Difference between AWS Lambda and container-based deployments

AWS Lambda and container-based deployments, such as those managed by ECS (Elastic Container Service) or Fargate, serve as distinct compute services provided by AWS, each with its own characteristics and use cases:

AWS Lambda

1. Serverless Computing:

   • Managed Service: AWS Lambda is a fully managed serverless compute service where you upload your code (typically functions) and AWS handles all infrastructure management.
   • Event-Driven: Lambda functions are triggered by events, such as HTTP requests via API Gateway, file uploads to S3, database updates in DynamoDB, or scheduled events from CloudWatch.

2. Scaling and Resource Management:

   • Automatic Scaling: Lambda scales automatically in response to the number of incoming requests. You do not need to provision or manage any servers.
   • Billing: Lambda pricing is based on the number of requests and the compute time consumed by your functions, with a free tier included.

3. Execution Environment:

   • Short-Lived Executions: Lambda functions are designed to be stateless and ephemeral, executing for a short duration (up to 15 minutes).
   • Concurrency: Lambda manages concurrency automatically, handling multiple requests concurrently by spinning up new instances as needed.

4. Developer Experience:

   • Ease of Use: Lambda simplifies development by allowing you to focus on writing code without worrying about infrastructure provisioning, deployment, or scaling.
   • Integration: Integrates seamlessly with other AWS services and third-party APIs, enabling serverless application architectures and event-driven workflows.

Container-Based Deployments (ECS, Fargate)

1. Container Orchestration:

   • Flexibility: ECS and Fargate provide more control over containerized applications, allowing you to define Docker containers, specify resource requirements (CPU, memory), and manage orchestration.
   • Infrastructure Management: With ECS/Fargate, you have more control over networking, storage, and security configurations compared to Lambda.

2. Deployment Flexibility:

   • Long-Running Tasks: Suitable for applications that require long-running processes or services, such as microservices architectures, batch processing, or applications with complex dependencies.

3. Scaling and Resource Management:

   • Customizable Scaling: ECS/Fargate allow you to define scaling policies based on metrics like CPU utilization or custom metrics, offering more granular control over resource allocation.
   • Cost Management: Costs are based on the resources provisioned (EC2 instances or Fargate tasks), and you manage the scaling and optimization of these resources.

4. Execution Environment:

   • Persistent State: Containers can hold state and data between executions, making them suitable for applications that require persistent connections, large file processing, or specific software dependencies.

Key Differences

• Compute Model: Lambda is event-driven and serverless, ideal for stateless functions triggered by events, while container-based deployments (ECS/Fargate) offer more flexibility for long-running processes and applications with specific infrastructure requirements.

• Scalability: Lambda scales automatically and instantly based on incoming requests, whereas ECS/Fargate provide customizable scaling policies for managing resources based on application needs.

• Execution Environment: Lambda functions are ephemeral and short-lived, whereas containers in ECS/Fargate can maintain state and run for extended durations, suitable for persistent workloads.