Definition #
Serverless computing is a cloud execution model where providers dynamically manage server allocation. Applications run in ephemeral, event-triggered containers managed entirely by the cloud provider.
Key Characteristics #
- No server management: Automatic infrastructure provisioning
- Event-driven architecture: Functions triggered by specific events
- Pay-per-execution pricing: Only pay for actual compute time
- Automatic scaling: Instant scaling with demand fluctuations
- Stateless execution: No persistent server context
Why It Matters #
Revolutionizes application development by eliminating infrastructure management overhead, enabling developers to focus purely on business logic while benefiting from enterprise-grade scalability.
Common Use Cases #
- Real-time file processing pipelines
- IoT sensor data processing
- Automated backup systems
- Chatbot backends
- Scheduled database maintenance
Examples #
- AWS Lambda function processing image uploads
- Azure Functions handling IoT telemetry
- Google Cloud Functions triggering database updates
- Cloudflare Workers serving API requests
FAQs #
Q: What are cold starts in serverless?
A: Initial latency when invoking unused functions due to container initialization.
Q: Is serverless actually server-free?
A: No - servers still exist but are fully abstracted from developers.
Q: When should I avoid serverless?
A: For long-running processes or stateful applications requiring persistent connections.