FaaS (Function as a Service) is a type of serverless computing where developers can write and deploy individual functions without having to manage the underlying infrastructure. These functions are typically small, single-purpose pieces of code that are triggered by events.
Key characteristics of FaaS:
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Function-level granularity: You can deploy and manage functions independently, without having to package them into larger applications.
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Event-driven: FaaS functions are triggered by events, such as HTTP requests, API calls, or messages from other services.
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Automatic scaling: The platform automatically adjusts the number of instances based on demand, ensuring optimal performance and cost-efficiency.
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Pay-per-use: You only pay for the resources consumed by your functions, rather than paying for a fixed server capacity.
Example:
Imagine you want to create a web application that processes images. Instead of setting up and managing a server to handle the image processing, you could use a FaaS platform to deploy a function that triggers when an image is uploaded. The function would then process the image and store the result in a cloud storage service.