Learning Management Platform: Technical Architecture Comparison
Executive Decision Document
Purpose: Select the optimal technical architecture for the Learning Management Platform Date: 2025-11-14 Decision Required By: [Target Date]
Executive Summary
Three viable technical architectures have been designed for the LMS platform, each optimized for different business priorities:
| Architecture | Best For | Initial Investment | Operational Complexity | Scaling Strategy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Option 1: Serverless-First | Early-stage MVP, cost optimization | Lowest | Lowest | Automatic |
| Option 2: Container-Based | Established team, predictable growth | Medium | Medium-High | Manual tuning |
| Option 3: Hybrid Modern | Modern platform, rapid iteration | Low-Medium | Medium | Automatic + Strategic |
Recommended Architecture: Option 3 (Hybrid Modern Stack) - Best balance of cost, scalability, and developer velocity for a revenue-generating LMS platform.
Quick Comparison Matrix
Cost Analysis (Monthly Estimates)
| Traffic Level | Option 1: Serverless | Option 2: Container | Option 3: Hybrid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Launch (0-1k users) | $150-300 | $300-550 | $150-280 |
| Growth (1k-10k users) | $300-600 | $500-900 | $280-650 |
| Scale (10k-50k users) | $800-1,500 | $1,200-2,000 | $650-1,200 |
| Enterprise (50k+ users) | $2,000-4,000 | $2,500-4,500 | $1,500-3,000 |
Cost Winner: Option 3 at all scales, Option 1 close second at launch phase
Technical Capabilities Scorecard
| Capability | Option 1 | Option 2 | Option 3 | Business Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real-time Features | ⚠️ Limited | ⚠️ Custom Build | ✅ Built-in | High (engagement) |
| AI Integration | ✅ Native | ⚠️ Custom | ✅ Advanced | Critical |
| Mobile Performance | ✅ Excellent | ⚠️ Good | ✅ Excellent | High (retention) |
| Search/Discovery | ⚠️ Basic | ✅ Advanced | ✅ Advanced | Medium |
| Payment Processing | ✅ Integrated | ✅ Integrated | ✅ Integrated | Critical |
| Video Delivery | ✅ Optimized | ✅ Optimized | ✅ Optimized | Critical |
| Development Speed | ⚠️ Medium | ⚠️ Slower | ✅ Fastest | High (time-to-market) |
| Debugging/Testing | ⚠️ Complex | ✅ Standard | ✅ Good | Medium |
| Legend: ✅ Strong | ⚠️ Acceptable | ❌ Limitation |
Detailed Comparison
1. Cost Structure & Economics
Option 1: Serverless-First
- Pricing Model: Pay-per-use (invocations, requests, storage)
- Fixed Costs: Minimal (~$50/month baseline)
- Variable Costs: Scale linearly with usage
- Break-even Point: Most economical up to ~30k active users
- Cost Predictability: ⚠️ Moderate (usage-dependent)
- Optimization Potential: High (granular control)
Financial Risk: Low initial, moderate at scale
Option 2: Container-Based
- Pricing Model: Fixed compute + variable data transfer
- Fixed Costs: High (~$200/month baseline for always-on containers)
- Variable Costs: Storage, bandwidth, database
- Break-even Point: Better for predictable, high-volume traffic
- Cost Predictability: ✅ High (mostly fixed)
- Optimization Potential: Medium (instance tuning)
Financial Risk: Medium initial, low at scale
Option 3: Hybrid Modern
- Pricing Model: Hybrid (serverless APIs + strategic containers)
- Fixed Costs: Low (~$80/month baseline)
- Variable Costs: Scales with usage but optimized
- Break-even Point: Cost-effective at all scales
- Cost Predictability: ✅ Good (predictable patterns)
- Optimization Potential: Very High (best of both worlds)
Financial Risk: Low at all stages
2. Development & Time-to-Market
| Factor | Option 1 | Option 2 | Option 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Setup Time | 2-3 weeks | 4-6 weeks | 3-4 weeks |
| MVP Launch Timeline | 8-10 weeks | 12-16 weeks | 8-12 weeks |
| Developer Learning Curve | Medium (DynamoDB) | Low (familiar) | Medium (GraphQL) |
| Team Size Required | 2-3 developers | 3-4 developers | 2-3 developers |
| Frontend Integration | Good | Standard | Excellent |
| API Documentation | Manual | Manual | Auto-generated |
| Testing Complexity | High | Medium | Medium |
Speed Winner: Option 3 (best DX) > Option 1 > Option 2
3. Operational Considerations
Maintenance & DevOps Burden
| Task | Option 1 | Option 2 | Option 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Infrastructure Management | ✅ Minimal | ❌ High | ⚠️ Medium |
| Database Administration | ✅ Managed | ⚠️ Manual tuning | ✅ Auto-scaling |
| Security Patching | ✅ Automatic | ❌ Manual | ✅ Mostly auto |
| Monitoring Setup | ⚠️ Complex | ⚠️ Standard | ✅ Integrated |
| Deployment Process | ✅ Simple | ⚠️ Complex | ✅ Simple |
| Disaster Recovery | ✅ Built-in | ⚠️ Manual setup | ✅ Built-in |
DevOps Winner: Option 1 (least overhead) > Option 3 > Option 2
Scalability Profile
Option 1: Serverless-First
- Auto-scales to zero and to millions
- No capacity planning needed
- Cold start latency (200-800ms) on first request
- 99.95% SLA from AWS services
Option 2: Container-Based
- Manual scaling policies required
- Capacity planning critical
- Consistent latency (20-50ms)
- 99.95% SLA (Multi-AZ)
Option 3: Hybrid Modern
- Intelligent auto-scaling
- Database scales with workload
- Low latency (30-100ms)
- 99.99% SLA (AppSync + Aurora)
4. Risk Assessment
Technical Risks
| Risk Category | Option 1 | Option 2 | Option 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vendor Lock-in | ⚠️ High (AWS) | ✅ Low (portable) | ⚠️ Medium (mostly AWS) |
| Performance Issues | ⚠️ Cold starts | ✅ Predictable | ✅ Optimized |
| Data Consistency | ⚠️ Eventual | ✅ ACID | ✅ ACID |
| Debugging Difficulty | ❌ Complex | ✅ Standard | ⚠️ Manageable |
| Technology Maturity | ✅ Proven | ✅ Proven | ✅ Mature |
| Community Support | ✅ Strong | ✅ Strong | ✅ Growing |
Business Risks
| Risk | Option 1 | Option 2 | Option 3 | Mitigation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost Overruns | Medium | Low | Low | Monthly budget alerts |
| Performance Issues | Medium | Low | Low | Load testing pre-launch |
| Hiring Challenges | Medium | Low | Medium | Training investment |
| Migration Difficulty | High | Medium | Medium | Phased approach |
| Scaling Bottlenecks | Low | Medium | Low | Auto-scaling policies |
5. AI Content Generation Capabilities
| Feature | Option 1 | Option 2 | Option 3 | Importance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Text Generation (Bedrock) | ✅ Native | ⚠️ Custom | ✅ Advanced | Critical |
| Video AI Integration | ✅ Lambda | ⚠️ Workers | ✅ Step Functions | Critical |
| Batch Processing | ⚠️ Lambda limits | ✅ Unlimited | ✅ Hybrid | High |
| Workflow Orchestration | ✅ Step Functions | ⚠️ Custom | ✅ Express Workflows | High |
| Content Scheduling | ✅ EventBridge | ⚠️ Cron | ✅ EventBridge | Medium |
| Cost per Generation | Low | Medium | Low | High |
AI Winner: Option 3 > Option 1 > Option 2
6. Revenue & Monetization Features
| Capability | Option 1 | Option 2 | Option 3 | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stripe Integration | ✅ Straightforward | ✅ Straightforward | ✅ Advanced | Critical |
| Subscription Management | ⚠️ Custom | ⚠️ Custom | ✅ Built-in patterns | High |
| Usage Tracking | ✅ DynamoDB | ✅ PostgreSQL | ✅ Real-time | High |
| Analytics Dashboard | ⚠️ Custom | ⚠️ Custom | ✅ QuickSight | Medium |
| A/B Testing | ⚠️ Custom | ⚠️ Custom | ✅ Lambda@Edge | Medium |
| Payment Webhooks | ✅ Lambda | ✅ API | ✅ EventBridge | Critical |
Monetization Winner: Option 3 > Option 2 > Option 1
7. User Experience & Performance
| Metric | Option 1 | Option 2 | Option 3 | User Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Page Load Time | Good (200-500ms) | Excellent (50-200ms) | Excellent (100-300ms) | High |
| API Response Time | Variable (100-800ms) | Consistent (50-150ms) | Good (80-200ms) | High |
| Video Streaming | ✅ CloudFront | ✅ CloudFront | ✅ CloudFront | Critical |
| Offline Support | ⚠️ Limited | ⚠️ Limited | ✅ Amplify DataStore | Medium |
| Real-time Updates | ⚠️ Polling | ⚠️ WebSockets | ✅ Subscriptions | High |
| Mobile Performance | ✅ Excellent | ⚠️ Good | ✅ Excellent | High |
UX Winner: Option 3 > Option 2 > Option 1
Decision Framework
Choose Option 1 (Serverless-First) if:
- ✅ Budget is extremely tight (<$500/month for first year)
- ✅ Traffic is highly variable and unpredictable
- ✅ Team has serverless experience
- ✅ You prioritize minimal operational overhead
- ✅ Real-time features are not critical
- ❌ BUT: Consider this has highest long-term migration risk
Choose Option 2 (Container-Based) if:
- ✅ Team has strong Docker/Kubernetes experience
- ✅ You need to avoid vendor lock-in at all costs
- ✅ Traffic is predictable and steady
- ✅ You require complex database transactions
- ✅ Debugging and testing simplicity is priority #1
- ❌ BUT: Higher baseline costs and operational overhead
Choose Option 3 (Hybrid Modern) if:
- ✅ You want best overall value and performance
- ✅ Real-time features are important (live progress, notifications)
- ✅ Developer velocity and modern DX are priorities
- ✅ AI-first architecture is critical
- ✅ You plan to scale to 10k+ users
- ✅ You want future-proof architecture with migration path
- ❌ BUT: Requires learning GraphQL (1-2 week ramp-up)
Recommendation: Option 3 (Hybrid Modern Stack)
Rationale
- Best Total Cost of Ownership
- Lowest cost at all traffic levels (0-50k+ users)
- Predictable scaling economics
- Reduced DevOps overhead = lower operational costs
- Optimal for AI-Driven Content
- Native integration with Amazon Bedrock
- Step Functions for complex workflows
- Cost-effective batch processing
- Revenue-Optimized
- Real-time engagement features boost retention
- Advanced analytics for conversion optimization
- Built-in patterns for subscription management
- Fastest Time-to-Market
- Amplify + GraphQL = rapid frontend development
- Auto-generated API documentation
- Strong typing end-to-end reduces bugs
- Future-Proof Architecture
- Clear migration path as you scale
- Start serverless, add containers strategically
- Can evolve to multi-region without rewrite
Implementation Roadmap
Phase 1: MVP (Weeks 1-8)
- Setup: Amplify, AppSync, Cognito, Aurora Serverless
- Core features: Auth, course browsing, enrollment, payments
- AI integration: Basic Bedrock text generation
- Go-live with 100-1k users
Phase 2: Enhancement (Weeks 9-16)
- Real-time progress tracking with subscriptions
- Video AI integration (Step Functions workflow)
- Advanced search (OpenSearch Serverless)
- Analytics dashboard
- Scale to 1k-10k users
Phase 3: Optimization (Weeks 17-24)
- Add ECS for heavy batch jobs
- Implement caching strategies
- Performance optimization
- Mobile app development
- Scale to 10k-50k users
Phase 4: Scale (Month 7+)
- Aurora read replicas if needed
- Multi-region consideration
- Advanced monetization features
- Enterprise features
- Scale to 50k+ users
Financial Projection (3-Year)
Option 3 (Recommended) - Cost Estimate
| Timeline | Users | Monthly Infrastructure | Annual Total | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Months 1-6 | 0-1k | $200-400 | $1,800-3,600 | MVP phase |
| Months 7-12 | 1k-5k | $400-800 | $5,400-7,200 | Growth phase |
| Year 2 | 5k-20k | $800-1,500 | $10,800-18,000 | Scaling phase |
| Year 3 | 20k-50k | $1,500-2,500 | $18,000-30,000 | Optimization phase |
3-Year Total: $36,000-58,800 (infrastructure only)
ROI Assumptions
Revenue Model: Subscription-based ($29-99/month per user)
| Metric | Conservative | Moderate | Aggressive |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conversion Rate | 2% | 5% | 10% |
| Avg. Price Point | $29/mo | $49/mo | $79/mo |
| Year 1 Revenue | $7k-17k | $29k-59k | $95k-190k |
| Year 3 Revenue | $140k-290k | $490k-1.2M | $1.9M-3.8M |
| Infrastructure % | 5-10% | 2-4% | 1-2% |
Break-even: Month 3-6 (moderate scenario)
Next Steps
Immediate Actions (Week 1)
- Decision: Select architecture option (recommend Option 3)
- Team: Identify lead developer and 2-3 engineers
- Training: GraphQL and AWS Amplify crash course (online, 1 week)
- AWS Setup: Create production and development accounts
- Repository: Initialize Git repo with IaC (CDK or SAM)
Short-term (Weeks 2-4)
- Setup CI/CD pipeline
- Implement authentication (Cognito)
- Build core data models (GraphQL schema)
- Deploy basic infrastructure
- Setup monitoring and alerting
Medium-term (Weeks 5-12)
- Develop course management features
- Integrate Stripe for payments
- Implement AI content generation
- Build frontend (Next.js + Amplify)
- User testing and iteration
Risk Mitigation
- Weekly cost monitoring: CloudWatch billing alarms
- Performance testing: Load test at 2x expected traffic
- Disaster recovery: Automated backups, tested monthly
- Documentation: Architecture decision records (ADRs)
Appendix: Key Metrics to Track
Technical KPIs
- API response time (P50, P95, P99)
- Error rate (target: <0.1%)
- Availability (target: 99.9%)
- Database performance (query latency)
- AI generation cost per course
- Video streaming quality (buffering ratio)
Business KPIs
- User acquisition cost (UAC)
- Customer lifetime value (CLV)
- Monthly recurring revenue (MRR)
- Churn rate (target: <5%)
- Course completion rate (target: >60%)
- Net promoter score (NPS)
Cost KPIs
- Infrastructure cost per active user
- AWS bill variance month-over-month
- Cost as % of revenue
- AI generation cost efficiency
Questions for Stakeholders
- Budget: What is the maximum acceptable monthly infrastructure cost for Year 1?
- Timeline: Is 8-12 week MVP timeline acceptable?
- Team: Do we have in-house developers, or will we hire/contract?
- Scale: What is the target user base in 12/24/36 months?
- Features: Are real-time features (live progress updates) important?
- Compliance: Any data residency or compliance requirements (GDPR, HIPAA)?
- Risk: What is the tolerance for vendor lock-in vs operational complexity?
Conclusion
Recommended Architecture: Option 3 - Hybrid Modern Stack
This architecture provides:
- ✅ Lowest total cost of ownership across all scales
- ✅ Best developer experience and fastest time-to-market
- ✅ Native support for AI content generation
- ✅ Real-time engagement features for better retention
- ✅ Clear path to scale from MVP to enterprise
Alternative: If team has zero GraphQL experience and extreme budget constraints, Option 1 (Serverless-First) is acceptable with understanding of future migration costs.
Not Recommended: Option 2 should only be chosen if team has existing container expertise and strong aversion to managed services.
Document Owner: Technical Architecture Team Review Date: [Set quarterly review] Approval Required From: CTO, Product Lead, Finance