Comparisons

UCROPS - Usability, Cost, Reliability, Operations, Performance, Security

Comparison - Serverless, Server

UCROPS	Serverless (ie. Lambda)	Server (ie. EC2)
Usability	✅ Easy setup out-of-box if less-customized requirements with preconfigured options. to medium-sized workloads. Low cost for low usage.	Requires more manual configuration work/knowledge.
Cost	✅ More cost-effective for small to medium-sized workloads. Low cost for low usage.	✅ More cost-effective for larger workloads.
Reliability	✅ High availability and fault tolerance built-in, server maintenance or hardware failures	No built-in high availability and fault tolerance must be implemented and maintained manually, can be more complex and time-consuming to set up and maintain.
Scalability	✅ Easier for more variable and unpredictable workloads. Automatic scalability built-in.	Better for predictable and steady workloads, where it can be fine-tuned by knowledgeable staff. More control, but more manual and reliant on expertise.
Latency	✅ Latency varies, although slower in some cases, faster with options to use on Edge locations for lower. Cold starts could be an issue in some cases.	✅ Server-based options may have lower latency for a particular region, but may require more configuration to get it, and may have less latency stability.
Operations	✅ Less provisioning/maintenance, stateless environments, testing and staging may be more complex	More control over the deployment process
Flexibility	Less flexible. Opinionated pre-configuration and cloud provider managed	✅ More flexibility to change granular configurations.
Customization	May be easier setup for if only built-in customization options are required.	✅ More control over the underlying infrastructure or the ability to run custom software
Compliance and Security	May not fulfill complex compliance requirements, but out-of-box security may be easier.	✅ Better if specific compliance or security requirements must be met, but may require more configuration and maintenance.

• What is the expected workload for the application or service?

  • If you expect a consistent, high workload, a server like EC2 may be more suitable as it can handle sustained usage.
  • If you expect occasional or unpredictable usage, serverless like Lambda may be more cost-effective as you only pay for the exact amount of usage.

• How much control do you need over the underlying infrastructure?

  • EC2 provides more control over the server configuration and the ability to run custom software.
  • Lambda, on the other hand, abstracts away the infrastructure and allows you to focus on writing code.

• How important is cost and scalability?

  • EC2 instances may be more expensive, especially for consistent, high-traffic workloads.
  • Lambda is typically more cost-effective for infrequent or variable workloads, as you only pay for the exact amount of usage.
  • Lambda also automatically scales to match the incoming traffic, which may save you the effort of configuring scaling rules.

• How much traffic is the application or service expected to handle?

  • If you expect high traffic, a server like EC2 may be more suitable as it can handle high traffic more easily.
  • If you expect low or unpredictable traffic, serverless like Lambda may be more cost-effective.

• What are the requirements for the runtime environment of the application or service?

  • EC2 allows you to run any software or runtime environment that is compatible with the chosen operating system.
  • Lambda currently supports a variety of languages and runtimes, including Node.js, Python, Java, Go, and .NET.

• How much state needs to be maintained for the application or service?

  • EC2 instances can maintain state by storing data on the local disk or external storage.
  • Lambda functions are stateless, meaning that they do not maintain any data between invocations, but it can be store in S3, DynamoDB or other services.

• How important is security for the application or service?

  • EC2 instances can be configured with custom security settings and allow you to control access to the server.
  • Lambda provides built-in security features such as VPC support, resource-based policies, and encryption of data at rest and in transit.

• Are there any specific performance requirements for the application or service?

  • EC2 instances offer more options for customizing the hardware and network configuration to meet specific performance requirements.
  • Lambda provides automatic scaling and may not offer the same level of control over performance.

• What is the expected life cycle of the application or service?

  • EC2 instances may be more suitable for long-term, production workloads.
  • Lambda may be more suitable for short-term, experimental, or event-driven workloads.