Search and Vector Databases as Microservices - Pros and Cons

Explore a technical conference talk that examines the architectural evolution of search engines and vector databases, focusing on the shift from monolithic deployments to microservices-based approaches. Dive deep into various search engine architectures, primarily Vespa but also covering Elasticsearch, Solr, and others, to understand the advantages and disadvantages of separating concerns in information retrieval systems. Learn how modern use cases like RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) and semantic search are driving the transition toward more stateless operations, including on-the-fly embedding generation, re-ranking, and local LLM integration. Evaluate the trade-offs between architectural complexity and operational benefits, gaining practical insights to determine the optimal technology stack and deployment strategy for specific use cases.