By Joey Ricard - October 30, 2024
Ever wondered how your businesses can become faster and more scalable without the headache of managing servers? Well, the classic model of web infrastructure, with its overburdened servers and complex scalability issues, is starting to feel a bit… outdated! Enter serverless architecture!
This revolutionary approach is shaking up the world of web development. Tech giants are jumping on board, and it’s gaining massive popularity. But here’s a little spoiler: despite the name, serverless architecture does involve servers!
Don’t worry, though!
Imagine having all the benefits of servers without the hassle of managing them. That’s exactly what we’re about to explain in today’s article. Ready to explore? Let’s go!
As mentioned earlier, serverless doesn’t necessarily mean that there are no servers. It just means that you, as a developer, won’t have to worry about server management at all. It is usually handled by cloud providers like AWS Lambda, Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud.
Function as a Service (FaaS) is the prime idea behind serverless web development. To put it simply, you just need to write discrete functions that respond to specific events like user requests or API requests, and the cloud provider scales the resources required to run that function.
Also, you need to pay only for the time when your code is being executed by the web servers. The serverless frameworks eliminate the need to pay for a server that sits idle while you wait for the next big traffic surge.
Since this new tech is being implemented by several industries from different domains, let’s take a quick look at the most common applications of serverless frameworks here:
Serverless Architecture breaks your application into microservers that run independently. With every user interaction, whether it’s clicking a button or sending a request, the assigned functions get triggered by one or more microservers.
Let’s understand this process with a very simple step-by-step example of an eCommerce application.
All these functions only run when triggered and scale automatically based on demand. That way, no matter how many users are interacting with one application at the same time, the serverless architecture can handle it all. As a developer, you don’t need to spend hours tweaking the server configuration.
According to a survey, the serverless architecture industry has witnessed astounding growth, escalating from 11.77 billion dollars in 2023 to 14.57 billion dollars in 2024. The compound annual growth rate is 23.8%.
Let’s take a quick look at the key benefits of this technology for which everyone in the tech industry, from startups to tech giants, is leaning towards serverless platforms.
One of the biggest pros of serverless architecture is that you can forget all the hassle of provisioning, configuring, and managing servers. No more sleepless nights thinking about whether your server will meet future demands as the cloud provider takes care of it all. Also, the risk of server failure becomes almost zero.
Scaling the traditional server architecture can turn out to be a nightmare for developers. However, with serverless architecture, the server of your application scales according to the demand. Even if you go viral overnight the serverless system can tackle it all
No wonder, this can be a game changer for websites or apps with fluctuating traffic rates. It simply lets your app handle varying loads efficiently, from a few users to millions, without any extra effort on your part.
In traditional server-based architecture, you have to pay for unused capacity to be prepared for heavy traffic. With serverless frameworks, however, you can save a lot of cost because no matter how heavy the traffic gets, your server will always be ready and you’ll be charged accordingly.
In short, you’re not paying for a server that is sitting idle, waiting for a traffic surge to happen. According to a survey conducted by Amazon Web Services, customers have been able to save up to 70% on server costs after switching to serverless frameworks.
Serverless Architecture also allows you to focus on the actual code rather than jamming yourself up with the server setup and management. It speeds up the overall development cycle and enables businesses to launch new features, products, and apps more quickly than ever.
When the only thing standing between you and your product is writing the code, serverless architecture lets you move much faster. Also, serverless deployment saves a ton of time for the developers.
Since serverless platforms are spread globally (thanks to the cloud providers), even if one region experiences downtime, the servers from other regions can step in without the need to implement and modify failover or backup systems. This makes your application less prone to failure and outages.
Now, if you’re a developer, two questions might bother you – how to develop a serverless application and how to deploy serverless applications. Stick to reading as we’ll delve into it now!
Developing a serverless application requires a different approach compared to the traditional ones. Here are a few key steps that you need to keep in mind while developing a serverless application:
Serverless frameworks are a perfect fit for websites or apps with variable traffic. It also fits the infrastructure of microservice-based architecture where the application is usually divided into small segments of microservice.
Avail services from the provider that suits your needs. Every provider has their own set of integration capabilities, supported languages, and costs. Choose the right package that fits with the overall architecture of your application.
While designing your application or working with serverless web development, you need to consider a few things.
The development and implementation of a serverless application require a few key strategies.
Setting up API gateways is very important as it enables your application to properly communicate with the web.
Integrate your serverless application with other cloud services like databases and storage. For databases, you can use
A few popular options for storage services are: Amazon S3, Azure Blob Storage, Google Cloud, and Cloudinary.
Upload your function to the cloud provider’s serverless platform. Use CI/CD pipelines for a smoother experience. The cloud provider will handle the scaling and initial optimization.
Although this new technology is being implemented by several industries from different domains, let’s take a brief look at the most common use cases of serverless frameworks here.
Many multinational companies are switching to serverless architecture due to the wide range of possibilities it offers and its user-friendly development environment. According to a survey, 50% of the companies using cloud technologies have adapted to serverless frameworks. Let’s take a look at a few real-life examples of serverless implementation.
One of the pioneers of the OTT industry, Netflix uses AWS Lambda to scale on-demand media delivery. Its serverless architecture supports key functions like media file encoding and backup, ensuring high availability during peak usage hours.
Slack’s Marbot tool relies on serverless architecture to send AWS notifications directly to the users. It showcases the scalability and efficiency of serverless systems in managing millions of DevOps alerts per week.
This industry-standard cloud IDE, favored by developers from around the world, uses serverless frameworks. In a podcast arranged by the DevOps team of Codepen, the developers mentioned that the whole serverless system is managed by a one-man team.
This beverage giant needs no introduction. Coca-Cola launched its smart vending machine line called Freestyle in 2016, offering a touchless experience to buyers. Guess what they used for the IoT automation. Well, you guessed it right. They used serverless frameworks that handled almost 30 to 80 million requests per month.
No matter how huge the traffic is, or how many user requests are being registered, serverless platforms can manage it all without any errors.
New cloud service providers are spawning up every day in the tech industry. Choosing the right provider can be a bit difficult when you’re flooded by available options. So, here’s a list of a few most popular and critically appreciated cloud services that you can consider if you’re switching to a serverless system.
It’s a cloud computing model that allows developers to deploy and run applications without managing servers as cloud providers handle server scaling automatically.
The prime benefits offered by serverless frameworks are automated scaling, no server management, fast and efficient workflow, high fault tolerance, and cost efficiency.
There are several serverless frameworks available in the market, but the most popular ones are AWS Lambda, Microsoft Azure Functions, Google Cloud Functions, IBM Cloud, etc.
To migrate to serverless, disintegrate your application into microservices. Focus on event-driven design. You also need to shift APIs and storage to a serverless model.
To manage the security of a serverless application, use strong IAM policies, secure API endpoints with proper encryption and authentication, and leverage cloud provider tools for auditing, logging, and threat detection. With serverless security best practices, many of the security issues can be easily avoided.
Serverless platforms charge you based on your usage, meaning you only have to for the times your code is being executed by the server. It eliminates the need to pay for the server when it’s sitting idle.
Yes, serverless functions can scale automatically according to the traffic demand. No need to spend extra time and effort in manually scaling the server.
A serverless database is a cloud-based database service that automatically scales and manages infrastructure, allowing developers to focus solely on data and queries.
Now you know how serverless architecture is revolutionizing web and app development by simplifying infrastructure management and providing a flexible, event-driven execution model. Well, serverless platforms simply allow developers to focus on what they do best: writing code and delivering value to users.
With benefits like reduced operational complexity, automatic scalability, cost efficiency, and faster workflows, serverless architecture is an excellent choice for microservice-based applications that require real-time data processing.
Still unsure about which technology is best for your business? Or lack the team or the expertise to switch to serverless architecture? Let us help! We, Klizo Solutions, specialize in delivering top-notch tech solutions tailored to your needs.
Your journey to a more efficient, scalable, and cost-effective development process starts here!
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Joey Ricard
Klizo Solutions was founded by Joseph Ricard, a serial entrepreneur from America who has spent over ten years working in India, developing innovative tech solutions, building good teams, and admirable processes. And today, he has a team of over 50 super-talented people with him and various high-level technologies developed in multiple frameworks to his credit.
