Serverless computing

In this new post we present an introduction to the development practice known as Serverless, a hot topic in the world of software architecture. The big three cloud vendors Amazon, Google and Microsoft are investing heavily in Serverless, and we've seen many open source projects, conferences and software vendors dedicated to the topic. But what is Serverless, and why is it worth considering?

Serverless computing offers a simplified user experience by building applications that bypass the process of creating or managing servers.

In this way, applications or functions are uploaded to a platform (which acts as a server); they will then be executed by multiple servers in different locations, without the need to maintain a complex, distributed architecture.

Is it really serverless computing?

No... it's really a platform for distributing and executing code functions in a highly available and scalable container environment. But it's easier to say Serverless and the term stuck.

What is Serverless?

Serverless allows code execution in simplified environments provided by a vendor. Serverless does use servers but their management, scaling, and assurance are delegated to the provider. The developer focuses mainly on his code. Another name given to the practice is FaaS - Function as a Service, although the name serverless is more popular.

In the traditional method, the operations engineer must be in charge of tasks such as maintenance, upgrades, application scaling and the capacity to be maintained by the server. With Serverless Computing, all these activities are carried out automatically. Herein lies the importance of this technology.

Advantages of serverless computing

By freeing the developer from the complexity of the servers, they can spend more time on application strategies, they can make more objective approaches to what is running, without having to pay as much attention to the running infrastructure.

This generates economic savings. The traditional method obliges those who wish to execute the application to incur expenses in terms of tools, human resources, training and time, generating high costs; however, with serverless computing technology, these are reduced by the simple fact of automation.

Serverless can be paid only for its execution time, which is very useful for marketers when developing campaigns with an expiration period. In short, it is possible to pay only for the time the code is executed.

Aplyca as a provider of cloud solutions, through serverless computing; offers this technology at your fingertips and shows you the ways in which you can take best advantage of it.

Main features of Serverless Computing

• Delegates server administration: The Program or service runtimes are defined automatically, it does not require constant checking,and the installation of plugins is not required either; the software is simply applied automatically.

•  Scaling process: Generally, performance and memory capacity require a scaling process when more resources are required. With serverless computing technology, this process can be executed automatically when required.

• Automation: The process does not require the burden of contingency protocols, as the technology has the tolerance for development application errors, i.e. the application provides the methods of care for such cases.

Amazon Lambda - Serverless on AWS

AWS Lambda lets you run code without provisioning or managing servers. You only pay for the compute time you consume; there is no charge when code is not running.

With Lambda, you can run code for virtually any type of application or back-end service, all with zero administration. Simply upload your code and Lambda takes care of everything needed to run and scale your code with high availability.

Azure Functions - Serverless in Azure

The Serverless Framework helps you develop and deploy serverless applications using Azure Functions. It is a CLI that provides out-of-the-box structure, automation and best practices, allowing you to focus on creating sophisticated, event-driven, serverless architectures composed of functions and events.

The Serverless Framework is different from other application frameworks because:

• Manage it’s code and infrastructure

• Supports multiple languages (Node.js, Python, Java and more)

In conclusion, it is important to understand that this technology is developed entirely in the cloud, is easy to program through a common server and is fully functional.

This technology captures reliability, speed, security, performance, cost-effectiveness, productivity and development; in short, it is a way of highlighting the progress of software.

Big brands have decided to bet on this technology, your organization can also put applications in the cloud without the need to use traditional servers.

If your organization is interested in implementing Serverless Computing from experts, we invite you to contact us.