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We all know how long and complicated an application development process can be.
DevOps has allowed app development teams to proceed at a distinguished pace and perform app development efficiently.
The introduction of the technology has proved its usefulness for launching next-gen apps with its bundle of features
Though there are multiple features making DevOps “the solution of the hour”, and one of them is serverless computing.
Meanwhile in this blog, we will learn how it can take DevOps to new heights.
So, let’s start with what is SERVERLESS COMPUTING?
You might have heard about Zimki, first released in 2006 as a “pay as you go” code execution platform.
Later Google released Google App Engine in 2008 that used to calculate metered billing for apps that used a custom Python framework, but it could not execute arbitrary code. It was the first abstract serverless computing.
Serverless Computing is a method or process of offering backend services on an as-used basis. Google App Engine had HTTP functions with a timeout of 60 seconds, a data and blob store with their own timeouts.
Operations across the App Engine had to be done with these limits. But this enabled apps created in the Engine scale near-infinitely and supported apps like Snapchat along with multiple external and internal Google apps.
The word “Serverless” might confuse you here, but you don’t need to be as the word “Serverless” here means charges for backend services based on usage.
DevOps has tremendous use of serverless computing, and here is how the computing can take it to new height-
The serverless computing is meaningful to those customers which demand charges based on usage services, not like Iaas and SaaS that ask for a fixed monthly or yearly price.
Sometimes developers tend to use a certain capacity offered by the cloud provider instead of its entire cloud solutions.
This comes as a fine-gain for development teams as they can keep the app development going based on “pay as you go”. The teams save significant costs for their development process.
So, what more serverless model brings to the table for DevOps-
Bringing some key traits of computing for you–
Scalability is a major advantage–
Online streaming apps have made their place not only in the hands of their users, but also in their hearts.
Netflix is a leading app that relies on serverless computing as the computing enables the app to deliver distinguished performance regardless of the number of users available at a given time on the platform.
The computing ensures there never comes a bandwidth crunch while averting the streaming costs of having high bandwidth continuously available even if there are only a few using the app.
Real-time data updates and transfer–
One of serverless computing, Stateless depicts interactions and data aren’t stored in an intermediary location, and that is why the user gets delayed waiting access.
It happens only when the user gives a request and triggers “event” that the app responds according to the function and fetches data at the backend.
For instance, TV broadcasts and live events use serverless computing to deliver error-free real-time data transmission.
Provider-owned server maintenance-
As said above, even though being named serverless, it uses a physical server infrastructure.
With this, application providers and developers don’t need to think about the basic server availability, provisioning, configuration or maintenance.
There won’t be any need to write rules to control resource provisioning, and you don’t have to decommission resources that aren’t in use.
In general, cloud providers offer pre-packaged cloud services that comprise automated provisioning, scalability, automated API connectivity, and much more.
Use Cases of Serverless Computing
Slack Brings Dynamic and Responsive Chatbots
Serverless computing is apt for single-function applications like chatbots.
These chatbots may see a variety of requests every day with an ultra level of complexity.
A static server for these bots could lead to capacity crunch or underutilised bandwidth due to the unforeseeable nature of chatbots the user asks for.
That’s why Slack employs serverless cloud-based computing located on AWS Lambda.
Coca-Cola Enrolled IoT-based Smart Vending Machines
Using serverless and cloud-based vending machines in 2016 helped Coca Cola save thousands of dollars every year.
Freestyle, Coca Cola’s smart vending machine enables consumers to order a beverage, receive the beverage, pay online, and get a confirmation message on their smartphones.
Before using serverless cloud, Coca Cola used to spend $13000 per year per machine and it gets reduced to $4,500 once implemented to serverless computing.
Not only this, during the pandemic, the smart machines managed around 80 million requests per month through a complete touchless experience.
Rapid Application Development and Deployment by Autodesk
Autodesk is recognized for its robust construction, architecture and engineering software which are mission-critical and bandwidth-intensive for its users.
It released Tailor powered to swiftly create custom Autodesk accounts for companies with all needed configurations.
With the help of serverless computing, Autodesk was able to unveil Tailor in just two weeks, with only two FTES responsible for the product.
Final Thoughts
Technology has been progressive like never before, every day we hear about some new technologies and their new concepts.
DevOps is one of the emerging technologies to help developers around the world to create applications better, more useful and more cost-effective than ever before.
Serverless computing gives wings to the goals of DevOps allowing it to become more usable and affordable for developers and organizations.
