Introducing the Snowflake and AWS Custom Lens for the AWS Well-Architected Framework

This article introduces a new Snowflake and AWS Custom Lens for the AWS Well-Architected Framework, unifying best practices for running Snowflake on AWS infrastructure.

• Combines AWS and Snowflake guidance into single review framework across seven pillars
• Security pillar: Integrates AWS IAM, VPC, KMS with Snowflake network policies and RBAC
• Data governance: Maps AWS encryption and S3 lifecycle with Snowflake masking and row policies
• Reliability: Coordinates cross-Region replication, failover, and disaster recovery strategies
• Performance: Aligns EC2 sizing with warehouse sizing and query optimization techniques
• Cost optimization: Unifies AWS and Snowflake billing models in integrated FinOps dashboard
• Operational excellence: Bridges CloudWatch monitoring with Snowflake query history and dashboards
• Sustainability: First joint ISV-AWS lens treating sustainability as first-class pillar
• Accessible via AWS Well-Architected Tool console, Kiro IDE, or Snowflake Cortex Code
• Generates improvement plans with prioritized actions and compliance evidence export

This lens simplifies Snowflake-on-AWS architecture reviews by eliminating separate assessment processes and providing integrated recommendations across infrastructure and data layers.