Serverless Mobile Apps - Benefits & Drawbacks To Help Enterprises Decide
App Development
28Jan 2021
In recent years, mainly after AWS (Amazon Web Services) launched its Lambda platform, serverless architecture made a breakthrough. The rising popularity of serverless apps saw market leaders like Nike, Airbnb, Netflix, etc., embracing the serverless architecture to better manage their back-end functions. Also, serverless architecture's market size is anticipated to reach a massive amount worth $9.17 billion by 2023.
Why Use a Serverless Architecture?
The serverless architecture allows developers to easily code arbitrary codes on-demand without stressing about the underlying hardware. But with the changing trends, many businesses opt for serverless apps to be updated with their peers without considering the actual business needs.
The serverless apps run well with stateless use cases, which perform immaculately and give the next operation in a sequence. Simultaneously, the serverless architecture is not the right fit for predictable apps where there is too much reading & writing in the back-end system.
Another advantage to working with serverless apps is that the 3rd-party service provider will demand fees based on the total no. of requests. As the no. of request rises, the cost is bound to grow, but it will cost majorly less than a devoted IT infrastructure.
Benefits of Serverless Apps
1. Highly Scalable
The flexible nature of serverless architecture makes it suitable for scaling the apps. The serverless app's advantage is that it allows the vendor to run each function in separate containers, permitting optimizing them naturally and successfully. Unlike in the conventional cloud, one does not require to buy a specific no. of resources in serverless apps and can be as flexible as possible.
2. Cost-Effective
As the businesses don't need to invest tons of money on hardware, they don't require to pay anything to the engineers to preserve the hardware. The serverless app's pricing model is based on the execution as the business is charged according to the executions they have made.
The company that uses the serverless apps is allocated a particular amount of time, and the executioner's pricing depends on the memory needed. Different costs such as access authorization, presence detection, image processing, etc., related to a physical or virtual server are totally removed with the serverless apps.
3. Focuses on User Experience
Since the businesses don't always think about preserving the servers, it lets them focus on more productive things like building and enhancing customer service features. According to a recent survey, about 56% of users are using or planning to use the serverless apps in the coming 6 months. Also, as the enterprises would save money with serverless apps as they don't have to preserve any hardware system, it can then be used to improve the user service level and app features.
4. Ease of Migration
It is easy, to begin with, serverless apps by translating individual features and run them as on-demand events. For instance, in a CMS, a video plugin needs transcoding video for different bitrates and formats. If the business desired to do this with a WordPress server, it might not be an excellent fit as it would need resources devoted to serving pages instead of encoding the video.
Also, the benefits of serverless apps can be used optimally to manage metadata creation and encoding. Likewise, serverless apps can be used in other plugins that are most prone to critical vulnerabilities.
Drawbacks of Serverless Apps
1. Challenged in Debugging with Conventional Tools
It isn't easy to perform debugging, mainly for big enterprise apps that include several individual functions. Serverless apps use conventional tools and hence render no option to attach a debugger in the public cloud. The business can either use logging for the debugging process or do it locally. Moreover, the DevOps tools in the serverless apps don't support the idea of quickly deploying tad bits of codes into running apps.
2. Full Reliance on 3rd-Party Vendor
In the serverless app field, the 3rd-party vendor is the king, and businesses have no option but to play as per their rules. For instance, if an app is set in Lambda, it isn't easy to translate it into Azure. The same is with coding languages. Currently, only Python & Node.js developers have the luxury to pick between the current serverless options. Thus, if you are planning to consider serverless apps for your upcoming project, ensure that your vendor has everything required to finish the project.
3. Steep Learning Curve
Another drawback of the serverless apps is that despite having all-inclusive documentation, the learning curve associated with the FaaS tools is very steep. If the business wishes to migrate seamlessly to the serverless architecture, it has to split the monolith into microservices, which is a tough task to achieve. Since getting hold of the serverless apps is severe, it is recommended to recruit the best app developer who holds a strong fort using the serverless tools.
4. May not be Preferred for Long-Term Tasks
Serverless apps are excellent for short near-time or real-time processes like sending an email but don't have the skill to work for long-term tasks. For instance, Lambda gives only 5 mins to perform a specific task, and if it takes longer than that, the app developers does not have an option but to call another function. Thus, some businesses opt for conventional methods to indulge in extended duration operations while keeping this drawback in mind.
The Future of Serverless Applications
Organizations should understand that choosing serverless computing is not just a technical change but a mindset change too. As for many businesses, the migration to serverless architecture might not be as cost-effective as it was anticipated at the start of the project.
Hence, if your business has an established workflow, opting for serverless architecture just for the sake might not be a wise move. Also, serverless apps are still finding their feet in the mainstream world. Therefore, you must understand your needs before going for the serverless architecture.
Harnil Oza is the CEO & Founder of Hyperlink InfoSystem. With a passion for technology and an immaculate drive for entrepreneurship, Harnil has propelled Hyperlink InfoSystem to become a global pioneer in the world of innovative IT solutions. His exceptional leadership has inspired a multiverse of tech enthusiasts and also enabled thriving business expansion. His vision has helped the company achieve widespread respect for its remarkable track record of delivering beautifully constructed mobile apps, websites, and other products using every emerging technology. Outside his duties at Hyperlink InfoSystem, Harnil has earned a reputation for his conceptual leadership and initiatives in the tech industry. He is driven to impart expertise and insights to the forthcoming cohort of tech innovators. Harnil continues to champion growth, quality, and client satisfaction by fostering innovation and collaboration.
Latest Blogs
blockchain
Is BlockChain Technology Worth The H ...
Unfolds The Revolutionary & Versatility Of Blockchain Technology ...
blockchain
IoT Technology - A Future In Making ...
Everything You Need To Know About IoT Technology ...
Feel Free to Contact Us!
We would be happy to hear from you, please fill in the form below or mail us your requirements on info@hyperlinkinfosystem.com
Hyperlink InfoSystem Bring Transformation For Global Businesses
Starting from listening to your business problems to delivering accurate solutions; we make sure to follow industry-specific standards and combine them with our technical knowledge, development expertise, and extensive research.
4500+
Apps Developed
1200+
Developers
2200+
Websites Designed
140+
Games Developed
120+
AI & IoT Solutions
2700+
Happy Clients
120+
Salesforce Solutions
40+
Data Science
