Optimizing Scaling for Image Processing in Elixir Applications

The article explores the challenges of scaling applications that handle compute-heavy tasks, especially image processing. It introduces several scaling methods, such as horizontal scaling, serverless functions, and the modular scaling approach provided by FLAME. Horizontal scaling adds more instances to an application, but it is inefficient for specific compute-heavy tasks, leading to increased costs. Serverless functions allow automatic scaling but require some code rewrites. FLAME, the proposed solution, allows offloading specific functions to ephemeral nodes, thus optimizing resource use and keeping costs down. The article details how to integrate FLAME into an Elixir application, featuring its internal components, configuration settings, and the lifecycle management of remote nodes. Overall, FLAME is presented as a compelling choice for Elixir developers dealing with compute-intensive workloads.