ADR-001: Cloudflare Workers Platform Selection
ADR-001: Cloudflare Workers Platform Selection
Section titled “ADR-001: Cloudflare Workers Platform Selection”Status
Section titled “Status”Accepted
2025-09-01
Context
Section titled “Context”We needed to select a platform for building a MySQL-compatible edge database that could:
- Provide global edge distribution with low latency
- Handle stateful database operations
- Support MySQL protocol compatibility
- Scale automatically without infrastructure management
- Integrate with modern edge computing paradigms
Key requirements:
- Sub-50ms query response times globally
- Support for complex SQL operations including transactions
- Multi-tenant isolation and security
- Cost-effective scaling from zero to enterprise volumes
- Developer-friendly deployment and debugging
Alternative platforms considered:
- Traditional Cloud Providers (AWS, GCP, Azure)
- Edge Computing Platforms (Fastly Compute, Vercel Edge Functions)
- Serverless Platforms (AWS Lambda, Azure Functions)
- Cloudflare Workers
Decision
Section titled “Decision”We chose Cloudflare Workers as the primary platform for WorkerSQL implementation.
Rationale
Section titled “Rationale”Cloudflare Workers Advantages:
Section titled “Cloudflare Workers Advantages:”- Global Edge Network: 300+ locations worldwide with sub-10ms latency to 95% of internet users
- Stateful Capabilities: Durable Objects provide strongly consistent, stateful computing primitives
- Integrated Storage Options: KV (eventually consistent), D1 (SQLite), R2 (object storage), Queues
- V8 Isolates: Faster cold starts (sub-millisecond) compared to container-based solutions
- Cost Model: Pay-per-request with generous free tier, predictable pricing
- Developer Experience: TypeScript-first, excellent local development tools (Miniflare, Wrangler)
- Security: Automatic DDoS protection, built-in security features
Comparison with Alternatives:
Section titled “Comparison with Alternatives:”Traditional Cloud Providers:
- ❌ Higher latency due to regional deployment
- ❌ Complex infrastructure management required
- ❌ Higher operational overhead
- ✅ Mature ecosystem and enterprise features
Other Edge Platforms:
- ❌ Limited stateful computing capabilities
- ❌ Lack of integrated database solutions
- ❌ Smaller global footprint
- ❌ Less mature development tooling
Serverless Platforms:
- ❌ Cold start latency issues
- ❌ Limited execution duration
- ❌ No built-in state management
- ❌ Regional rather than edge deployment
Technical Enablers:
Section titled “Technical Enablers:”- Durable Objects: Enable authoritative, stateful database shards at the edge
- KV Storage: Provides fast, eventually consistent caching layer
- D1 Database: Offers SQLite compatibility for complex queries
- Queues: Enable reliable async processing for cache invalidation
- Workers Platform: Handles HTTP/MySQL protocol termination
Consequences
Section titled “Consequences”Positive:
Section titled “Positive:”- Ultra-low latency database operations globally
- Simplified deployment and scaling
- Cost-effective from prototype to enterprise scale
- Strong TypeScript development experience
- Built-in security and DDoS protection
- Automatic geographic distribution
Negative:
Section titled “Negative:”- Platform lock-in to Cloudflare ecosystem
- Limited by Workers execution model constraints
- Newer platform with evolving feature set
- Learning curve for edge-first architecture patterns
- Dependency on Cloudflare’s service reliability
Mitigation Strategies:
Section titled “Mitigation Strategies:”- Implement abstraction layers for potential platform portability
- Design architecture to be compatible with other edge platforms
- Maintain fallback strategies for critical operations
- Regular platform capability assessment and roadmap alignment
Technical Implications:
Section titled “Technical Implications:”- Must design for distributed, eventually consistent systems
- Need to handle network partitions and edge failures gracefully
- Architecture must work within Workers’ execution limits
- Security model aligned with Cloudflare’s zero-trust approach