FAQ

How is this different from scale-to-zero (KEDA, Knative)?

Scale-to-zero deletes pods entirely, causing 30-60+ second cold starts. Architect hibernates pods in place. They wake in under 50ms, stay registered with services, and keep PVCs mounted.

What applications are compatible?

GPU workloads are not supported yet. The following have been tested:

When should I use gVisor (runsc-architect) vs runc (runc-architect)?

runc-architect for most workloads: automatic hibernation, container-scoped checkpoints. runsc-architect for additional security isolation or explicit checkpoint control via PersistentCheckpoint CRDs. Pod-scoped checkpoints, does not support init containers (except sidecar containers). See Configuration → Runtime Classes.

Does Architect work with HPA?

Yes. HPA manages replica count; Architect ensures idle replicas use zero resources.

Does Architect work with StatefulSets?

Yes. Same annotations and runtime class. PVCs stay mounted during hibernation.

What happens to in-flight requests?

Packets arriving during or after hibernation are buffered and delivered on wake (typically under 50ms). No packets are dropped.

How much overhead does Architect add?

Less than 1% CPU and less than 50MB memory per node.

What happens during Kubernetes upgrades?

Upgrade Architect first, then workloads. Hibernated pods wake during node drains and reschedule normally.

How much disk space do checkpoints use?

50-200MB per pod depending on memory footprint.

kubectl exec -n architect <architectd-pod> -- \
  du -sh /var/lib/architect/checkpoints/

What happens if the daemon crashes?

Pods continue running but won't hibernate or wake until the DaemonSet controller restarts architectd. Checkpoints are preserved.

Where are checkpoints stored?

Locally on each node running architectd.

How do I uninstall Architect?

See Uninstalling.