What is serverless architecture?

Key takeaways:

• Serverless computing allows software developers to create applications that run on backend infrastructure without managing the server.

• Serverless architecture operates on an event-driven basis, automatically executing functions in response to specific activities such as HTTP requests, file uploads, or database events.

• Function as a Service (FaaS) platforms like AWS Lambda, Google Cloud Functions, and Azure Functions are core components that manage execution and scaling.

• Serverless computing improves cost optimization, performance, and service implementation standards, yet limitations include cold start and vendor lock-in.

Introduction to serverless architecture

Serverless architecture is a cloud computing model in which developers build and run applications without managing the underlying infrastructure. In this model, developers focus on writing the application logic and deploying code, whereas the cloud provider manages resources, such as storage and servers, based on the application’s needs.

Working of serverless architecture

The term “Serverless” does not mean that no servers are involved, but rather the developers are relieved from server management. The working of serverless architectures includes triggered execution of applications, scaling of resources, and managed backend services:

• Event-driven execution and scaling: In serverless architecture, developers write their applications in smaller, independent units called functions. Specific events or requests, such as an HTTP request, a file upload, or a database change, trigger the executions of these functions.
  Once the function is executed, it is the cloud provider's responsibility to dynamically allocate the necessary resources, scale them when traffic is high, and reduce them when it is low.

• Managed backend services: Serverless applications leverage managed backend services (e.g., databases, storage, authentication) that seamlessly integrate with functions. This reduces the need for complex server configurations and allows applications to be built quickly with less infrastructure management.

Function as a Service (FaaS) platforms

Serverless architectures often rely on FaaS platforms, where developers write the code for individual functions and upload them to the platform. The platform handles the execution and scaling of the functions in response to incoming events. Key platforms include AWS Lambda, Google Cloud Functions, and Azure Functions, each providing robust environments for managing the life cycle of serverless functions.

Real-world examples and applications

Here are some examples and applications where serverless architecture is in action:

• Web applications: Serverless applications can cater to instantly scalable APIs for e-commerce sites that adjust to the number of requests without preliminary configuration.

• Real-time data processing: Real-time file processing and data transformation jobs that get triggered when new data is available in the data source.

• IoT applications: Managing bursts of data sent by IoT devices efficiently.

• Security and compliance: Serverless can be triggered by different types of events, like write or read operations in a database, and this feature helps them trigger an alarm and check the data that has been operated on for identifying security and compliance breaches.

Advantages of serverless architecture

The benefits of using the serverless architecture are as follows:

• Cost efficiency: We are charged only when the function executes. We don’t have to pay for the duration where the servers or functions are idle.

• Productivity: It improves developers’ efficiency because they can concentrate on the application’s logic and the code’s deployment rather than the servers.

• Scalability: Serverless platforms automatically scale up or down depending on load and traffic patterns to ensure the application’s high availability.

• Faster delivery: A serverless approach means faster product releases because cloud providers take the responsibility of managing servers away from developers.

Limitations of serverless architecture

Where serverless architecture brings benefits, there are some limitations, too. The limitations are discussed below.

1. Delayed response: Serverless functions may experience a delay when invoked for the first time or after a period of inactivity. This is known as cold startLatency that occurs when a function is invoked for the first time. latency.

2. Limited execution time: Cloud providers allocate a time after which it times out the function execution. This may happen within seconds or minutes.

3. Vendor lock-in: Using the services of a specific cloud provider may make it challenging to switch to another provider, resulting in vendor lock-in.

4. Debugging and monitoring: Debugging and monitoring serverless applications may be challenging compared to the traditional monolithic architecture since the application is divided into functions.

Conclusion

Serverless architecture shows a significant shift in cloud computing, offering substantial cost, scalability, and developer productivity benefits. Therefore, it is essential to clearly grasp all the strengths and weaknesses of the serverless method of cloud computing to use solutions based on this method for creating cloud applications and services.