Does AWS have a complexity problem? [Video]

The cloud computing giant has finally realized it must deal with complexity, by adopting a six-step framework it calls ‘simplexity.’ It doesn’t scale.

Credit: fran_kie / Shutterstock

At AWS re:Invent 2024, Amazon Web Services addressed a critical concern for enterprises using modern cloud technology: managing the growing complexity of cloud environments at scale. Enterprises are confronted by the challenges of evolving systems, managing large-scale architectures, and optimizing operations. Cloud complexity is now a key obstacle to innovation and efficiency.

As defined by AWS, the complexity problem lies in the operational chaos often created by interconnected systems, unpredictable workloads, and the sheer scale of cloud deployments. To tackle this challenge, AWS CTO Werner Vogels introduced the concept of “simplexity” (cute name), a six-step framework aimed at breaking down and managing cloud complexity. Vogels hopes simplexity will ensure systems stay scalable and adaptable.

Here is Vogels’ six-step approach to simplexity:

1. Make flexibility a requirement: Design systems from the outset to adapt and evolve as technologies, workloads, and …