Explain concept of serverless computing
Serverless computing is a cloud computing execution model where the cloud provider dynamically manages the allocation and provisioning of servers. In a serverless architecture, developers can focus on writing code without worrying about the underlying infrastructure, such as servers, operating systems, or network configurations. The cloud provider automatically scales the application up or down based on demand and only charges for the actual execution time of the code.

Table of Contents
Serverless computing is characterized by:
1. No Server Management: Developers do not need to manage, provision, or maintain servers. The infrastructure is abstracted away.
2. Automatic Scaling: The cloud provider automatically scales the application based on the number of incoming requests or events.
3. Event-Driven Execution: Serverless functions are typically triggered by events such as HTTP requests, file uploads, database changes, or scheduled events.
4. Pay-as-You-Go: You are charged only for the execution time and resources used by your code, making it cost-effective for many workloads.
AWS Lambda is AWS’s serverless computing service that fits into this paradigm. With AWS Lambda, you can run code in response to events without provisioning or managing servers. You simply upload your code, set up the event triggers, and AWS Lambda takes care of the rest, including scaling, managing the infrastructure, and monitoring.
How AWS Lambda Fits into Serverless Computing
1. Event-Driven: AWS Lambda can be triggered by various AWS services such as S3 (file uploads), DynamoDB (database changes), API Gateway (HTTP requests), CloudWatch (scheduled events), and many others.
2. Auto Scaling: AWS Lambda automatically scales your application by running your code in response to each trigger. It handles multiple requests concurrently by invoking multiple instances of your function.
3. Zero Administration: There is no need to manage the underlying infrastructure. AWS Lambda runs your code on a highly available, fault-tolerant infrastructure, freeing you from server management tasks.
4. Cost Efficiency: You pay only for the compute time your code consumes, measured in milliseconds, making it highly cost-effective for variable workloads.
Java Example:
Here’s a simple example of an AWS Lambda function written in Java that processes a request and returns a response:
```java
import com.amazonaws.services.lambda.runtime.Context;
import com.amazonaws.services.lambda.runtime.RequestHandler;
import com.amazonaws.services.lambda.runtime.events.APIGatewayProxyRequestEvent;
import com.amazonaws.services.lambda.runtime.events.APIGatewayProxyResponseEvent;
public class HelloLambda implements RequestHandler<APIGatewayProxyRequestEvent, APIGatewayProxyResponseEvent> {
@Override
public APIGatewayProxyResponseEvent handleRequest(APIGatewayProxyRequestEvent request, Context context) {
// Log the incoming request
context.getLogger().log("Received request: " + request.getBody());
// Create a response
APIGatewayProxyResponseEvent response = new APIGatewayProxyResponseEvent();
response.setStatusCode(200);
response.setBody("Hello, " + request.getBody() + "!");
return response;
}
}
```
In this example:
- The Lambda function implements the
RequestHandler
interface, which allows it to handle requests from API Gateway. - The function receives an
APIGatewayProxyRequestEvent
containing the HTTP request and returns anAPIGatewayProxyResponseEvent
containing the HTTP response. - When triggered by an HTTP request through API Gateway, the Lambda function processes the request and returns a “Hello” message.