Real-time data processing costs 3-5x more than batch for most use cases.
Real-time costs 3-5x more due to: always-on infrastructure, complex error handling, state management, and ordering guarantees.
Use real-time for: fraud detection, live pricing, user-facing recommendations, operational alerts. Use batch for: reporting, analytics, ML training, ETL, and anything that can tolerate 15+ minute latency.
The hybrid approach: real-time for the critical 10%, batch for the other 90%. Saves 60-70% vs. all real-time.
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9 minPublished Work
This article expands on ideas from my published work in CIO.com, Built In, Mind the Product, and HackerNoon. View published articles →
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