The software development industry has come a long way, but this serverless history article published on ResearchGate shows that the journey wasn’t exactly straightforward. From costing hundreds of dollars per minute in the late 1950s to being the most widely used computing paradigm today, the serverless architecture allows developers and businesses to scale their applications cost-efficiently.
If you are wondering how then have a read below:
Cloud-Based Models as Its Roots
The rise of cloud-based models has definitely spurred the serverless architecture revolution. The US Department of the Interior lists its service models: Software as a Service (SaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), and Function as a Service (FaaS). Cloud-based services are specifically designed to streamline the process of building applications, with serverless being the latest evolution to infrastructure management.
The Basics of Serverless Architecture
In a nutshell, serverless architecture is defined by the process associated with creating, publishing, and maintaining applications without having to handle the underlying infrastructure beneath them. A feature on serverless architecture on MongoDB shows how it can make work easier for software developers as it eliminates the need to deploy any additional servers, virtual machines, or containers. Instead, serverless architecture scales seamlessly alongside usage.
Adding a Layer of Abstraction
Serverless architecture adds an additional layer of abstraction to existing cloud computing paradigms. A serverless model lets the developers focus on the application logic and solve business problems with code, abstracting any server-side matters. For instance, any applications deployed by developers as functions can be managed and configured by cloud providers to ensure their smooth run — which is also why it’s interchangeable with FaaS.
Making App Development Cost-Efficient
A traditional approach would typically require beefy servers that can handle peak work capacities — but at minimal traffic, paying for such a service would be quite wasteful. In serverless architectures, developers can reduce costs as they will only be charged for their use. Code only runs when the serverless application requires backend functions. In fact, some services are so precise that they will only charge usage down to the millisecond and nothing more.
Allows Applications to Be Scalable
In our post on ‘Why Are Tags So Valuable for Cloud Computing?’ for instance, we highlight those big companies require hundreds or even thousands of servers spread, sometimes in different regions or accounts. Because of this, scalability is crucial. Serverless-based apps are often able to keep up with user base growth, and vendor servers can startup or end as they are needed. On the contrary, traditional applications could be easily overwhelmed.
Lightens Load for Developers
Tasks can be significantly reduced or streamlined with the use of serverless architecture. This is also perhaps why an O’Reilly survey of 1,500 IT professionals showed that 40% had adopted this particular technology. Developers can upload code all at once or one function at a time, and they can quickly update, fix, patch, or add new features. It also removes the need to upload code to servers and the need to do any backend configuration to release working versions of your app.
The Future of Serverless Architecture
Any developer can enjoy the benefits of using serverless architecture. It allows you to build easy-to-manage, flexible applications that can be easily updated and expanded, depending on the client’s needs. It’s also valuable in the long run in reducing costs, maintaining consistency, and conserving resources. Over time, we’ll be able to see how serverless architecture will develop in the future and what other advantages it can bring to the table.
