Serverless architecture is a cloud computing execution model where the cloud provider manages the infrastructure, allowing developers to focus solely on writing code. Despite the name, “serverless” does not mean servers are eliminated—it means the server management is abstracted away from the developer.
In a serverless model, your code is executed in response to events, and you are billed only for the execution time. This contrasts with traditional models where you manage long-running servers and pay for uptime regardless of usage.
Key components of serverless architecture:
- Functions as a Service (FaaS): Like AWS Lambda, Azure Functions, or Google Cloud Functions.
- Event triggers: HTTP requests, database changes, file uploads, or cron jobs.
- Managed services: API Gateway, DynamoDB, S3, Firebase, etc.
Benefits:
- Scalability: Functions scale automatically based on demand.
- Cost efficiency: Pay-per-execution pricing model.
- Faster development: Focus on business logic, not infrastructure.
Use cases:
- Real-time file processing
- Webhooks and APIs
- Background jobs and queues
- Chatbots and notification systems
However, serverless has limitations:
- Cold starts may introduce latency.
- Vendor lock-in due to proprietary APIs.
- Complex debugging and monitoring.
Despite these, serverless is an ideal solution for many lightweight, scalable, and cost-effective applications. It fits perfectly in modern architectures based on microservices and event-driven systems.
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