FaaS stands for “Function as a Service” is a cloud computing service that uses serverless computing technologies and architectures. It aims to make developers deploy applications in the cloud by eliminating the necessity to manage servers. With FaaS, developers can build, compute, run, and manage application packages as functions without maintaining the infrastructure.
FaaS enables developers to write and update a piece of code while still functional. It uses an event-driven execution model running in stateless containers. The provider makes the function available. The provider is also responsible for managing the resources, virtual machines, operating systems, and web servers. By copying the service, it accommodates requests. FaaS is capable of deleting the copies that are currently unnecessary.
What is Serverless Architecture?
Serverless architecture is an approach that eliminates the necessity to manage the infrastructure and allows developers to build and run services. The provider provisions servers to run the applications, databases, and storage components while developers can write and deploy code. The application still runs on servers, but the cloud service provider manages the servers.
What is a function?
A function is a task or operation. It is a part of an application that can be written as a separate code and can be executed independently. Functions can be considered as an extension of the microservice architecture.
What are microservices?
Microservices, or microservice architecture, is a software developing method. It focuses on building single-function modules. In recent years, microservices have become very popular, allowing organizations to be more Agile. When software is built as microservices, it can be broken down into component services. Each can be deployed, tweaked, and redeployed, allowing developers to save time drastically.
How does FaaS work?
In FaaS solutions, the provider is responsible for maintaining applications servers. It allows developers to deploy pieces of code, which is also known as functions, that can be executed on-demand. The provider spins up a server when a function is called, then executes it and shuts down. Thus the architecture is only active when it is actively using the function. In FaaS, developers can access a platform executing application logic. FaaS is ideal for simple and repetitive functions.
What is the difference between FaaS vs. Serverless?
FaaS is a method to implement serverless computing. It enables developers to build an app with a serverless architecture. The most significant difference between FaaS and serverless is in FaaS, the customer provisions servers and manages networking, installs, and configure Kubernetes cluster software. In FaaS, the customer only uploads the code with the dependencies; thus, FaaS provides a platform that runs functions and removes other tasks.
Advantages and Disadvantages of FaaS
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✔ It eliminates the need to write complete applications. Developers can write only the code for the functional component. | ✘ FaaS is ideal for creating small functions, but it is not suitable for complex functionalities. |
| ✔ Similar to other cloud solutions, FaaS allows organizations to reduce operational expenses. | ✘ Managing a large number of functions may require additional tools. |
| ✔ FaaS is also easy to scale up or down to meet the customers’ demands. | |
| ✔ It allows functions to be written in many programming languages. |
Benefits of FaaS
The most important benefit of FaaS is it allows developers to focus completely on building functions. It helps organizations to save both time and money. In FaaS, customers only pay for the resources they have used. It is also a scalable solution; thus, unexpected traffic peaks or heavy use will not be an issue.
FaaS (Function as a Service) Platforms
Some of the most popular FaaS platforms are:
- AWS Lambda
- Google Cloud Functions
- Azure Cloud Functions
- Cloudflare Workers
- Twilio Functions
- Iron.io
- Netlify Functions
- IBM Cloud Functions
- Alibaba Functions
- Oracle Functions