Azure Tutorials Series - Compute - Serverless Computing

In Compute category, we have learnt about Virtual Machines, Containers and App Services. In this article we will learn about server less computing which is the most efficient.

Serverless Computing

  • No upfront infrastructure cost  or maintenance needed
  • Automatic scaling
  • Code is written for custom bindings.
  • Broadly categorised into
    • Azure Functions
    • Azure Logic Apps
  • Depends upon the rate of incoming events
  • Events includes triggers such as timer, for an example, a function needs to run at 10 AM daily
  • Billing depends upon the time function is run, for example, a function runs once a day for two minutes, then you are charged for one execution and two minutes of computing time.

Azure Functions

  • Allow customers to deploy small pieces of code without worrying about the underlying infrastructure and platform.
  • Code can be execute using any language
  • Scale on demand
  • Execute code
  • Write code in any of supported language.
  • open-source, can be deployed anywhere
  • follows Code first approach
  • broadly categorised into
    • Stateless(default) - Doesn't keep track of prior activity, behaves as if restarted every time responding to an event.
    • Stateful - Can track prior activity.
  • Monitored using Azure Application Insights.
  • Managed using REST API or Visual Studio.
  • Can be run locally or in cloud.
  • Doesn't need a high degree of control over the environment.
  • Cost effective approach.

Azure Logic Apps

  • Execute workflows designed to automate business scenarios.
  • Visual designer for automating and orchestrating server-less tasks, processes and workflows.
  • Consists of large collection of connectors. User has to build its own custom connector.
  • Unlike Azure functions, it is Stateful(Durable)
  • follows design-first approach.
  • Build from predefined logic blocks
  • often no code is written
  • Over 200 different connectors and blocks to connect with different services
  • Monitored using either Azure portal or log analytics
  • Managed using Azure portal, Visual studio, REST API, Powershell.
  • Can run only in Cloud.

Comparison between Azure Logic Apps and Azure Functions

The most basic different between Azure Logic Apps and Azure functions, in simple words, we write code in Azure functions and in Azure Logic Apps, we use GUI to define the action to perform task.

Degree of Control from Virtua Machines to containers to server less computing can be in below order 

  • From Highest degree of control to the least one
    • Virtual Machines
    • Container instances
    • App Service
    • Functions
Below Azure products are available for Serverless -
  • Azure Functions
  • Azure Logic Apps
  • Azure Event Grid

Azure HDInsight

  • Fully managed, full spectrum, open source analytics services in the cloud for enterprises.
  • Uses Hadoop

Azure DataBricks

  • Helps setup your Apache Spark environment in minutes, autoscale, and collaborate on shared projects in an interactive workspace.

Azure Event Grid

  • By using Azure Event Grid you can use filters to route specific events to different endpoints, multicast to multiple endpoints, and make sure your events are reliably delivered.

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