The constant advancement of cloud technologies has brought a new paradigm in software development, called serverless architecture.

In this technology, it is important to note that the servers have not been eliminated, but rather that the management of the servers is outsourced to a cloud service provider. And this, in practice, brings a number of advantages, but not without some challenges.

So, if you want to delve into this topic, knowing what serverless architecture is, its benefits, features and, especially, how to start using it, be sure to keep reading. Enjoy!

What is serverless architecture?

Serverless architecture is a software design model that allows developers to build and run applications without having to manage server infrastructures.

Thus, server management tasks such as provisioning, maintenance, and scaling are handled by the cloud service provider such as AWS, Google Cloud, or Azure.

It is important to reinforce this concept so that we can delve into the rest of the content related to it next. Therefore, now that we are aligned, let’s find out more about this wonderful technology.

Also read: Software Architecture Patterns: What They Are, Advantages, Disadvantages, and Use Cases

Benefits of Serverless Architecture

Serverless architecture offers a number of benefits that are attractive to developers and businesses alike. Next, we will explore the main reasons that make this technology so desired and widely used in today’s world:

Automatic scalability

One of the biggest benefits of serverless architecture is automatic scalability. Instead of forecasting and allocating resources to handle spikes in demand, the cloud provider manages the allocation of resources for you.

If the demand for your application increases, more instances of your role will be automatically launched in order to handle the additional requests.

For example, if an e-commerce app has a spike in demand during the shopping season, such as on Black Friday, the serverless environment will handle the increased demand without the need for manual provisioning.

Reduced operating costs

With the serverless model, you only pay for what you use. This means you do not have to worry about maintaining inactive or underutilized servers.

Instead, you are billed based on the amount of time within which your functions are performed, and the amount of resources they consume. For a service like AWS Lambda, for example, you are billed in 100-millisecond increments.

However, each solution has its pricing mode and billing amount.

Focus on code development

Without the need to manage servers, developers can focus on what they do best—writing code. This allows them to focus on improving system functionality and user experience.

Thus, they can create solutions that really make a difference to the business and make it more competitive in the market.

Rapid development and deployment

Serverless architecture can accelerate time to market. Because there are no servers to provision, or manage, you can quickly iterate through your product and deploy new versions as soon as they are ready.

For example, a startup developing a new streaming service can roll out new features and improvements to its users faster than it would be possible in a traditional server architecture scenario.

However, it is important to emphasize that some server administration is still very much required; but the time gained in this model is infinitely greater than in other types of servers.

Resiliency and high availability

Serverless applications are designed in order to be highly available and resistant to failure. Cloud providers perform their serverless functions across multiple data centers in different Availability Zones, reducing the risk of failures and outages.

For example, a streaming application can continue to operate without interruption, even if an entire data center suffers a critical failure. This was the case in a Google Data Center that failed in 2022 and yet generated fairly minimal failures in the service when and while the issue happened.

How to get started with serverless architecture in 8 steps

Now that you have figured out what serverless architecture is and its key benefits, let’s list 8 steps to get you started engaging with the technology. Although this is only the beginning of the journey, it is good to keep the following items in mind when working with serverless architecture overall:

1. Select a cloud provider

The choice of a cloud service provider is crucial. AWS Lambda, Google Cloud Functions, and Azure Functions are some examples of FaaS platforms. Study the features, prices, limitations, and choose the one that best fits the needs of your project.

2. Plan your application

The serverless architecture as a whole is highly event-driven. Thus, planning should be focused on dividing your application into small functions that can be invoked in response to specific events.

For example, an image upload event might trigger a function to process and compress the file automatically.

Read also: How to make a project roadmap in 7 simple and effective steps

3. Develop your roles

In the serverless model, each function must be designed in order to perform a specific task, which we call the principle of single responsibility. Your code should be independent, modular, and state-free, making it easy to scale automatically.

4. Test your functions

Roles should be thoroughly tested before deployment. Some FaaS platforms offer on-premises test environments, but there are also tools such as the Serverless Framework and AWS SAM that provide simulated test environments for role development and testing.

5. Implant and monitor

Once your functions are tested and ready, it is time to deploy them. The deployment process may vary depending on cloud provider.

After deployment, it is essential to monitor the performance of functions, and in order to do this, tools such as AWS CloudWatch, Google Stackdriver, or Azure Monitor can be used.

7. Manage security

Ensure you implement strong security practices in the cloud, including managing permissions and access, protecting data, and implementing application-level security practices.

This is crucial for any application that will run on the serverless architecture technology suites.

8. Do not stop evolving

Once the above steps have been applied, it is important to keep interacting—always looking for best practices—in order to master this technology.

Even with its challenges, serverless architecture has already conquered the market and has a lot to offer to developers, whether beginners or experienced professionals. Therefore, do not hesitate to utilize the best that serverless architecture has to offer.

Do you like the content? So, also take the chance to read: What is CI and CD: features, differences and deployment in software development