarks are generally faster to run than load tests, they can be used earlier in the deployment pipeline and provide faster feedback on performance deviations. When you evaluate a significant change in a component or service, a benchmark can be a quick way to see if you can justify the effort to make the change. Using benchmarking in conjunction with load testing is important because load testing informs you about how your workload will perform in production.
**Common anti-patterns:**
+ You rely on common benchmarks that are not indicative of your workload characteristics.
+ You rely on customer feedback and perceptions as your only benchmark.
**Benefits of establishing this best practice:** Benchmarking your current implementation allows you to measure the improvement in performance.
**Level of risk exposed if this best practice is not established:** Medium
## Implementation guidance
Monitor performance during development: Implement processes that provide visibility into performance as your workload evolves.
Integrate into your delivery pipeline: Automatically run load tests in your delivery pipeline. Compare the test results against pre-defined key performance indicators (KPIs) and thresholds to ensure that you continue to meet performance requirements.
Test user journeys: Use synthetic or sanitized versions of production data (remove sensitive or identifying information) for load testing. Exercise your entire architecture by using replayed or pre-programmed user journeys through your application at scale.
Real-user monitoring: Use CloudWatch RUM to help you collect and view client-side data about your application performance. Use this data to help establish your real-user performance benchmarks.
## Resources
**Related documents:**
+ [AWS Architecture Center](https://aws.amazon.com/architecture/)
+ [AWS Partner Network](https://aws.amazon.com/partners/)
+ [AWS Solutions Library](https://aws.amazon.com/solutions/)
+ [AWS Knowledge Center](https://aws.amazon.com/premiumsupport/knowledge-center/)
+ [Amazon CloudWatch RUM](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonCloudWatch/latest/monitoring/CloudWatch-RUM.html)
+ [Amazon CloudWatch Synthetics](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonCloudWatch/latest/monitoring/CloudWatch_Synthetics_Canaries.html)
**Related videos:**
+ [Introducing The Amazon Builders’ Library (DOP328)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKRdemSirDM)
+ [This is my Architecture](https://aws.amazon.com/architecture/this-is-my-architecture/)
+ [Optimize applications through Amazon CloudWatch RUM](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMaeujY9A9Y)
+ [Demo of Amazon CloudWatch Synthetics](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hF3NM9j-u7I)
**Related examples:**
+ [AWS Samples](https://github.com/aws-samples)
+ [AWS SDK Examples](https://github.com/awsdocs/aws-doc-sdk-examples)
+ [Distributed Load Tests](https://aws.amazon.com/solutions/implementations/distributed-load-testing-on-aws/)
+ [Measure page load time with Amazon CloudWatch Synthetics](https://github.com/aws-samples/amazon-cloudwatch-synthetics-page-performance)
+ [Amazon CloudWatch RUM Web Client](https://github.com/aws-observability/aws-rum-web)
# PERF01-BP07 Load test your workload
Deploy your latest workload architecture on the cloud using different resource types and sizes. Monitor the deployment to capture performance metrics that identify bottlenecks or excess capacity. Use this performance information to design or improve your architecture and resource selection.
Load testing uses your *actual* workload so that you can see how your solution performs in a production environment. Load tests must be run using synthetic or sanitized versions of production data (remove sensitive or identifying information). Use replayed or pre-programmed user journeys through your workload at scale that exercise your entire architecture. Automatically carry out load tests as part of your delivery pipeline, and compare the results against pre-defined KPIs and thresholds. This ensures that you continue to achieve required performance.
**Common anti-patterns:**
+ You load test individual parts of your workload but not your entire workload.
+ You load test on infrastructure that is not the same as your production environment.
+ You only conduct load testing to your expected load and not beyond, to help foresee where you may have future problems.
+ Performing load testing without informing AWS Support, and having your test defeated as it looks like a denial of service event.
**Benefits of establishing this best practice:** Measuring your performance under a load test will show you where you will be impacted as load increases. This can provide you with the capability of anticipating needed changes before they impact your workload.
**Level of risk exposed if this best practice is not established:** Low
## Implementation guidance
Validate your approach with load testing: Load test a proof-of-concept to find out if you meet your performance requirements. You can use AWS services to run production-scale environments to test your architecture. Because you only pay for the test environment when it is needed, you can carry out full-scale testing at a fraction of the cost of using an on-premises environment.
Monitor metrics: Amazon CloudWatch can collect metrics across the resources in your architecture. You can also collect and publish custom metrics to surface business or derived metrics. Use CloudWatch or third-party solutions to set alarms that indicate when thresholds are breached.
Test at scale: Load testing uses your actual workload so you can see how your solution performs in a production environment. You can use AWS services to run production-scale environments to test your architecture. Because you only pay for the test environment when it is needed, you can run full-scale testing at a lower cost than using an on-premises environment. Take advantage of the AWS Cloud to test your workload to discover where it fails to scale, or if it scales in a non-linear way. For example, use Spot Instances to generate loads at low cost and discover bottlenecks before they are experienced in production.
## Resources
**Related documents:**
+ [AWS CloudFormation](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSCloudFormation/latest/UserGuide/Welcome.html)
+ [Building AWS CloudFormation Templates using CloudFormer](https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/devops/building-aws-cloudformation-templates-using-cloudformer/)
+ [Amazon CloudWatch RUM](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonCloudWatch/latest/monitoring/CloudWatch-RUM.html)
+ [Amazon CloudWatch Synthetics](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonCloudWatch/latest/monitoring/CloudWatch_Synthetics_Canaries.html)
+ [Distributed Load Testing on AWS](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/solutions/latest/distributed-load-testing-on-aws/welcome.html)
**Related videos:**
+ [Introducing The Amazon Builders’ Library (DOP328)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKRdemSirDM)
+ [Optimize applications through Amazon CloudWatch RUM](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMaeujY9A9Y)
+ [Demo of Amazon CloudWatch Synthetics](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hF3NM9j-u7I)
**Related examples:**
+ [Distributed Load Testing on AWS](https://aws.amazon.com/solutions/implementations/distributed-load-testing-on-aws/)