Why to Choose Serverless Microservices?

Serverless microservices are cloud-based services using serverless functions to complete a specific role in the application.

Serverless computing is essentially a way of providing backend-managed services on a cost-per-usage basis. The main principle of a serverless architecture is that the developer can write and deploy code without worrying about the underlying infrastructure, but in contrast to what the name proposes, there are still servers behind it, but in a way that you don’t have to worry about setting it up, its performance, scalability, and maintenance at all. All of these concerns are taken care of by the providers.

Serverless microservices are a good fit for complex, evolving applications, as their modularity makes them easy to manage and scale. Additionally, if your application can be broken down into several discrete services, each of which can in turn be broken down into short-running, event-driven tasks, then it’s probably a good candidate for serverless microservices.

Serverless microservices are constructed with serverless capabilities, which execute small blocks of code in response to HTTP requests and other events. Cloud providers manage all of the underlying infrastructures that are necessary to run function code, which reduces operational overhead and enables developers to focus on application logic.

The ability to run a microservice in a serverless environment has different names in the main Cloud providers. They are referred to as AWS Lambda, Azure Functions, and Google Cloud Functions.

The main advantages of serverless are the following

• Lower costs – Serverless computing is commonly very cost-effective, as traditional cloud providers of backend services (server allocation) often result in the user paying for unused space or idle CPU time.
• Simplified scalability – Developers using serverless architecture don’t have to worry about policies to scale up their code. The serverless vendor handles all of the scalings on demand.
• Simplified backend code – With FaaS, developers can create simple functions that independently perform a single purpose, like making an API call.
• Quicker turnaround – Serverless architecture can significantly cut time to market. Instead of needing a complicated deployment process to roll out bug fixes and new features, developers can add and modify code on a piecemeal basis.

Challenges of Serverless Microservices

• Monitoring.
• Defining function boundaries: Teams may also locate it find it challenging to define the scope of each function within their microservices.
• Optimizing function performance: Certain performance problems are unique to serverless environments. For example, cold starts, which occur when a function is invoked after a period of inactivity, can lead to increased latency.

Monitoring Tools for Serverless Microservices

• Datadog.
• cloudwatch
• Epsagon
• Cloudflare…etc

Note: Be aware, you fall right into a vendor-lock situation. The extra managed serverless services you use from a specific vendor, the more attached you are to them and your business will be completely dependent on them.

You can minimize the dependency by hosting your services in different cloud providers.