Traditional online support relied on a combination of costly premises-based servers, while serverless architecture has become the norm today for reliable and responsive performance. We will examine some of the applications of serverless, and the necessity to closely monitor the serverless provider market for the most competitive packages. But what is serverless, and when is it necessary for your projects? 

What is Serverless Architecture? 
Serverless architecture is a way of building and running applications without having to manage the underlying servers yourself. Instead, the cloud provider takes care of all the infrastructure. This setup is flexible and can scale as needed, so you’re not paying for unused resources. Some well-known serverless options are AWS Lambda, Azure Functions, and Google Cloud Functions. Each provider hosts various plans costed to a product’s needs, and accurately estimating your reliance on cloud resources allows you to select appropriately and budget accordingly. 

When to Use Serverless Support 
Event-Driven Applications
Serverless works well when you need to respond to specific events, like when someone uploads a file, a sensor sends data, or a database updates. This is part of most business operations online. 
Microservices
It’s a good fit for apps built where different parts of the app are separate and can be updated or run independently. If you have a complex system in place where multiple calculations or tasks happen simultaneously, you’re probably already using Microservices. 
APIs and Webhooks
You can use serverless to build APIs or to handle webhook events, like receiving notifications from other apps or services. Where there is any actionable task with a resulting actionable step, then you will be harnessing the power of APIs or webhooks. The API is, essentially, a link from your app to a smaller software component provider that your product relies on to function smoothly. 
Scheduling of Tasks
Serverless is useful for tasks that need to happen on a schedule, like regular backups or other maintenance jobs. Recommended for continued high performance and stronger security.

When Assessing Plans, Pay Attention to the Details 
Serverless offers many advantages. At the same time, your infrastructure engineer will need to help you circumnavigate some technical factors and dependencies: 

• Cold Start Latency: When a serverless function runs for the first time, you may end up having to dedicate significant resources to start because the system needs time to ‘warm up’ before it can respond. This can involve your tech team preparing multiple contingencies to maintain super-fast responses, particularly for real-time app processes. 

• Vendor Lock-Ins: Using serverless services can tie you to one specific cloud provider, making it harder to switch providers later without redoing an extensive technical setup. Keep this in mind as you may want to reassess your provision at times when new packages are available on the market, giving you considerable savings in comparison to your current setup. 

• Complex Debugging: Finding and fixing bugs in serverless apps can be trickier than in traditional setups because you’re working with separate pieces of code, each having their own triggers and setups located at separate cloud locations. You will want your serverless architecture engineer to map these out for your team and implement any changes with consistency. Otherwise, your app may appear fully functionable at first but then experience difficulties when under high demand or over a longer timeframe. 

Case Studies of Real-Time Processing of Data using Serverless Applications 
Here’s a deeper dive into some real-world examples of serverless architecture: 

1. Delivery Tracking Services 
How This Works: 

• Delivery drivers, for instance, will have a mobile app-based service that shares their live location as they move from place to place. Each time the driver’s app sends a location update, this directs requests from the app to the right services in the cloud. And as each new location update from the driver’s app is stored, the system keeps track of where each delivery is in real-time. Allowing the customer to accurately predict a delivery date or time. 

2. Order Processing Services 
How This Works: 

• When a customer places an order, the customer request details (what they ordered and their contact information) are instantly communicated and organised to make sure each order is stored and handled with respect to the expected user flow and an application’s processing steps. Once the order is completed, a connected database will be updated or triggered to allow for other actions, like sending a confirmation email to the customer.  

These examples show how serverless architecture can handle tasks dynamically without a server running, saving costs and adapting to fluctuating demand. 

Further Insights 
FlexiDev provide serverless architecture engineers that can be consulted on an as-needs basis to direct your service toward the cloud plan which best reflects your needs, with respect to flexibility and cost savings. Case by case, we weigh the benefits against the potential challenges to determine which serverless package is a best fit for your project. Contact our Cloud Engineers for an open discussion of what your application’s infrastructure support looks like compared to current market packages, where we would take your service and your timeline for realisation. In fact, FlexiDev can begin looking over your infrastructure setup today. When it comes to protecting your assets, there’s every reason to take the initiative.