Function-as-a-Service (FaaS) is a service that allows you to develop, run and manage software code using the cloud. The alternative name of the service is Serverless computing.
FaaS payment is charged only for user activity, that is, for the amount of space used and the number of operations during the month.
The principle of operation
Serverless computing is virtualization, like other aaS services, only it virtualizes the business logic of the services.
The customer does not pack the necessary part of the program code into a container, but puts it on a separate platform in the cloud. Now the client can run it whenever it is needed.
Cloud computing
Features
Serverless computing has a number of features:
- Maximum flexibility. In standby mode, the service does not consume resources, that is, the customer does not load the system and does not pay rent. When a function needs to be enabled, the service allocates the required amount of resources.
- Backend and deployment. The development of a new feature boils down to the simplest uploading of code to a dedicated platform. The operation takes a minimum of time and effort, which helps developers to improve the software product faster and more efficiently.
- Alerts. The notification system works asynchronously using different methods – SMS, e-mail, push.
- Automation. Many additional services that are necessary for development are allocated automatically (for example, code deployment, instance allocation, or monitoring).
- FaaS is great for Machine Learning, Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence development. This is due to the fact that product development on FaaS platforms is performed closer to the endpoint, that is, to the users.
Amazon Lambda
As an example, consider the Amazon Lambda service. It performs all standard operations with the program code, has a built-in monitoring system, provides fault tolerance and can be scaled.
The only exception is the Lambda platform is a completely proprietary product. In other words, the customer is limited by all the capabilities that Amazon has. If you need to change or switch to another vendor’s FaaS, you will have to rebuild the architecture again.