At first glance, these two solutions (Serverless and PaaS) may seem very similar. Not least in terms of reliability, availability, providing a framework for development... But they do have some unique differences that need to be taken into consideration.
In simple terms, the term "Platform-as-a-Service" is used to outsource not only the hardware infrastructure, but also the software environment. Above all, it refers to a framework that enables developers to create fully customized applications with limited management responsibilities in the cloud.
This is important for companies looking for agility when implementing a DevOps approach to software development. PaaS makes infrastructure management easier, so developers can concentrate on working within web frameworks rather than wasting time dealing with the underlying infrastructure.
Paas vs Serverless advantages
The main advantages of PaaS vs. Serverless are as follows:
- Simple, cost-effective development and deployment
- Easily adaptable
- Highly available
- Numerous functions for a small number of management and control resources
- More automation
- Easy migration
In "conventional" use, business logic is implemented in the form of code. This code runs on a server. In Serverless, implementation is serverless. Everything is developed in the cloud, notably in the form of functions (this is one of the variants of Serverless discussed below), hence the acronym FaaS.
Like PaaS, serverless architecture represents a framework that is becoming increasingly attractive. The idea of using a cloud provider to dynamically manage the allocation of machine resources, and billing users only for the actual amount of resources consumed by applications, is gaining increasing acceptance.
Serverless
Serverless isn't just a technology. It's an entirely new way of looking at IT operations. One of its key benefits is that it forces you to think and design your systems so that they are in the cloud.
Serverless can be deployed on an almost unlimited scale. Serverless applications evolve instantly, automatically and on demand, without any additional configuration on the part of the developer.
Many use cases focus on relatively simple requirements, such as web applications, which are now commonly coded in "Serverless".
Serverless is also ideal for detecting an event and informing another application or system, for example when changes in a database trigger a code modification.
Serverless variants
There are various "variants" of Serverless:
- FaaS (Function or framework-as-a-Service): this is a ready-to-implement framework that can be easily adapted to a company's needs.
- BaaS (Backend-as-a-service): this is a so-called NoOps offering. It differs from PaaS in that it does not manage the runtimes and execution of applications, which remain your responsibility.
- Database : Serverless database frameworks allow you to access and automate your database functions. These are functions that can both write to and read from a database, as well as provide a response.
The serverless architecture that most easily competes with PaaS, in its native form, is FaaS. It offers development functionalities not found in simple SaaS offerings. But it does so while requiring fewer resources than PaaS.
The benefits of Serverless vs PaaS
Serverless offers more advantages than PaaS:
- The cost structure is event-based. This avoids paying fixed monthly fees for unused services...
- The Serverless system is micromanaged, so that internal administrative resources can be used for other activities.
- Serverless offers true auto-scaling capabilities.
Serverless nevertheless has two major limitations. The multiplication of suppliers is certainly interesting, but they all have different implementations of their serverless architectures. Porting code from one vendor to another can sometimes prove costly.
This means you can only use the technologies offered by the cloud provider you have selected. Which is why selecting the right cloud provider is of the utmost importance...
The second pitfall concerns the confidentiality of sensitive information. The management of cross-border data flows - in this case, their localization - is crucial, as it is the sole responsibility of the service provider.
"Insofar as the Serverless service provider is the sole decision-maker on the resources allocated to processing, it would be legitimate to reflect on the qualification of joint data controller," explains Éric Le Quellenec, of Lexing Alain Bensoussan Avocats.
In short, Serverless inherently offers the advantages of low operating costs, scalability and reduced time-to-market. This solution therefore has the potential to rapidly become one of the fundamental elements of modern distributed systems.
But organizations wishing to adopt it will first have to consider the over-reliance on third-party APIs and the complexity of the architecture...
