Advantages of Serverless Architecture
Serverless architecture – also known as Functions-as-a-Service (FaaS) has been gaining acceptance in the software development world due to its pay-as-you-go model, easy integration with cloud services, and improved scalability. It allows organizations to receive the benefits of a cloud-native environment without the need for expensive resources or in-house hosting capabilities. As its name suggests, serverless architecture is a way of building applications without relying on physical servers. Instead, applications rely on cloud computing power to run tasks known as “functions”.
Scalability & Cost-savings
One of the main advantages of serverless architecture is the pay-as-you-go model that gives developers the flexibility to scale up or down depending on the demand for their application. Furthermore, with the pay-as-you-go model, developers can save on costs as they are only paying for the resources they use. Additionally, serverless technology can also do the heavy lifting when it comes to scaling. While traditional applications often require admins to orchestrate the scaling process, serverless functions automatically scale with demand, enabling developers to focus on their core product without worrying about server maintenance.
Faster Time to Market
Serverless technology is also attractive to those who want faster time to market. Unlike traditional applications which require extensive setup and configuration of resources, serverless applications are ready to go out of the box. As a result, development teams can focus on solving customer problems quickly and relish the benefits of a faster development time. Furthermore, developers can deploy their functions as often as they need to test their code, enabling them to push features faster than ever.
Availability
Serverless architecture is also beneficial for businesses that need high availability. One of the main advantages of the cloud computing model is that resources are always available. With traditional servers, if something is wrong, then the administrators have to troubleshoot and investigate the root cause. With serverless technology, there are no headaches because the cloud provider will handle any problems automatically. This allows businesses to focus on developing their product, rather than worrying about server maintenance.
Cloud Security
Security is also something taken seriously by serverless vendors, with Amazon Web Services’ (AWS) Security Token Service (STS) able to generate temporary security credentials allowing applications to access an Amazon Web Services account without having to provide long-term credentials. Furthermore, AWS also has tools such as AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) and AWS CloudTrail, which can also provide enhanced security.
Disadvantages of Serverless Architecture
Though serverless architecture can offer many positive benefits, there are also some potential drawbacks that developers need to be aware of before considering a move to a serverless environment.
Debugging & Monitoring Challenges
Due to the dynamic nature of serverless technology, debugging codes can be somewhat tricky as it can be difficult to replicate an environment to check the running code. Serverless functions are also ‘stateless’, meaning that any data or state changes need to be stored externally, raising more obstacles when trying to debug particularly complex problems. Additionally, because serverless applications can scale so quickly, keeping track of and monitoring the performance can be tricky.
Lock-in
As with any technology, there can also be vendor lock-in issues with serverless, as it puts developers at the mercy of their provider. Moving your serverless applications to another provider can be time-consuming and costly, so it’s important to ensure that you’re happy with your provider before committing to a long-term contract.
Unpredictable Usage & Billing
Though the pay-as-you-go model can be beneficial in the long run, it can also create challenges when it comes to budgeting. Serverless functions can cause sporadic and unexpected spikes in usage which can result in unexpected billings. That said, most serverless technology providers do offer tools such as CloudWatch and CloudTrail, which can help developers keep track of their utilization and costs.
Complex Orchestration
Additionally, as serverless technology relies on microservices, setting up the connections between functions can add complexity to the system, especially when deploying a large number of services. Furthermore, as each function has its own lifecycle, managing them can also prove tricky for developers.
Cloud Infrastructure Automation
Over the past decade, cloud infrastructure automation has become increasingly popular due to the cost savings and scalability it offers. Utilizing automation, processes that would’ve typically taken hours or days can now be done in mere minutes.
Increased Efficiency
Cloud infrastructure automation is a great way to eliminate manual errors and increase efficiency as processes become more streamlined. The automated processes can also be supervised remotely, reducing the need for physical resources or in-house staff. Additionally, the increased scalability means that businesses can quickly access additional resources without the need for costly investments.
Flexibility & Security
Another benefit of cloud infrastructure automation is the flexibility it offers when it comes to scaling. Organizations can quickly scale up or down depending on their needs, without incurring expensive costs. Furthermore, cloud automation also allows businesses to take advantage of built-in security measures, further protecting their data and applications.
Intelligent Automation
In recent years, the use of intelligent automation has become popular due to its ability to learn from past processes and optimize those for the future. The automated systems can also be integrated with other smart applications, further enhancing both the speed and accuracy of their processes.
Increased Collaboration
Organizations can also benefit from increased collaboration both within the organization and externally. As cloud automation is a cloud-based technology, it allows teams to access, collaborate and share data from anywhere in the world, eliminating the need for time-consuming trips.
Microservices Architecture
Microservices architecture is a relatively new technology which enables developers to break down complex applications and systems into smaller, more manageable components known as microservices.
Improved Scalability & Reliability
As microservices are broken down into pieces, they offer improved scalability and reliability as administrators can easily scale individual components without impacting the rest of the system. Furthermore, they also allow developers to work on components in isolation, reducing the amount of code collisions when pushing to production.
Single Responsibility Principle
Microservices also adhere to the single responsibility principle, meaning that each microservice has a single job that it does, and does it well. This reduces the complexity of the system, making it easier to maintain and reduce the potential for bugs.
Efficient Utilization
Microservices are also more efficient as they can be deployed independently from other services, making it easier to add new features or make updates without impacting the application as a whole. This also makes it easier for developers to deploy new versions of the application quickly and reliably.
Testing
Finally, microservices also provide the ability to test particular parts of an application in isolation, reducing the amount of time it takes to deploy and troubleshoot changes. This can help teams reduce the amount of manual testing they do and focus on improving their application.
