What Is Function-as-a-Service? Serverless Architectures Are Here
By Matt Watson

It has never been a better time to be a developer. Thanks to cloud computing, deploying our applications is much easier than it used to be. How we deploy our apps continues to evolve thanks to cloud hosting, Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), and now Function-as-a-Service.

What Is Function-as-a-Service (FaaS)?
FaaS is the concept of serverless computing via serverless architectures. Software developers can leverage this to deploy an individual "function", action, or piece of business logic. They are expected to start within milliseconds and process individual requests and then the process ends.

Principles of FaaS:

• Complete abstraction of servers away from the developer
• Billing based on consumption and executions, not server instance sizes
• Services that are event-driven and instantaneously scalable

At the basic level, you could describe them as a way to run some code when a "thing" happens. Here is a simple example below from Azure Functions. Shows how easy it is to process an HTTP request as a "Function".

using System.Net;

public static async Task<HttpResponseMessage> Run(HttpRequestMessage req, TraceWriter log) {
log.Info("C# HTTP trigger function processed a request.");

// Get request body
dynamic data = await req.Content.ReadAsAsync<object>();

return req.CreateResponse(HttpStatusCode.OK, "Hello " + data.name);
}

Benefits & Use Cases
Like most things, not every app is a good fit for FaaS.

We have been looking to use them at Stackify primarily for our very high volume transactions. We have some transactions that happen hundreds of times per second. We see a lot of value in isolating that logic to a function that we can scale.

• Super high volume transactions - Isolate them and scale them
• Dynamic or burstable workloads - If you only run something once a day or month, no need to pay for a server 24/7/365
• Scheduled tasks - They are a perfect way to run a certain piece of code on a schedule

Types of Functions
There are a lot of potential uses for functions. Below is a simple list of some common scenarios. Support and implementation for them varies by provider.

• Scheduled tasks or jobs
• Process a web request
• Process queue messages
• Run manually

These functions could also be chained together. For example, a web request could write to a queue, which is then picked up by a different function.

FaaS Providers
AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud all provide a solution.  A lot of innovation is still going on in this area and things are rapidly improving and changing.  Read our article on how AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud compare to determine which cloud best meets your needs.

• AWS Lambda
• Azure Functions
• Cloud Functions
• Iron.io
• Webtask.io

Monitoring Challenges
One of the big challenges is monitoring your function apps. You still need to understand how often they occur, how long they take, and potentially, why they are slow.

Since you don't necessarily have a server or control the resources they are running on, you can't install any monitoring software.

How we monitor these new types of apps is going to continue to evolve.

Comparing FaaS vs PaaS
Platform-as-a-Service greatly simplifies deploying applications. It allows us to deploy our app and the "cloud" worries about how to deploy the servers to run it. Most PaaS hosting options can even auto-scale the number of servers to handle workloads and save you money during times of low usage.

PaaS offerings like Azure App Services, AWS Elastic Beanstalk, and others, make it easy to deploy an entire application. They handle provisioning servers and deploying your application to the servers.

Function-as-a-Service (FaaS) provides the ability to deploy what is essentially a single function, or part of an application. FaaS is designed to potentially be a serverless architecture. Although, some providers, like Azure, also allow you to dedicate resources to a Function App.

When deployed as PaaS, an application is typically running on at least one server at all times. With FaaS, it may not be running at all until the function needs to be executed. It starts the function within a few milliseconds and then shuts it down.

The post What Is Function-as-a-Service? Serverless Architectures Are Here! appeared first on Stackify.

DXWorldEXPO LLC, the producer of the world's most influential technology conferences and trade shows has announced the conference tracks for CloudEXPO | DXWorldEXPO 2018 New York.

DXWordEXPO, colocated with Cloud Expo will be held November 11-13, 2018, in New York City.

Digital Transformation (DX) is a major focus with the introduction of DXWorldEXPO within the program. Successful transformation requires a laser focus on being data-driven and on using all the tools available that enable transformation if they plan to survive over the long term.

A total of 88% of Fortune 500 companies from a generation ago are now out of business. Only 12% still survive. Similar percentages are found throughout enterprises of all sizes.

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DXWordEXPO 2018 New York and Cloud Expo 2018 New York agenda presents 222 rockstar faculty members, 200 sessions and 22 keynotes and general sessions in 10 distinct conference tracks.

• Cloud-Native | Serverless
• DevOpsSummit
• FinTechEXPO - New York Blockchain Event
• CloudEXPO - Enterprise Cloud
• DXWorldEXPO - Digital Transformation (DX)
• Smart Cities | IoT | IIoT
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• BigData | Analytics
• The API Enterprise | Mobility | Security
• Hot Topics | FinTech | WebRTC

Register for Full Conference "Gold Pass" ▸ Here (Expo Hall ▸ Here)

2018 Conference Agenda and Tracks, November 11-13, New York City

CloudEXPO covers all of these tools, with the most comprehensive program and with 222 top world-class speakers throughout our industry presenting Keynotes, General Sessions, Breakout Sessions along 10 focused tracks, as well as our signature Power Panels. Our Expo Floor brings together the world's leading companies throughout the world of Cloud Computing, Digital Transformation, and all they entail.

As your enterprise creates a vision and strategy that enables you to create your own unique, long-term success, learning about all the technologies involved is essential. Companies today not only form multi-cloud and hybrid cloud architectures, but create them with built-in cognitive capabilities.

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CloudEXPO is the world's most important, independent event where technology buyers and vendors meet to experience and discuss the big picture of Digital Tranformation and all of the strategies, tactics, and tools they need to realize their goals.

FinTech Is Now Part of the DXWorldEXPO / CloudEXPO Program!

Register for Full Conference "Gold Pass" ▸ Here (Expo Hall ▸ Here)

Accordingly, attendees at the upcoming 22nd DXWorldEXPO | CloudEXPO November 11-13, 2018 in New York City will find fresh new content in two new tracks called:

• FinTechEXPO
• New York Blockchain Event

which will incorporate machine learning, artificial intelligence, deep learning, and blockchain in two distinct tracks.

Financial enterprises in New York City, London, Singapore, and other world financial capitals are embracing a new generation of smart, automated FinTech that eliminates many cumbersome, slow, and expensive intermediate processes from their businesses.

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More than US$20 billion in venture capital is being invested in FinTech this year. DXWorldEXPO / CloudEXPO is pleased to bring you the latest FinTech developments as an integral part of our program.

CloudEXPO is accepting submissions for this new track, so please visit www.CloudComputingExpo.com for the latest information or contact us at [email protected].

Register for Full Conference "Gold Pass" ▸ Here (Expo Hall ▸ Here)

Download Slide Deck ▸ Here

Only CloudEXPO brings together all this in a single location:

Attend CloudEXPO. Build your own custom experience. Learn about the world's latest technologies and chart your course to Digital Transformation.

22nd International CloudEXPO, taking place November 11-13, 2018, in New York City, will feature technical sessions from a rock star conference faculty and the leading industry players in the world.

Sponsorship Opportunities

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Cloud computing is now being embraced by a majority of enterprises of all sizes. Yesterday's debate about public vs. private has transformed into the reality of hybrid cloud: a recent survey shows that 74% of enterprises have a hybrid cloud strategy. Meanwhile, 94% of enterprises are using some form of XaaS - software, platform, and infrastructure as a service.

With major technology companies and startups seriously embracing Cloud strategies, now is the perfect time to attend and learn what is going on, contribute to the discussions, and ensure that your enterprise is on the right path to Digital Transformation.

Every Global 2000 enterprise in the world is now integrating cloud computing in some form into its IT development and operations. Midsize and small businesses are also migrating to the cloud in increasing numbers.

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Companies are each developing their unique mix of cloud technologies and services, forming multi-cloud and hybrid cloud architectures and deployments across all major industries. Cloud-driven thinking has become the norm in financial services, manufacturing, telco, healthcare, transportation, energy, media, entertainment, retail and other consumer industries, and the public sector.

CloudEXPO is the single show where technology buyers and vendors can meet to experience and discus cloud computing and all that it entails. Sponsors of CloudEXPO will benefit from unmatched branding, profile building and lead generation opportunities through:

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For more information on sponsorship, exhibit, and keynote opportunities, contact [email protected].

Speaking Opportunities

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The upcoming 22nd International DXWorldEXPO | CloudEXPO, November 11-13, 2018 in New York City, NY announces that its Call For Papers for speaking opportunities is open.

Submit your speaking proposal ▸ Here or by email [email protected].

About DXWorldEXPO LLC

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DXWorldEXPO LLC is a Lighthouse Point, Florida-based trade show company and the creator of DXWorldEXPO - Digital Transformation Conference & Expo. The company produces and presents CloudEXPO, DevOpsSummit, FinTechEXPO - Blockchain Event, the world's most influential conferences and trade shows.