Apache Aurora vs Apache Mesos: What are the differences?

Introduction: Apache Aurora and Apache Mesos are both cluster computing frameworks that provide resource management and job scheduling capabilities. However, they have key differences that make them suited for different use cases.

1. Execution Model: Apache Aurora uses a service-oriented architecture where applications are run as services with long-running processes, while Apache Mesos uses a distributed operating system-like model where applications are run as tasks with shorter lifetimes. This difference in execution model allows Aurora to handle and manage long-running services effectively, while Mesos excels at handling short-lived tasks.

2. Scheduling Flexibility: Apache Aurora provides more advanced scheduling capabilities compared to Mesos. It supports cron-like scheduling, allowing users to define recurring tasks and complex dependencies. Additionally, Aurora supports multi-level scheduling, where users can define tiers for different types of tasks and apply different scheduling rules and priorities. Mesos, on the other hand, has a simpler flexible framework for task scheduling but does not have as many advanced scheduling features.

3. Isolation: Apache Aurora provides a higher level of isolation between tasks by default. It uses containerization technology, such as Docker, to ensure that tasks are isolated from each other. Mesos, on the other hand, provides basic process-level isolation but does not have built-in containerization support. Users need to rely on external containerization technologies if they require higher levels of isolation.

4. Ecosystem and Framework Support: Mesos has a larger ecosystem and community support compared to Aurora. Mesos has a wide range of frameworks built on top of it, such as Marathon for general-purpose task scheduling and Chronos for cron-like scheduling. These frameworks provide additional features and integrations, making Mesos a more versatile choice. Aurora, on the other hand, has a more limited ecosystem and is mainly designed for long-running services.

5. Fault Tolerance: Apache Mesos provides better fault tolerance capabilities compared to Aurora. Mesos has built-in fault tolerance features, such as leader election and task reconciliation, which ensure that tasks are rescheduled and the system recovers from failures automatically. Aurora, on the other hand, has limited fault tolerance capabilities and relies on external tools and processes for recovery in case of failures.

6. User Experience: Apache Mesos has a more developer-friendly user experience compared to Aurora. Mesos provides a web-based UI, command-line interface (CLI), and REST API for managing and monitoring tasks and clusters. Aurora, on the other hand, has a more minimalistic UI and CLI, which may require more manual configuration and interaction with the API for managing tasks and services.

In summary, Apache Aurora is a more suitable choice for managing and running long-running services with advanced scheduling capabilities and higher levels of isolation, while Apache Mesos is more versatile with a larger ecosystem, better fault tolerance, and a more developer-friendly user experience.