AWS Serverless
AWS Tutorial: Introduction to Serverless Computing
Welcome to the AWS Serverless Computing lesson. "Serverless" is one of the most revolutionary concepts in modern cloud computing.
Why Learn Serverless Computing?
Serverless architecture allows developers to build and run applications and services without having to manage infrastructure. It heavily reduces operational overhead, drastically lowers costs, and is heavily favored by modern tech startups and enterprises alike.
Tutorial Overview
In this tutorial, you will learn:
- What "Serverless" actually means (spoiler: there are still servers!).
- The fundamental differences between traditional EC2 servers and Serverless.
- The primary benefits of adopting a Serverless architecture.
What is "Serverless"?
The term "Serverless" can be confusing. It does not mean there are no servers involved. Code still requires physical hardware to run. It means the servers are completely hidden from you. You don't provision them, you don't patch their operating systems, you don't scale them, and you don't monitor their hardware health. AWS handles 100% of the underlying infrastructure.
Traditional vs. Serverless
- Traditional (EC2): You provision a virtual machine. You must choose the operating system, update the security patches, configure Auto Scaling groups, and—most importantly—pay for it 24/7, even if no one is using your app at 3:00 AM.
- Serverless: You simply write your code and upload it to AWS. AWS automatically allocates the compute power needed to run the code. You only pay for the exact milliseconds your code is executing. If no one visits your app at 3:00 AM, your cost is exactly $0.00.
Exercise
?What is a major billing advantage of Serverless computing compared to traditional Amazon EC2 instances?