Lambda Architecture
1. Overview
- Definition: Lambda Architecture is a data processing architecture designed to handle massive quantities of data by using both batch-processing and stream-processing methods.
- Components:
- Batch Layer: Responsible for processing and storing all incoming data, producing batch views (aggregated data) periodically.
- Speed Layer: Processes real-time data streams to provide immediate insights; it updates the most recent data quickly, compensating for the latency of the batch layer.
- Serving Layer: Merges the outputs of both the batch and speed layers to provide a comprehensive view of the data for users.
- Process Flow:
- Data is ingested in both real-time and batch modes.
- Batch layer processes large sets of past data and generates views.
- Speed layer analyzes recent data for immediate results.
- Serving layer consolidates results for querying and display.
- Advantages:
- Combines the best of both worlds: accurate batch processing and low-latency real-time analytics.
- Highly scalable and flexible, suitable for big data environments.
- Disadvantages:
- Complexity due to the inclusion of multiple layers can lead to more challenging maintenance and deployment.
- Possible eventual consistency issues, as data from the batch layer may take longer to reflect new changes compared to the speed layer.
1.0.1. Connections:
- The Lambda Architecture emphasizes the importance of both timely data processing (Speed Layer) and reliability in analytics (Batch Layer), addressing issues in high-velocity data contexts like financial transactions or social media analytics.
- It contrasts with other architectures, such as the Kappa Architecture, which simplifies the processing by focusing solely on the stream layer.
1.0.2. Questions for Further Exploration:
- What specific use cases or industries have successfully implemented Lambda Architecture?
- How do performance metrics differ between Lambda Architecture and alternatives like Kappa Architecture?
- What modern tools or platforms best support the components of Lambda Architecture?
- In what scenarios is it more beneficial to adopt a simpler architecture instead of Lambda?
Tags::cs:arch: