Serverless Architecture with AWS Lambda

1-minute read
aws • lambda • serverless • full-stack

Serverless lets you run code without provisioning servers. AWS Lambda executes functions in response to HTTP, queue, or schedule events-you pay per invocation.

Handler Example

exports.handler = async (event) => {
  const body = JSON.parse(event.body || '{}');
  const result = await processOrder(body);
  return {
    statusCode: 200,
    headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
    body: JSON.stringify(result),
  };
};

Architecture Patterns

API Gateway + Lambda for REST endpoints. S3 triggers for image processing. EventBridge for scheduled jobs. Keep functions small and cold-start aware-choose appropriate memory and runtime (Node 20).

Trade-offs

Pros: no idle cost, auto-scaling, managed infra. Cons: cold starts, 15-minute max duration, debugging complexity. Use Lambda for spiky or low-traffic workloads; use containers for steady high-throughput APIs.

Conclusion

Serverless fits event-driven and API edges. Combine with API Gateway, DynamoDB, and Step Functions for complete workflows without managing EC2.