AWS provides users with a framework and a set of tools for building powerful serverless applications. These tools offer the ability to run code, run and build your applications, and manage your data all while not having to worry about managing and maintaining servers. Some of the serverless architecture tools AWS offers include AWS Amplify, AWS Lambda, DynamoDB, Amazon API Gateway, and Amazon S3. If you are looking for a way to quickly build large-scale applications while not having to worry about spending time on infrastructure or managing servers, building an application using AWS' serverless architecture may be the way to go. In this article, we will discuss what serverless architecture is, why it is useful, and go into more depth about some of the tools offered.

What is serverless architecture?

Serverless architecture is a way for you to build applications without having to worry about managing infrastructure. Though the name may suggest it, AWS serverless architecture does not mean there is no infrastructure or that the application is not running on servers. Instead, it means that AWS handles all the server management for you. It allows developers to build applications without having to worry about managing servers. This removes responsibility from the developers and allows them to focus completely on building the application.

Why is serverless architecture useful?

Time-Savings

Building an application using a serverless architecture can be very useful as it frees up a significant amount of time for the developers. Since AWS handles server management, the developers no longer have to worry about spending time setting up or managing servers. Instead, they can use this valuable time to focus solely on building the best possible application. This time saving also helps you get faster time-to-market for your application. 

Flexibility

AWS serverless architecture also provides flexible scaling for your application. AWS allows you to adjust the capacity of your application by toggling units of consumption such as throughput and memory. This simplifies things and allows you to scale your application easily and quickly.

Billing Model

AWS offers a pay-for-use billing model for your serverless applications. This means you are not paying for unused servers, which allows you to optimize your costs and save money.

AWS Tools

AWS provides a set of tools that, when used together, allow you to build a powerful serverless architecture. Below is more information on some of these tools as well as an example diagram of how these tools may be connected when building a serverless architecture.

AWS Amplify

AWS Amplify is a package of tools that allows you to quickly build and scale web and mobile applications. Some of the things included in AWS Amplify are code libraries, ready-to-use components, and a built-in Command Line Interface (CLI). This allows you to quickly put together backend pieces for your application instead of having to do it all by scratch. Using AWS Amplify along with other AWS tools is one of the quickest ways to build your applications from the ground up.

AWS Lambda

AWS Lambda is an event-driven serverless computing platform that allows you to run code without having to manage servers. Lambda will deal with everything that is required to run and scale your code. It also allows you to potentially save money since you only pay for the time you use; you are not charged for the service when your code is not running.

Amazon DynamoDB 

DynamoDB is a flexible and fast NoSQL database service. It is a fully managed, serverless, key-value NoSQL database designed to run high-performance applications at any scale. It offers many features including built-in security, continuous automatic backups, and data import and export tools.  If you want more information on DynamoDB and NoSql databases check out our article that compares NoSQL vs. Relational Databases!

Amazon API Gateway

Amazon API Gateway is a fully managed service that makes it easy for developers to create, publish, maintain, monitor, and secure APIs at any scale. It allows for efficient and flexible API development at any scale. APIs act as the "front door" for applications to access data, business logic, or functionality from your backend services. API Gateway allows developers to create RESTful and WebSocket APIs to enable two-way communication between applications. 

Amazon S3

Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3) is an object storage service offering scalability, data availability, security, and performance. S3 can store data for basically any use case at any size. It offers cost-effective storage classes that allow you to optimize your cost and easy-to-use management features that make it easier to organize and configure your data.

Conclusion

An application built using a serverless architecture can save time for developers, allow for flexibility when scaling your application, and save you money. AWS offers a wide variety of tools that allow you to build out your serverless application. If you are looking for a way to build an application without having to worry about managing or maintaining servers, a serverless architecture through AWS is a great option. 

If you have any questions about serverless architecture or the tools AWS offers, contact DB Services, and let's talk about what we can accomplish together.