How do we decide on a Kubernetes or serverless architecture as a solution architect?

Kubernetes Cluster

Scenario: Building a complex e-commerce platform with multiple microservices.

Requirements:

• Complex architecture
• Custom resource management
• Portability (on-premises, cloud, hybrid)
• Advanced networking and security
• Stateful applications (databases, persistent storage)
• Long-running processes
• DevOps and CI/CD integration

Example:

• An e-commerce platform with multiple microservices (user management, inventory, payments, etc.) that requires fine-grained control over deployment strategies, resource allocation, and scaling policies.
• Kubernetes helps in managing this complex architecture with features like service discovery, load balancing, automated rollouts, rollbacks, and self-healing capabilities.

Serverless Architecture

Scenario: Developing a web app for a startup that needs to launch quickly with minimal overhead.

Requirements:

• Rapid development and deployment
• Event-driven architecture
• Automatic scaling
• Cost efficiency for variable workloads
• Stateless applications or managed state services
• Microservices
• Operational simplicity

Example:

• A web application that serves dynamic content, processes user requests and triggers backend processing based on user interactions.
• Using AWS Lambda, API Gateway, Azure Function, CosmosDB, and DynamoDB, you can build a highly scalable and cost-efficient application without managing servers. Functions are triggered by HTTP requests, process the request, and interact with the database, all while automatically scaling based on the number of incoming requests.

Summary

• Kubernetes Cluster: Best for complex, long-running applications requiring custom resource management, advanced networking, and stateful components.
• Serverless Architecture: Ideal for rapid development, event-driven, stateless applications with unpredictable workloads and minimal operational overhead.