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AWS Whitepapers features a comprehensive list of technical AWS whitepapers, covering topics such as architecture, security, and economics. These whitepapers have been authored by the AWS Team, independent analysts, or the AWS Community (Customers or Partners). To read reports authored by industry analysts click here. This page will be updated regularly with new and updated whitepapers and reports.


  • Overview of Amazon Web Services (April 2017)    PDF | Kindle
    • Overview of all AWS services.
  • AWS Storage Services Overview (December 2016)    PDF | Kindle
    • Overview of storage solutions available from AWS.
  • AWS Well-Architected Framework (November 2016)    PDF | Kindle
    • Overview of framework to validate your architecture.
  • An Overview of the AWS Cloud Adoption Framework (February 2017)    PDF | Kindle
    • Framework to help customers be successful adopting AWS.
  • AWS Security Best Practices (August 2016)    PDF | Kindle
    • Authoritative guidance for security when using AWS services.
  • How AWS Pricing Works (March 2016)    PDF | Kindle
    • Guidance on using the AWS Simple Monthly Calculator to estimate monthly AWS usage costs.
  • Architecting for the Cloud: AWS Best Practices (February 2016)    PDF | Kindle
    • Prescriptive guidance for architects designing solutions with AWS services.
  • AWS Serverless Multi-Tier Architectures: Using Amazon API Gateway and AWS Lambda (November 2015)    PDF | Kindle
    • Design patterns for serverless solutions.
  • The Business Value of AWS: Succeeding at Twenty-First Century Business Infrastructure (June 2015)    PDF
    • Using AWS to drive business value and agility.
  • 10 Considerations for a Cloud Procurement (March 2017)    PDF
    • A top 10 list of cloud procurement considerations for public sector.
  • Maximizing Value with AWS (February 2017)    PDF
    • Achieve Total Cost of Operation Benefits Using Cloud Computing
  • AWS Well-Architected Framework - Cost Optimization Pillar (November 2016)    PDF | Kindle
    • Details for validating the cost/value aspects of your architecture.
  • How AWS Pricing Works (March 2016)    PDF | Kindle
    • Guidance on using the AWS Simple Monthly Calculator to estimate monthly AWS usage costs.
  • The Business Value of AWS: Succeeding at Twenty-First Century Business Infrastructure (June 2015)    PDF
    • Using AWS to drive business value and agility.
  • Introduction to AWS Economics: Reducing Costs and Complexity (May 2015)    PDF
    • How to calculate costs, savings, and complexity reduction when adopting AWS.
  • The Total Cost of (Non) Ownership of Web Applications in the Cloud (August 2012)    PDF
    • Calculating total costs of using AWS services.
  • The Total Cost of (Non) Ownership of a NoSQL Database Cloud Service (March 2012)    PDF
    • Calculating cost and value of a NoSQL database environment.

For whitepapers on security and compliance, see AWS Cloud Security Resources and AWS Cloud Compliance Resources.


  • AWS Well-Architected Framework (November 2016)    PDF | Kindle
    • Overview of framework to validate your architecture.
  • AWS Well-Architected Framework - Security Pillar (May 2017)    PDF | Kindle
    • Details for validating the security aspects of your architecture.
  • AWS Well-Architected Framework - Reliability Pillar (November 2016)    PDF | Kindle
    • Details for validating the reliability aspects of your architecture.
  • AWS Well-Architected Framework - Performance Efficiency Pillar (November 2016)    PDF | Kindle
    • Details for validating the performance aspects of your architecture.
  • AWS Well-Architected Framework - Cost Optimization Pillar (November 2016)    PDF | Kindle
    • Details for validating the cost/value aspects of your architecture.
  • An Overview of the AWS Cloud Adoption Framework (February 2017)    PDF | Kindle
    • Framework to help customers be successful adopting AWS.
  • AWS Cloud Adoption Framework: Security Perspective (June 2016)    PDF
    • Preparing your security team for AWS cloud adoption.
  • AWS Cloud Transformation Maturity Model (September 2016)    PDF | Kindle
    • Maps the maturity of an IT organization’s process, people, and technology through the four stages of an AWS cloud journey.
  • Practicing Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery on AWS (June 2017)    PDF
    • Learn about the features and benefits of using continuous integration/continuous delivery (CI/CD) and AWS tooling in your software development environment.
  • Jenkins on AWS (May 2017)    PDF | Kindle
    • Two specific approaches to deploying the Jenkins open-source automation server on AWS.
  • Import Windows Server to Amazon EC2 with PowerShell (February 2017)    PDF | Kindle
    • Learn how to use AWS VM Import/Export to import custom Windows Server images into Amazon EC2.
  • Microservices on AWS (December 2016)    PDF
    • Using AWS to empower your organization to run microservices at high scale.
  • Blue/Green Deployments on AWS (August 2016)    PDF
    • Overview, techniques, and best practices for implementing a Blue/Green deployment strategy.
  • Introduction to DevOps on AWS (December 2014)    PDF
    • Primer for using a DevOps aproach with AWS.
  • Development and Test on AWS (November 2012)    PDF
    • Software Development Life Cycle test environments using AWS services.  
  • ITIL Event Management in the Cloud: An AWS Cloud Adoption Framework Addendum (January 2017)    PDF
    • Best practices for using AWS for ITIL event management in hybrid clouds.
  • ITIL Asset and Configuration Management in the Cloud (January 2017)    PDF
    • An approach to ITIL asset and configuration management when using AWS.
  • Operational Checklists for AWS (June 2013)    PDF
    • Basic and Enterprise Operations checklists and Auditing Security checklist.
  • Backup and Recovery Approaches Using AWS (June 2016)    PDF
    • Guidance for creating a backup and recovery solution that meets your RTO and RPO requirements.
  • Enterprise Backup and Recovery: On-Premises to AWS (December 2014)    PDF
    • Using AWS services for backup, restore, and recovery workloads.
  • Building Fault-Tolerant Applications on AWS (October 2011)    PDF
    • Using AWS service features to create fault-tolerant solutions.
  • Use Amazon Elasticsearch Service to Log and Monitor (Almost) Everything (December 2016)    PDF
    • Learn how to implement a serverless approach to using Amazon Elasticsearch Service and Kibana.
  • Building Media & Entertainment Predictive Analytics Solutions on AWS (December 2016)    PDF
    • Describes how a predictive analytics workload fits into the overall M&E workflows in the cloud.
  • Robust Random Cut Forest Based Anomaly Detection on Streams (Proceedings of the 33rd International Conference on Machine Learning; August 2016)    PDF
    • Using the Random Cut Forest algorithm in Amazon Kinesis analytics.
  • Big Data Analytics Options on AWS (January 2016)    PDF | Kindle
    • Overview of big data options for architects, data scientists, and developers.
  • Lambda Architecture for Batch and Real-Time Processing on AWS with Spark Streaming and Spark SQL (May 2015)    PDF
    • Using AWS Spark Streaming and Spark SQL to implement a lambda design pattern.
  • SoftNAS Architecture on AWS (April 2017)    PDF 
    • Architectural considerations for deploying SoftNAS Cloud on AWS.
  • SaaS Storage Strategies: Building a Multitenant Storage Model on AWS (November 2016)    PDF | Kindle
    • Strategies for partitioning multitenant environments.
  • Best Practices for Deploying Amazon WorkSpaces (July 2016)    PDF
    • Best practices for deploying and managing your virtual desktop infrastructure.
  • Running Adobe Experience Manager on AWS (July 2016)    PDF
    • Benefits and best practices for technical leaders running Adobe Experience Manager on AWS.
  • Estimating AWS Deployment Costs for Microsoft SharePoint Server (March 2016)    PDF
    • Using the AWS Simple Monthly Calculator to estimate the cost of a Microsoft SharePoint Server solution.
  • Modernize Your Microsoft Applications on AWS (March 2016)    PDF
    • Describes the benefits of operating your Microsoft applications on AWS.
  • SaaS Solutions on AWS: Tenant Isolation Architectures (January 2016)    PDF | Kindle
    • SaaS deployment models using AWS and AWS Partner Network solutions.
  • Using Windows Storage Spaces and iSCSI on Amazon EBS (October 2015)    PDF
    • Using Windows Storage Spaces and iSCSI on Amazon EBS.
  • Docker on AWS: Running Containers in the Cloud (April 2015)    PDF
    • Deploying and managing Docker containers at scale on AWS.
  • Optimizing ASP.NET with C++ AMP on the GPU (April 2015)    PDF | Sample Code
    • Running MVC web apps on GPUs for matrixed multiplication.
  • Deploying WordPress with AWS Elastic Beanstalk (January 2015)    PDF
    • Creating an elastic WordPress environment using AWS Elastic Beanstalk.
  • Choosing the Operating System for Oracle Workloads on Amazon EC2 (December 2014)    PDF
    • Operating selection for Oracle solutions on AWS.
  • WordPress: Best Practices on AWS (December 2014)    PDF
    • System admin guidance for running WordPress on AWS.
  • Database Caching Strategies Using Redis (May 2017)    PDF
    • An overview of database caching strategies and implementation approaches that address the limitations and challenges associated with disk-based databases.
  • Running Neo4j Graph Databases on AWS (May 2017)    PDF
    • An overview of the Neo4j NoSQL graph database and best practices for its implementation on the AWS Cloud.
  • Overview of Oracle E-Business Suite on AWS (May 2017)    PDF
    • Benefits and options for running Oracle E-Business Suite on AWS.
  • Configuring Amazon RDS as an Oracle PeopleSoft Database (April 2017)    PDF
    • Best practices for configuring Amazon RDS for Oracle Database as a backend database for Oracle PeopleSoft Enterprise.
  • Installing JD Edwards EnterpriseOne on Amazon RDS for Oracle (December 2016)    PDF
    • A step-by-step guide for deploying JD Edwards EnterpriseOne using Amazon RDS for Oracle.
  • Best Practices for Running Oracle Database on AWS (August 2016)    PDF
    • Guidance and best practices for running Oracle databases on AWS.
  • Deploying Microsoft SQL Server on AWS (July 2016)    PDF
    • Guidance for running SQL Server databases on Amazon RDS or Amazon EC2.
  • Strategies for Migrating Oracle Databases to AWS (May 2016)    PDF
    • Guidance on preferred methods for migrating Oracle databases to AWS.
  • Advanced Architectures for Oracle Database on Amazon EC2 (April 2016)    PDF
    • Approaches for deploying Oracle solutions on AWS.
  • Determining the IOPS Needs for Oracle Database on AWS (April 2016)    PDF
    • Guidance for sizing your Oracle workloads on AWS.
  • Getting Started with Amazon Aurora (April 2016)    PDF
    • Overview and migration guidance for MySQL-compatible Amazon Aurora.
  • Data Warehousing on AWS (March 2016)    PDF
    • AWS services and design patterns for modern data warehousing and analytic solutions.
  • Apache Cassandra on AWS: Guidelines and Best Practices (January 2016)    PDF
    • Design and deployment best practices for running Apache Cassandra on AWS.
  • Best Practices for Migrating from RDBMS to Amazon DynamoDB (March 2015)    PDF
    • Identifying and migrating Relational Database Management System (RDBMS) databases to DynamoDB.
  • Setting up AWS Resources and SLES for SAP HANA Installation (March 2015)    PDF
    • Steps to install or scale out SAP HANA databases on AWS.
  • MarkLogic on AWS (December 2014)    PDF
    • Technical guidance for deploying MarkLogic NoSQL databases on AWS.
  • Comparing the Use of Amazon DynamoDB and Apache HBase for NoSQL (September 2014)    PDF
    • Matching your data use case to available options.
  • The Total Cost of (Non) Ownership of a NoSQL Database Cloud Service (March 2012)    PDF
    • Calculating cost and value of a NoSQL database environment.
  • Practicing Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery on AWS (June 2017)    PDF
    • Learn about the features and benefits of using continuous integration/continuous delivery (CI/CD) and AWS tooling in your software development environment.
  • Jenkins on AWS (May 2017)    PDF | Kindle
    • Two specific approaches to deploying the Jenkins open-source automation server on AWS.
  • Import Windows Server to Amazon EC2 with PowerShell (February 2017)    PDF | Kindle
    • Learn how to use AWS VM Import/Export to import custom Windows Server images into Amazon EC2.
  • Introduction to DevOps on AWS (December 2014)    PDF
    • Primer for using a DevOps aproach with AWS.  
  • An Introduction to High Performance Computing on AWS (August 2015)    PDF
    • Overview and best practices for running HPC applications on AWS.
  • Core Tenets of IoT (April 2016)    PDF
    • Guidance for using AWS services as part of an IoT strategy.  
  • Strategies for Managing Access to AWS Resources in AWS Marketplace (July 2016)    PDF
    • Describes how AWS Marketplace applications can use AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) for authentication.
  • Use AWS Config to Monitor License Compliance on Amazon EC2 Dedicated Hosts (April 2016)    PDF
    • Configuring AWS Config and AWS Config Rules to monitor license compliance.
  • Managing Your Microsoft Windows Server Fleet with AWS Directory Service (May 2015)    PDF
    • Using AWS Directory Service and the Simple Service Manager (SSM) to manage Microsoft Windows servers.
  • Managing Multi-Tiered Applications with AWS OpsWorks (January 2015)    PDF
    • Using OpsWorks to deploy and maintain multi-tiered applications.
  • Amazon Aurora Migration Handbook (May 2017)    PDF
    • Best practices for planning, executing, and troubleshooting database migrations to Amazon Aurora.
  • Migrating Applications to AWS: Guide and Best Practices (December 2016)    PDF
    • A guide to using the AWS Schema Conversion Tool and AWS Database Migration Service to migrate your on-premises database to Amazon RDS.
  • Best Practices for Migrating MySQL Databases to Amazon Aurora (October 2016)    PDF | Kindle
    • Using Amazon Relational Database Service (Amazon RDS) to migrate databases to Amazon Aurora.
  • AWS Database Migration Service Best Practices (August 2016)    PDF
    • Best practices for using the AWS Database Migration Service.
  • Moving Amazon RDS MySQL Databases to Amazon VPC (July 2016)    PDF
    • Detailed guidance for migrating Amazon RDS MySQL databases to Amazon VPC.
  • Migrating Your Databases to Amazon Aurora (June 2016)    PDF
    • Migrating your MySQL-compatible databases to Amazon Aurora through Amazon RDS.
  • An Overview of AWS Cloud Data Migration Services (May 2016)    PDF
    • Approaches, options, and tradeoffs for AWS data migration solutions.
  • A Practical Guide to Cloud Migration: Migrating Services to AWS (December 2015)    PDF | Kindle
    • Tips and tricks for moving from an on-premise environment to the AWS Cloud.
  • Performance at Scale with Amazon ElastiCache (May 2015)    PDF
    • In-memory caching for better application performance and value.
  • Overview of Deployment Options on AWS (March 2015)    PDF
    • Options for provising infrastructure and deploying applications to AWS.
  • Migrating AWS Resources to a New Region (March 2013)    PDF
    • Options and methods for migrating services to different AWS regions.
  • Migrating Your Existing Applications to the AWS Cloud (October 2010)    PDF
    • Phase-driven approach to cloud migration with three example scenarios.  
  • Cross-Domain Solutions on AWS (December 2016)    PDF
    • Best practices for deploying a cross-domain solution using AWS services.
  • Single Sign-On: Integrating AWS, OpenLDAP, and Shibboleth (April 2015)    PDF
    • Integrating AWS IAM and LDAP for single sign-on solution.
  • Using Windows Active Directory Federation Services (ADFS) for Single Sign-On to EC2 (March 2010)    PDF
    • Single sign-on for hybrid environment.
  • Hosting Static Websites on AWS: Prescriptive Guidance (May 2017)    PDF | Kindle
    • Architectural guidance for developing, deploying, and managing static websites on AWS.
  • Web Application Hosting in the AWS Cloud: Best Practices (September 2012)    PDF
    • Creating available and scalable web hosting solutions using AWS services.
  • The Total Cost of (Non) Ownership of Web Applications in the Cloud (August 2012)    PDF
    • Calculating total costs of using AWS services.
  • Building a Real-Time Bidding Platform on AWS (February 2016)    PDF
    • Designing guidance for real-time bidding solutions for the digital advertising industry.
  • Setting Up Multiuser Environments (for Classroom Training and Research) (October 2013)    PDF
    • Different approaches for setting up isolated environments in educational environments.
  • Financial Services Grid Computing on AWS (January 2016)    PDF
    • Best practices for using AWS for grid computing in the financial industry.
  • Optimizing Multiplayer Game Server Performance on AWS (April 2017)
    • Learn how to optimize your Amazon EC2 Linux multiplayer game server to achieve the best performance. PDF
  • How Cities Can Stop Wasting Money, Move Faster, and Innovate (January 2016)    PDF
    • Strategic guidance for local and regional governments looking to use AWS services.
  • Building Media & Entertainment Predictive Analytics Solutions on AWS (December 2016)    PDF
    • Describes how a predictive analytics workload fits into the overall M&E workflows in the cloud.
  • Demystifying the Number of vCPUs for Optimal Workload Performance (August 2016)    PDF
    • Scientific methodology and detailed examples for benchmarking CPU performance for different CPU generations.
  • Financial Services Grid Computing on AWS (January 2016)    PDF
    • Best practices for using AWS for grid computing in the financial industry.
  • Lambda Architecture for Batch and Real-Time Processing on AWS with Spark Streaming and Spark SQL (May 2015)    PDF
    • Using AWS Spark Streaming and Spark SQL to implement a lambda design pattern.
  • Extend Your IT Infrastructure with Amazon Virtual Private Cloud (December 2013)    PDF
    • Secure connections to AWS services using Amazon Virtual Private Cloud.
  • AWS Storage Gateway (April 2017)    PDF
    • Basic architecture and best practices for building hybrid environments using AWS Storage Gateway in a file gateway configuration.
  • AWS Storage Services Overview (December 2016)    PDF | Kindle
    • Overview of storage solutions available from AWS.
  • Backup and Recovery Approaches Using AWS (June 2016)    PDF
    • Guidance for creating a backup and recovery solution that meets your RTO and RPO requirements.
  • Using AWS and Distributed File System Replication (DFSR) for Disaster Recovery of File Servers (July 2015)    PDF
    • Step-by-step process for implementing a proven Microsoft Windows-based disaster recovery plan.
  • Enterprise Backup and Recovery: On-Premises to AWS (December 2014)    PDF
    • Using AWS services for backup, restore, and recovery workloads.
  • Using AWS for Disaster Recovery (October 2014)    PDF  | Kindle
    • Providing business continuity with AWS services.
  • Migrating Applications to AWS: Guide and Best Practices (December 2016)    PDF
    • A guide to using the AWS Schema Conversion Tool and AWS Database Migration Service to migrate your on-premises database to Amazon RDS.
  • Best Practices for Migrating MySQL Databases to Amazon Aurora (October 2016)    PDF | Kindle
    • Using Amazon Relational Database Service (Amazon RDS) to migrate databases to Amazon Aurora.
  • AWS Database Migration Service Best Practices (August 2016)    PDF
    • Best practices for using the AWS Database Migration Service.
  • Migrating Your Databases to Amazon Aurora (June 2016)    PDF
    • Migrating your MySQL-compatible databases to Amazon Aurora through Amazon RDS.
  • Strategies for Migrating Oracle Databases to AWS (May 2016)    PDF
    • Guidance on preferred methods for migrating Oracle databases to AWS.
  • Getting Started with Amazon Aurora (April 2016)    PDF
    • Overview and migration guidance for MySQL-compatible Amazon Aurora.
  • Data Warehousing on AWS (March 2016)    PDF
    • AWS services and design patterns for modern data warehousing and analytic solutions.
  • Performance at Scale with Amazon ElastiCache (May 2015)    PDF
    • In-memory caching for better application performance and value.
  • Best Practices for Migrating from RDBMS to Amazon DynamoDB (March 2015)    PDF
    • Identifying and migrating Relational Database Management System (RDBMS) databases to DynamoDB.
  • Comparing the Use of Amazon DynamoDB and Apache HBase for NoSQL (September 2014)    PDF
    • Matching your data use case to available options.  
  • Integrating AWS with Multiprotocol Label Switching (December 2016)    PDF | Kindle
    • Options for integrating AWS into your current MPLS/WAN architecture.
  • Amazon Virtual Private Cloud Network Connectivity Options (July 2014)    PDF | Kindle
    • Connecting VPCs to each other and to other remote networks.
  • An Overview of AWS Cloud Data Migration Services (May 2016)    PDF
    • Approaches, options, and tradeoffs for AWS data migration solutions.
  • Use AWS Config to Monitor License Compliance on Amazon EC2 Dedicated Hosts (April 2016)    PDF
    • Configuring AWS Config and AWS Config Rules to monitor license compliance.
  • Overview of Deployment Options on AWS (March 2015)    PDF
    • Options for provising infrastructure and deploying applications to AWS.
  • Managing Your AWS Infrastructure at Scale (February 2015)    PDF
    • Tools and techniques for managing your AWS environment at any scale.
  • Managing Multi-Tiered Applications with AWS OpsWorks (January 2015)    PDF
    • Using OpsWorks to deploy and maintain multi-tiered applications.
  • Migrating AWS Resources to a New Region (March 2013)    PDF
    • Options and methods for migrating services to different AWS regions.
  • Use Amazon Elasticsearch Service to Log and Monitor (Almost) Everything (December 2016)    PDF
    • Learn how to implement a serverless approach to using Amazon Elasticsearch Service and Kibana.
  • Robust Random Cut Forest Based Anomaly Detection on Streams (Proceedings of the 33rd International Conference on Machine Learning; August 2016)    PDF
    • Using the Random Cut Forest algorithm in Amazon Kinesis analytics.
  • Big Data Analytics Options on AWS (January 2016)    PDF | Kindle
    • Overview of big data options for architects, data scientists, and developers.
  • A Practical Guide to Cloud Migration: Migrating Services to AWS (December 2015)    PDF | Kindle
    • Tips and tricks for moving from an on-premise environment to the AWS Cloud.
  • Best Practices for Amazon Simple Email Service (Amazon SES) (July 2012)    PDF | Kindle
    • Factors and best practices for mass emailing services.
  • Migrating Your Existing Applications to the AWS Cloud (October 2010)    PDF
    • Phase-driven approach to cloud migration with three example scenarios.  
  • Best Practices for Deploying Amazon WorkSpaces (July 2016)    PDF
    • Best practices for deploying and managing your virtual desktop infrastructure.
  • AWS Key Management Services Best Practices (April 2017)    PDF
    • Best practices for implementing AWS KMS in your organization.
  • AWS Key Management Service Cryptographic Details (August 2016)    PDF
    • Detailed description of cryptographic operations when using AWS Key Management Service.