This chapter covers the following official AWS Certified SysOps Administrator – Associate (SOA-C02) exam domain:
Domain 6: Cost and Performance Optimization
(For more information on the official AWS Certified SysOps Administrator – Associate [SOA-C02] exam topics, see the Introduction.)
In the preceding chapter, you focused on strategies and tools to optimize the costs of your AWS resources. In this chapter, the focus shifts toward performance optimization. You learn about the six pillars of the AWS Well-Architected Framework and then explore the differences between Operational Excellence and Performance Efficiency. Then you learn about Amazon’s five phases of the monitoring process so that you understand how to best use monitoring to pinpoint performance issues.
This chapter concludes with some suggestions on optimizing compute performance, datastore performance, and database performance in the AWS cloud infrastructure.
This section covers the following objective of Domain 6 (Cost and Performance Optimization) from the official AWS Certified SysOps Administrator – Associate (SOA-C02) exam guide:
6.2 Implement performance optimization strategies
If you can correctly answer these questions before going through this section, save time by skimming the Exam Alerts in this section and then completing the Cram Quiz at the end of the section.
1. True or False: Reliability and sustainability are two of the pillars of the AW Well-Architected Framework.
2. What are the five phases of the monitoring process?
1. Answer: True.
2. Answer: Generation, aggregation, real-time processing and alarming, storage, and analytics.
Amazon touts a concept called the AWS Well-Architected Framework. The goal of this framework is to help you build an efficient infrastructure in AWS that takes into consideration a variety of different components. These components are called pillars, as shown in Figure 15.1.
FIGURE 15.1 Six pillars of the AWS Well-Architected Framework
Many of these topics were covered in previous chapters. For example, Chapter 9, “Security and Compliance,” and Chapter 10, “Data Protection at Rest and in Transit,” address the Security pillar.
Two of the pillars may seem to be similar and can often cause confusion: the Operational Excellence pillar and the Performance Efficiency pillar. Although they may sound similar, these pillars address different AWS features and components. Amazon describes these pillars as follows:
Operational Excellence pillar: “The operational excellence pillar focuses on running and monitoring systems, and continually improving processes and procedures. Key topics include automating changes, responding to events, and defining standards to manage daily operations.”
Performance Efficiency pillar: “The performance efficiency pillar focuses on structured and streamlined allocation of IT and computing resources. Key topics include selecting resource types and sizes optimized for workload requirements, monitoring performance, and maintaining efficiency as business needs evolve.”
Although this chapter focuses on topics related to the Performance Efficiency pillar, it is important to compare this to the Operational Excellence pillar to understand better the difference between these two pillars. Besides the short definitions that Amazon uses to describe these pillars, you may find it easier to understand the difference by comparing the design principles that Amazon has developed for each pillar. Table 15.1 outlines these design principles.
TABLE 15.1 Amazon’s Design Principles of Operational Excellence and Performance Efficiency
| Operational Excellence | Performance Efficiency |
| Perform operations as code | Democratize advanced technologies |
| Make frequent, small, reversible changes | Go global in minutes |
| Refine operations procedures frequently | User serverless architectures |
| Anticipate failure | Experiment more often |
| Learn from all operational failures | Consider mechanical sympathy |
Acedexam Training Policies
Learning resources
Other resources
Our Training Providers
