SaaS meets cell-based architecture: A natural multi-tenant fit (SAS315)

Overview of the Video Transcript

1. Introduction to SaaS Architecture Patterns

   • The speaker, Todd Golding, a Solutions Architect at AWS, has focused on SaaS domain for the last 8-9 years.
   • There is no one-size-fits-all notion of SaaS, and organizations have different deployment models and requirements.
   • The speaker has previously discussed patterns like siloed, pooled, and hybrid models, as well as the underlying technology stacks (e.g., EKS, serverless).

2. Emergence of Cell-based Architecture

   • The speaker has observed an increasing interest in cell-based architecture, which is a concept that has been around for a long time, but not widely adopted in the SaaS domain.
   • The goal of this talk is to explore the intersection between multi-tenancy principles and cell-based architecture, and understand how it can be leveraged in SaaS deployments.

3. Challenges in Traditional Multi-tenant SaaS Architectures

   • Varying workloads and tenant profiles make it challenging to design scalable, resilient, and efficient architectures.
   • Provisioning and managing the compute, storage, and other resources for multi-tenant environments is complex.
   • Layered architectural principles, such as tenant isolation, noisy neighbor mitigation, and consumption optimization, add to the overall complexity.
   • Deployment models (e.g., pooled, siloed) further complicate the architecture and operational strategies.

4. Potential Benefits of Cell-based Architecture

   • Cell-based architecture can provide a simpler way to address some of the challenges faced in traditional multi-tenant SaaS architectures.
   • Cells can serve as logical constructs to group tenants and apply specific scaling, resilience, and isolation strategies.
   • Cells can potentially simplify the management and operation of the SaaS environment, reducing complexity and improving efficiency.

5. Strategies for Defining Cell-based Architectures

   • Two approaches are discussed:
     1. Placing siloed tenants in their own cells and pooled tenants in shared cells.
     2. Starting with a single cell and adding new cells as needed based on tenant load or other criteria.
   • Consideration around the number of cells and their sizing policies is important.

6. Implementing Cell-based Architectures

   • Cell-based architectures can be realized in a similar way to traditional multi-tenant architectures, with the cell serving as an additional logical construct.
   • Cells can be implemented using various technologies, such as VPCs, accounts, or other grouping mechanisms.
   • The integration between the control plane and the app plane within the cells needs to be carefully designed.

7. Operational Considerations for Cell-based Architectures

   • Onboarding new tenants, deploying updates, and managing the lifecycle of cells require careful planning and execution.
   • Routing and indirection within the cell-based architecture need to be addressed, especially in the case of siloed tenant environments.
   • Monitoring, observability, and operational visibility into the cell-based environment are crucial.

8. Potential Advantages of Cell-based Architectures

   • Improved isolation and resilience by containing the blast radius of issues within a cell.
   • Simplified management of noisy neighbor problems, as the scope is limited to a single cell.
   • Increased flexibility in deployment, especially in the context of multi-region or hybrid environments.

9. Conclusion and Recommendations

   • Cell-based architecture can be a valuable addition to the SaaS deployment model considerations.
   • The decision to adopt a cell-based approach should be driven by the specific business and technical requirements of the SaaS environment.
   • Careful evaluation of the trade-offs and the balance between complexity and value is essential.