How does Microsoft Azure present serverless?
In 2016, Microsoft introduced Azure Functions as a Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) offering designed to deliver FaaS capabilities. This option enables innovation at a scale for business transformation. Today, Azure Functions gives us the opportunity to power up applications using multiple programming languages, including C#, JavaScript, F#, Java, and Python.
One of the standout features of Azure Functions is its seamless integration with other Azure services and third-party APIs. For instance, it can easily connect to different Azure databases (from Azure SQL Server to Azure Cosmos DB), Azure Event Grid for event-based architecture, and Azure Logic Apps for workflow automation. This connectivity simplifies the process of building complex, enterprise-grade applications that leverage multiple services.
Over the years, the possibilities with Azure Functions have evolved. Today, we can even manage stateful workflows and long-running operations, using Azure Durable Functions. With this, you can orchestrate complex processes that can be executed in multiple function executions.
But Microsoft has not only created an environment for coding functions. They have also created a complete pipeline for developers, following the DevSecOps process that’s now widely discussed and used in enterprise solutions. Developers can use tools such as Azure Pipelines, GitHub Actions, and other CI/CD services to automate the deployment process. You can also monitor and diagnose events in these functions using Azure Monitor and Application Insights, which facilitate troubleshooting and optimization.
The PaaS solution also enables different setups to adjust scalability and security aspects. Depending on the hosting plan you decide to set, you can have different scaling opportunities, as you can check here:
- Consumption plan: The basic and most cost-effective option to get started with Azure Functions. Ideal for event-driven workloads with automatic scaling.
- Flex Consumption plan: Offers rapid, elastic scaling combined with support for private networking (VNet integration).
- Dedicated plan (App Service plan): Suitable for long-running functions and scenarios requiring more predictable performance and resource allocation.
- Azure Container Apps plan: A solid choice for microservices-based architectures that use multiple technology stacks or require greater flexibility.
- Premium plan: Designed for high-performance scenarios with the ability to scale on demand, providing support for advanced features such as VNet, longer execution times, and pre-warmed instances.
In summary, Microsoft Azure delivers serverless FaaS through Azure Functions, offering a powerful, flexible, and scalable platform that enhances the development and deployment of serverless applications. By using Azure Functions, developers can build and maintain responsive, cost-effective solutions. Now, let us explore how to create an Azure function in the Azure portal.
