Serverless Architecture Patterns

Introduction

Serverless computing changes how we build applications. Developers focus on code without managing infrastructure. Systems run without direct server management.

Common Patterns

API Gateway Pattern

A gateway sits in front of your functions. Requests route to the correct handler.

• Pros: Scalable with pay per use costs.
• Cons: Cold starts introduce latency.

Event Driven Architecture

Serverless works well with events.

1. Users upload files.
2. An event triggers a function to resize the image.
3. A second function updates your database. Systems stay resilient through decoupling.

Lambdalith

One function handles multiple routes. This approach mimics a monolithic app.

• Pros: Simplifies local development. Fewer cold starts occur.
• Cons: Bundle sizes are larger. Deployments are slower.

Managing State

Functions are stateless. Store state in external systems.

• Databases: Use serverless friendly options like Neon or DynamoDB.
• Redis: Use Upstash for caching and sessions.

Cold Starts

Cold starts happen when a function wakes up. Mitigate this problem.

• Keep bundle sizes small.
• Use light runtimes.
• Use provisioned concurrency.

Serverless offers a balance of cost and scalability for many applications.