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PERF05 - How do you configure your networking solution?

Best Practices

PERF05-BP01 BP01 - Understand how networking impacts performance PERF05-BP02 BP02 - Evaluate available networking features PERF05-BP03 BP03 - Choose appropriate dedicated connectivity or VPN for your workload PERF05-BP04 BP04 - Use load balancing to distribute traffic across multiple resources PERF05-BP05 BP05 - Choose network protocols to improve performance PERF05-BP06 BP06 - Choose your workload location based on network requirements PERF05-BP07 BP07 - Optimize network configuration based on metrics

Best Practices

This question includes the following best practices:

Key Concepts

Performance Architecture Fundamentals

Network topology design: Use this concept to guide architecture and operating decisions for this question area. Define measurable targets, assign clear ownership, and review results regularly against expected business outcomes.

Traffic engineering: Use this concept to guide architecture and operating decisions for this question area. Define measurable targets, assign clear ownership, and review results regularly against expected business outcomes.

Connectivity resilience: Use this concept to guide architecture and operating decisions for this question area. Define measurable targets, assign clear ownership, and review results regularly against expected business outcomes.

Optimization and Operations

Edge optimization: Use this concept to guide architecture and operating decisions for this question area. Define measurable targets, assign clear ownership, and review results regularly against expected business outcomes.

Network observability: Use this concept to guide architecture and operating decisions for this question area. Define measurable targets, assign clear ownership, and review results regularly against expected business outcomes.

Segmentation strategy: Use this concept to guide architecture and operating decisions for this question area. Define measurable targets, assign clear ownership, and review results regularly against expected business outcomes.

Implementation Approach

1. Design network foundations

  • Define VPC segmentation and subnet strategy
  • Plan routing for east-west and north-south traffic
  • Select connectivity options for hybrid requirements
  • Design DNS and service discovery patterns

2. Optimize traffic paths

  • Use load balancing for horizontal scale and health routing
  • Implement caching and CDN for global content
  • Apply traffic steering policies by latency and geography
  • Minimize cross-AZ and cross-Region data paths where possible

3. Implement controls and visibility

  • Apply security groups and network ACL standards
  • Monitor flow logs and network performance metrics
  • Set alarms for packet loss, errors, and latency spikes
  • Test failover and route convergence behaviors

4. Continuously tune

  • Review network cost and performance tradeoffs
  • Adjust architecture for changing traffic profiles
  • Validate hybrid links and redundancy quarterly
  • Adopt new networking features where they improve outcomes

AWS Services to Consider

Amazon VPC

Defines network isolation, routing, and segmentation controls for workload traffic paths.

Elastic Load Balancing

Distributes traffic across healthy targets to improve response times and resilience.

Amazon CloudFront

Caches content at edge locations to reduce latency for global users and offload origins.

Amazon Route 53

Provides DNS routing policies and health checks for latency and availability optimization.

AWS Global Accelerator

Improves global application performance using the AWS edge network and static anycast IPs.

AWS Transit Gateway

Simplifies connectivity between VPCs and on-premises networks with centralized routing.

Common Challenges and Solutions

Challenge: Latency for global users

Solution: Use edge acceleration and latency-based routing to reduce request round-trip time.

Challenge: Bottlenecks in shared network paths

Solution: Instrument critical links and separate high-volume traffic paths when needed.

Challenge: Complex hybrid routing

Solution: Centralize routing policies and automate validation for connectivity changes.

Related Resources