Based on your current setup and the research, let me analyze your architecture and suggest potential improvements, specifically in the context of IBM Cloud: Current Setup Analysis: 1. Prefect Server on Code Engine: This is a reasonable approach for self-hosting Prefect. 2. Combined Backend Setup: You're running three processes (FastAPI + 2 flow serves) in a single Code Engine application using supervisord. Potential Improvements: 1. Separate Flow Execution from API - Instead of using

serve

processes alongside your FastAPI application, consider using IBM Cloud Code Engine's native capabilities with Prefect 3.x work pools - This would allow better scaling and resource isolation between your API and flow executions - Code Engine has a serverless model that's well-suited for Prefect's work pool architecture 2. Work Pool Implementation - Create an IBM Cloud Code Engine work pool in Prefect - This allows Prefect to handle the infrastructure provisioning automatically - Flows will run in isolated containers, scaling independently from your API 3. Source Control Integration - Instead of serving flows directly, consider deploying them from a Git repository - Use

flow.from_source()

to deploy flows from your version-controlled codebase - This ensures better version tracking and deployment consistency 4. Resource Optimization - Let Code Engine handle the scaling of your FastAPI application separately - Use Code Engine's auto-scaling capabilities for both the API and flow executions - This prevents resource contention between your API and flow executions Here's a suggested improved architecture:

plaintext
IBM Cloud Code Engine
├── Application 1: Prefect Server
├── Application 2: FastAPI Backend (standalone)
└── Code Engine Work Pool
    └── Dynamic flow execution containers

Implementation Steps: 1. Keep your Prefect server as is on Code Engine 2. Separate your FastAPI application into its own Code Engine application (without supervisord) 3. Set up a Code Engine work pool in Prefect:

bash
   prefect work-pool create 'ibm-code-engine-pool' --type process

4. Deploy your flows from source:

python
   from prefect import flow
   
   @flow
   def your_flow():
       # your flow logic here
       pass
   
   if __name__ == "__main__":
       flow.from_source(
           source="your-repo-url",
           entrypoint="path/to/flow.py:your_flow"
       ).deploy(
           name="your-flow-deployment",
           work_pool_name="ibm-code-engine-pool"
       )

Benefits of this Architecture: - Better resource isolation - Independent scaling - Clearer separation of concerns - More maintainable infrastructure - Better version control integration - Native cloud integration - Reduced operational complexity (no supervisord needed) Considerations: 1. Monitor Code Engine costs as serverless execution might have different pricing implications 2. Ensure proper IAM setup for Code Engine service accounts 3. Consider using Prefect Cloud instead of self-hosted server if your security requirements allow it 4. Set up appropriate logging and monitoring for both your API and flow executions Would you like me to elaborate on any of these points or provide more specific guidance about implementing any of these improvements?