AWS Lambda is a serverless compute service that automatically runs code in
response to events and manages the underlying compute resources. It allows
developers to execute code without provisioning or managing servers.
Key Features
Event-driven Execution: Lambda runs functions in response to triggers from AWS
services, HTTP requests, or scheduled events.
Automatic Scaling: Scales automatically by running code in parallel.
Pay-per-use Pricing: Charges only for compute time consumed (measured in
milliseconds).
Security and Compliance: Provides IAM-based access control and supports encryption.
How AWS Lambda Works
1. Event Trigger: An event from AWS services (S3, DynamoDB, API Gateway, etc.) or external
sources triggers the Lambda function.
2. Execution Environment: AWS provisions compute resources and runs the function in a
secure environment.
3. Function Execution: The code executes within the defined runtime (Python, Node.js,
Java, Go, etc.).
4. Response Handling: The output is sent back to the calling service or stored in a
designated location.
5. Auto-scaling: AWS handles scaling automatically based on the number of incoming
requests.
Supported Languages
AWS Lambda supports multiple languages, including:
AWS Lambda Architecture
Lambda consists of:
Function Code: The actual code that runs.
Event Source: Services that trigger the function.
Execution Role: IAM role defining permissions.
Environment Variables: Configurable settings for functions.
File Processing Example
Web applications Example
Triggers and Event Sources
AWS Lambda integrates with various AWS services, including:
Amazon S3 (process file uploads)
DynamoDB Streams (react to database changes)
Amazon API Gateway (create RESTful APIs)
AWS Step Functions (workflow automation)
Amazon SNS & SQS (message-driven functions)
CloudWatch Events (scheduled tasks)
Deployment and Versioning
Deployment Packages: Functions are deployed as .zip files or container images.
Versions: AWS Lambda supports versioning to manage different function versions.
Aliases: Point to specific function versions for easier management.
Monitoring and Logging
Amazon CloudWatch Logs: Stores execution logs.
AWS X-Ray: Traces function execution for debugging.
Metrics: Monitor function invocations, durations, errors, and throttles.
Security and Permissions
IAM Roles & Policies: Grant permissions to access AWS services.
VPC Integration: Run Lambda functions within a VPC for enhanced security.
Encryption: AWS KMS encrypts function environment variables.
Pricing Model
Requests Pricing: $0.20 per 1M requests.
Compute Time: $0.00001667 per GB-second.
Free Tier: 1M requests and 400,000 GB-seconds per month.
Use Cases
1. Data Processing: Real-time file processing from Amazon S3.
2. API Backend: Serve requests via Amazon API Gateway.
3. IoT Processing: Handle messages from AWS IoT Core.
4. Chatbot & AI: Process chatbot interactions.
5. Automated Backups: Create backups in Amazon RDS and S3.
Conclusion
AWS Lambda is a powerful serverless computing service that enables developers to build
highly scalable, event-driven applications without managing infrastructure. Its seamless
integration with AWS services and pay-as-you-go pricing make it an ideal choice for modern
cloud-native applications.
