OPS07-BP01 Ensure personnel capability
Have a mechanism to validate that you have the appropriate number of trained personnel to support the workload. They must be trained on the platform and services that make up your workload. Provide them with the knowledge necessary to operate the workload. You must have enough trained personnel to support the normal operation of the workload and troubleshoot any incidents that occur. Have enough personnel so that you can rotate during on-call and vacations to avoid burnout.
Desired outcome:
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There are enough trained personnel to support the workload at times when the workload is available.
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You provide training for your personnel on the software and services that make up your workload.
Common anti-patterns:
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Deploying a workload without team members trained to operate the platform and services in use.
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Not having enough personnel to support on-call rotations or personnel taking time off.
Benefits of establishing this best practice:
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Having skilled team members helps effective support of your workload.
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With enough team members, you can support the workload and on-call rotations while decreasing the risk of burnout.
Level of risk exposed if this best practice is not established: High
Implementation guidance
Validate that there are sufficient trained personnel to support the workload. Verify that you have enough team members to cover normal operational activities, including on-call rotations.
Customer example
AnyCompany Retail makes sure that teams supporting the workload are properly staffed and trained. They have enough engineers to support an on-call rotation. Personnel get training on the software and platform that the workload is built on and are encouraged to earn certifications. There are enough personnel so that people can take time off while still supporting the workload and the on-call rotation.
Implementation steps
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Assign an adequate number of personnel to operate and support your workload, including on-call duties.
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Train your personnel on the software and platforms that compose your workload.
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AWS Training and Certification
has a library of courses about AWS. They provide free and paid courses, online and in-person. -
AWS hosts events and webinars
where you learn from AWS experts.
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Regularly evaluate team size and skills as operating conditions and the workload change. Adjust team size and skills to match operational requirements.
Level of effort for the implementation plan: High. Hiring and training a team to support a workload can take significant effort but has substantial long-term benefits.
Resources
Related best practices:
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OPS11-BP04 Perform knowledge management - Team members must have the information necessary to operate and support the workload. Knowledge management is the key to providing that.
Related documents:
