# Definition
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Focus on the following areas to achieve performance efficiency in the cloud:
+  [Architecture selection](architecture-selection.md) 
+  [Compute and hardware](compute-and-hardware.md) 
+  [Data management](data-management.md) 
+  [Networking and content delivery](networking-and-content-delivery.md) 
+  [Process and culture](process-and-culture.md) 

Take a data-driven approach to build a high-performing architecture. Gather data on all aspects of the architecture, from the high-level design to the selection and configuration of resource types.

 Reviewing your choices on a regular basis, ensures that you are taking advantage of the continually evolving AWS Cloud. Monitoring ensures that you are aware of any deviance from expected performance. Make trade-offs in your architecture to improve performance, such as using compression or caching, or relaxing consistency requirements.