--- title: "Best Practices for Infrastructure Automation in a Cloud Native AWS Environment" lang: "en" author: "Mohammad Abu Mattar" canonical: https://mkabumattar.com/post/best-practices-for-infrastructure-automation-in-a-cloud-native-aws-environment --- ![Blog post image for Best Practices for Infrastructure Automation in a Cloud Native AWS Environment - Best practices for infrastructure automation in a cloud native AWS environment, covering security and compliance, CI/CD pipelines, monitoring and auto scaling, performance optimization, and cost management.](/_astro/hero.CTyi0Kde_Z1IsWMr.webp) [Home](/)›[Blog](/blog)›[All Categories](/blog/categories)›[AWS](/blog/categories/aws) Blog [Prev in AWSThe AWS Well-Architected Framework Explained](/blog/post/aws-well-architected-framework-explained)[Next in AWSCloud Native Infrastructure on AWS](/blog/post/cloud-native-infrastructure-on-aws) [AWS](/blog/categories/aws)[Cloud Native](/blog/categories/cloud-native)[DevOps](/blog/categories/devops)[Infrastructure Automation](/blog/categories/infrastructure-automation)[Best Practices](/blog/categories/best-practices) # Best Practices for Infrastructure Automation in a Cloud Native AWS Environment [Mohammad Abu Mattar](/authors/mohammad-abu-mattar)Published: 22 May 202302 Mins read07 Mins listen [Markdown for AI(opens in a new tab)](/post/best-practices-for-infrastructure-automation-in-a-cloud-native-aws-environment/index.md "Open the plain-Markdown version of this page, for pasting into an AI tool") TL;DR Best practices for infrastructure automation in a cloud native AWS environment, covering security and compliance, CI/CD pipelines, monitoring and auto scaling, performance optimization, and cost management. Series [Infrastructure as Code Mastery](/series/infrastructure-as-code-mastery)7/8 [PreviousOrchestrating Infrastructure with Terraform](/blog/post/orchestrating-infrastructure-with-terraform)[NextNavigating the Future of Cloud with Multi-Cloud IaC: Pulumi and Crossplane](/blog/post/multi-cloud-iac-pulumi-crossplane-future-cloud) All posts in this series (8) Blog8 1. [Infrastructure Automation on AWS: CloudFormation, SAM, and Terraform for IaC](/blog/post/infrastructure-automation-on-aws-cloudformation-sam-and-terraform-for-iac) 2. [Understanding Infrastructure as Code (IaC)](/blog/post/understanding-infrastructure-as-code-iac) 3. [Cloud Native Infrastructure on AWS](/blog/post/cloud-native-infrastructure-on-aws) 4. [AWS CloudFormation for Infrastructure as Code (IaC)](/blog/post/aws-cloudformation-for-infrastructure-as-code-iac) 5. [Deploying Serverless Applications with AWS SAM](/blog/post/deploying-serverless-applications-with-aws-sam) 6. [Orchestrating Infrastructure with Terraform](/blog/post/orchestrating-infrastructure-with-terraform) 7. [Best Practices for Infrastructure Automation in a Cloud Native AWS EnvironmentYou are here](/blog/post/best-practices-for-infrastructure-automation-in-a-cloud-native-aws-environment) 8. [Navigating the Future of Cloud with Multi-Cloud IaC: Pulumi and Crossplane](/blog/post/multi-cloud-iac-pulumi-crossplane-future-cloud) ### Best Practices for Infrastructure Automation in a Cloud Native AWS Environment Contents [Introduction](#introduction)[Security and compliance](#security-and-compliance)[Least privilege](#least-privilege)[Security policies](#security-policies)[Regular security audits](#regular-security-audits)[CI/CD pipelines](#cicd-pipelines)[Continuous Integration](#continuous-integration)[Continuous Deployment](#continuous-deployment)[Testing and quality assurance](#testing-and-quality-assurance)[Monitoring and scaling](#monitoring-and-scaling)[Observability](#observability)[Auto Scaling](#auto-scaling)[Performance optimization](#performance-optimization)[Performance profiling](#performance-profiling)[Caching and content delivery](#caching-and-content-delivery)[Cost management and optimization](#cost-management-and-optimization)[Cost allocation](#cost-allocation)[Reserved Instances and Savings Plans](#reserved-instances-and-savings-plans)[Ongoing cost optimization](#ongoing-cost-optimization)[Conclusion](#conclusion)[References](#references) ## [Introduction](#introduction) Infrastructure automation is core to running a cloud native AWS environment well. This post covers the best practices for security and compliance, CI/CD pipelines, monitoring and scaling, performance optimization, and cost management. ## [Security and compliance](#security-and-compliance) ### [Least privilege](#least-privilege) Grant only the permissions each user, role, or service needs to do its job, and nothing more. This limits the damage a compromised credential can do. ### [Security policies](#security-policies) Implement strong security policies and identity and access management practices to protect your environment from unauthorized access and other threats. ### [Regular security audits](#regular-security-audits) Conduct regular security audits to identify and fix vulnerabilities in your infrastructure. Review your security policies periodically to confirm they still match best practices and industry standards. ## [CI/CD pipelines](#cicd-pipelines) ### [Continuous Integration](#continuous-integration) Use Continuous Integration (CI) to automate the integration of new code and configuration changes into your infrastructure. Tools like AWS CodePipeline and Jenkins can simplify the deployment process. ### [Continuous Deployment](#continuous-deployment) Build on CI with Continuous Deployment (CD) practices. This automates deployment of changes across different environments. ### [Testing and quality assurance](#testing-and-quality-assurance) Add automated tests, such as unit tests and integration tests, to check the reliability and stability of your infrastructure changes before deploying them. ## [Monitoring and scaling](#monitoring-and-scaling) ### [Observability](#observability) Set up monitoring and logging to see the performance and health of your infrastructure. AWS CloudWatch, AWS X-Ray, and similar tools help you track and troubleshoot issues. ### [Auto Scaling](#auto-scaling) Use auto scaling to adjust the resources allocated to your applications based on demand, so your environment can handle traffic and workload spikes. ## [Performance optimization](#performance-optimization) ### [Performance profiling](#performance-profiling) Profile your infrastructure to identify bottlenecks and areas for optimization. Tools like AWS CloudWatch and AWS Trusted Advisor gather performance data to inform optimization decisions. ### [Caching and content delivery](#caching-and-content-delivery) Use caching and content delivery services like Amazon CloudFront and AWS ElastiCache to improve application performance and give users faster response times. ## [Cost management and optimization](#cost-management-and-optimization) ### [Cost allocation](#cost-allocation) Use resource tagging to allocate costs accurately and see how your resources are actually used. This makes it easier to spot cost-saving opportunities and manage your budget. ### [Reserved Instances and Savings Plans](#reserved-instances-and-savings-plans) Use AWS Reserved Instances and Savings Plans to reduce infrastructure costs by committing to long-term usage in exchange for meaningful discounts. ### [Ongoing cost optimization](#ongoing-cost-optimization) Regularly review your infrastructure for unused or underutilized resources and decommission them. Keep optimizing your infrastructure for cost efficiency without sacrificing performance. ## [Conclusion](#conclusion) Applying these practices to security and compliance, CI/CD pipelines, monitoring and scaling, and performance and cost optimization will make your cloud native AWS environment more efficient, reliable, and scalable. ## [References](#references) 1. AWS Well-Architected Framework, [https://aws.amazon.com/architecture/well-architected/](https://aws.amazon.com/architecture/well-architected/) 2. Infrastructure as Code on AWS, [https://aws.amazon.com/devops/infrastructure-as-code/](https://aws.amazon.com/devops/infrastructure-as-code/) 3. AWS Security Best Practices Whitepaper, [https://docs.aws.amazon.com/whitepapers/latest/aws-security-best-practices/aws-security-best-practices.html](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/whitepapers/latest/aws-security-best-practices/aws-security-best-practices.html) 4. Practicing Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery on AWS, [https://aws.amazon.com/devops/continuous-integration/](https://aws.amazon.com/devops/continuous-integration/) & [https://aws.amazon.com/devops/continuous-delivery/](https://aws.amazon.com/devops/continuous-delivery/) 5. AWS CodePipeline User Guide, [https://docs.aws.amazon.com/codepipeline/latest/userguide/welcome.html](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/codepipeline/latest/userguide/welcome.html) 6. Amazon CloudWatch User Guide, [https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonCloudWatch/latest/monitoring/WhatIsCloudWatch.html](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonCloudWatch/latest/monitoring/WhatIsCloudWatch.html) 7. AWS Auto Scaling User Guide, [https://docs.aws.amazon.com/autoscaling/latest/userguide/Welcome.html](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/autoscaling/latest/userguide/Welcome.html) 8. AWS Cost Management, [https://aws.amazon.com/aws-cost-management/](https://aws.amazon.com/aws-cost-management/) 9. AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) Best Practices, [https://docs.aws.amazon.com/IAM/latest/UserGuide/best-practices.html](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/IAM/latest/UserGuide/best-practices.html) 10. Amazon CloudFront Developer Guide, [https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonCloudFront/latest/DeveloperGuide/Introduction.html](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonCloudFront/latest/DeveloperGuide/Introduction.html) 11. Amazon ElastiCache User Guide, [https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonElastiCache/latest/UserGuide/WhatIs.html](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonElastiCache/latest/UserGuide/WhatIs.html) 12. AWS Trusted Advisor, [https://aws.amazon.com/premiumsupport/technology/trusted-advisor/](https://aws.amazon.com/premiumsupport/technology/trusted-advisor/) 13. AWS X-Ray Developer Guide, [https://docs.aws.amazon.com/xray/latest/devguide/aws-xray.html](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/xray/latest/devguide/aws-xray.html) Was this useful? ## Tags [#AWS Automation](/blog/tags/aws-automation)[#Infrastructure as Code (IaC)](/blog/tags/infrastructure-as-code-iac)[#CI/CD Pipelines](/blog/tags/cicd-pipelines)[#Cloud Security](/blog/tags/cloud-security)[#Performance Optimization](/blog/tags/performance-optimization)[#Cost Management](/blog/tags/cost-management)[#AWS CloudWatch](/blog/tags/aws-cloudwatch)[#AWS CodePipeline](/blog/tags/aws-codepipeline)[#Auto Scaling](/blog/tags/auto-scaling)[#DevOps Culture](/blog/tags/devops-culture) ## Share [Facebook](https://facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmkabumattar.com%2Fblog%2Fpost%2Fbest-practices-for-infrastructure-automation-in-a-cloud-native-aws-environment "Share on Facebook")[Twitter](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet/?text=Best%20Practices%20for%20Infrastructure%20Automation%20in%20a%20Cloud%20Native%20AWS%20Environment&url=https%3A%2F%2Fmkabumattar.com%2Fblog%2Fpost%2Fbest-practices-for-infrastructure-automation-in-a-cloud-native-aws-environment "Share on Twitter")[LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fmkabumattar.com%2Fblog%2Fpost%2Fbest-practices-for-infrastructure-automation-in-a-cloud-native-aws-environment&title=Best%20Practices%20for%20Infrastructure%20Automation%20in%20a%20Cloud%20Native%20AWS%20Environment&summary=Best%20practices%20for%20infrastructure%20automation%20in%20a%20cloud%20native%20AWS%20environment%2C%20covering%20security%20and%20compliance%2C%20CI%2FCD%20pipelines%2C%20monitoring%20and%20auto%20scaling%2C%20performance%20optimization%2C%20and%20cost%20management.&source=https://mkabumattar.com "Share on LinkedIn")[WhatsApp](https://wa.me/?text=Best%20Practices%20for%20Infrastructure%20Automation%20in%20a%20Cloud%20Native%20AWS%20Environment%20https%3A%2F%2Fmkabumattar.com%2Fblog%2Fpost%2Fbest-practices-for-infrastructure-automation-in-a-cloud-native-aws-environment "Share on WhatsApp")[Telegram](https://t.me/share/url?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmkabumattar.com%2Fblog%2Fpost%2Fbest-practices-for-infrastructure-automation-in-a-cloud-native-aws-environment&text=Best%20Practices%20for%20Infrastructure%20Automation%20in%20a%20Cloud%20Native%20AWS%20Environment "Share on Telegram")[Reddit](https://www.reddit.com/submit?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmkabumattar.com%2Fblog%2Fpost%2Fbest-practices-for-infrastructure-automation-in-a-cloud-native-aws-environment&title=Best%20Practices%20for%20Infrastructure%20Automation%20in%20a%20Cloud%20Native%20AWS%20Environment "Share on Reddit")[Hacker News](http://news.ycombinator.com/submitlink?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmkabumattar.com%2Fblog%2Fpost%2Fbest-practices-for-infrastructure-automation-in-a-cloud-native-aws-environment&t=Best%20Practices%20for%20Infrastructure%20Automation%20in%20a%20Cloud%20Native%20AWS%20Environment "Share on Hacker News")[Pinterest](https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmkabumattar.com%2Fblog%2Fpost%2Fbest-practices-for-infrastructure-automation-in-a-cloud-native-aws-environment&media=&description=Best%20practices%20for%20infrastructure%20automation%20in%20a%20cloud%20native%20AWS%20environment%2C%20covering%20security%20and%20compliance%2C%20CI%2FCD%20pipelines%2C%20monitoring%20and%20auto%20scaling%2C%20performance%20optimization%2C%20and%20cost%20management. "Share on Pinterest")[Email]() ## Comments ## You might also enjoy More posts on similar topics [![Cloud Native Infrastructure on AWS](/_astro/hero.CwVzviwB_4akIX.webp)](/blog/post/cloud-native-infrastructure-on-aws) ## [Cloud Native Infrastructure on AWS](/blog/post/cloud-native-infrastructure-on-aws) - [Mohammad Abu Mattar](/authors/mohammad-abu-mattar) - [AWS](/blog/categories/aws) - [Cloud Native](/blog/categories/cloud-native) - [Serverless](/blog/categories/serverless) - [DevOps](/blog/categories/devops) - [Infrastructure as Code](/blog/categories/infrastructure-as-code) Introduction Cloud native infrastructure lets developers design and deploy applications built specifically for the cloud, rather than adapted to it. 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