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Group 2: Managed App Compute
Platform-as-a-Service offerings for application deployment: Elastic Beanstalk, App Runner, Lightsail, EC2 Image Builder, Systems Manager.
Design Principle: Trade infrastructure control for deployment velocity; choose based on operational complexity tolerance vs speed-to-market requirements.
Services & Roles
Elastic Beanstalk
Full-stack PaaS with multiple platform versions & environments.
- Auto scaling
- Load balancing
- Health monitoring
App Runner
Containerized applications with automatic scaling & CI/CD.
- Source-to-run
- Auto deployment
- Pay-per-use
Lightsail
Simplified VPS with predictable pricing for simple workloads.
- Fixed pricing
- SSD storage
- Easy setup
Image Builder
Automated AMI creation with compliance & patch management.
- Build pipelines
- Golden images
- Patch automation
Systems Manager
Operational management for EC2 & on-premises servers.
- Patch mgmt
- Run commands
- Parameter store
Key Differences
| Dimension | Beanstalk | App Runner | Lightsail | Image Builder | Systems Mgr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary | Full PaaS | Container PaaS | Simple VPS | Image automation | Server mgmt |
| Complexity | Medium | Low | Very Low | Medium | Medium-High |
| Scaling | Auto/manual | Automatic | Manual tiers | N/A | Fleet-based |
| Cost Model | Resource-based | Pay-per-use | Fixed monthly | Build time | Instance-based |
Selection Model
0–10 sliders weight emphasis for workload fit.
Score_Beanstalk = 0.28*C_fullStack + 0.22*C_multiEnv + 0.18*C_autoScale + 0.14*C_platformVersion + 0.10*C_monitoring + 0.08*(10 - C_simplicity)
Score_AppRunner = 0.30*C_containerApp + 0.24*C_cicdIntegration + 0.18*C_autoScale + 0.14*C_simplicity + 0.08*C_payPerUse + 0.06*(10 - C_customConfig)
Score_Lightsail = 0.32*C_simplicity + 0.26*C_fixedCost + 0.16*C_smallWorkload + 0.12*C_quickStart + 0.08*(10 - C_scalability) + 0.06*(10 - C_enterprise)
Score_ImageBuilder = 0.34*C_imageAutomation + 0.24*C_compliance + 0.18*C_patchMgmt + 0.12*C_goldenImage + 0.08*C_security + 0.04*(10 - C_runtime)
Score_SystemsMgr = 0.30*C_fleetMgmt + 0.22*C_patchMgmt + 0.18*C_hybridOps + 0.14*C_compliance + 0.10*C_parameterStore + 0.06*(10 - C_simplicity)
Elastic Beanstalk {{vm.scores.beanstalk|number:2}}
App Runner {{vm.scores.apprunner|number:2}}
Lightsail {{vm.scores.lightsail|number:2}}
Image Builder {{vm.scores.imagebuilder|number:2}}
Systems Manager {{vm.scores.systemsmgr|number:2}}
Primary Emphasis: {{vm.recommended.name}} ({{vm.recommended.score|number:2}})
Heuristics
- High C_fullStack + C_multiEnv → Elastic Beanstalk for traditional web apps.
- Strong C_containerApp + C_cicdIntegration → App Runner for modern containers.
- High C_simplicity + C_fixedCost → Lightsail for simple websites/apps.
- C_imageAutomation + C_compliance → Image Builder for standardized AMIs.
- C_fleetMgmt + C_hybridOps → Systems Manager for server operations.
Anti-Patterns
- Using Lightsail for enterprise-grade applications requiring high availability.
- Over-engineering with Beanstalk when App Runner suffices for containers.
- Manual server management when Systems Manager automation is available.
- Building AMIs manually when Image Builder can automate the process.
Summary
Choose Beanstalk for full-stack web applications, App Runner for containerized apps, Lightsail for simple workloads, Image Builder for automated AMI creation, and Systems Manager for operational fleet management.