Serverless Computing for the Beginner
By: Bruce G. Kreeger
Serverless Infrastructure can be quite confusing to understand. Determining whether it is a good development solution for project requirements makes it even more complicated, as there are a lot of pros and cons to consider while deciding Infrastructure Architecture.
In this article, we will break it down into different steps that are the basics of serverless computing for WordPress developers. We will also discuss some of the factors you should consider when deciding if this technology is right for your project requirements.
Let us dive in!
Serverless Computing for WordPress Users
Serverless computing can be tricky, especially because its name is misleading. While it implies that you may be able to develop a website or application without a server, that is not the case.
Instead, “serverless” means that setup and maintenance of the servers needed for your project is managed by a cloud services provider. This gives you, more time to commit to creating your website or application.
The cloud services provider handles all your back-end processes on a pay-per-use basis. Meanwhile, your website or application is built on highly scalable architecture. To break it down a little further, serverless computing consists of three key features:
- Cloud-based servers that are managed entirely by cloud services providers, also called “vendors”. With serverless computing, you pay only for the executions of your site or app’s functions, which is scaled automatically based on how often its code is executed.
- An architecture that breaks a website or application down into individual functions, also known as Function as a Service (FaaS), in which code is executed in response to when specific events are triggered.
- This provides a way to get projects up and running faster, as we do not have to worry about server maintenance. It also reduces infrastructure management costs while increasing scalability, and speed. However, serverless technology is not right for every project.
Key Factors to Decide if Serverless Computing is Right for You:
If you are trying to finalize whether serverless computing is the right choice for your next project, there are considerations to keep in mind. While this method of creating sites and applications can offer many advantages, it is dependent on the specific qualities of your project. Let us dig into what that means in more detail.
1. Size of Your Project and its Potential Latency:
To start with, serverless computing is most successful when it is used to develop static websites or simple applications. Static files and a small number of simple functions are easy for a serverless architecture to serve to its end users.
However, very large dynamic sites and applications with a lot of more complex functions will not necessarily fare as well. With bigger projects, your code’s execution time will likely be longer, which could have negative effects on your project’s speed and the cost of running it.
One consideration is the frequency with which each of the functions that make up your website or application will be executed. When a function on a serverless architecture has not been called in a while, its’ code is not constantly running. If a user calls on an infrequently requested function, it will require a “cold start.” This will result in latency and could impact your User Experience (UX), as it will take a while for the code to “warm up” again.
To be continued…
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