In recent years, serverless computing has become increasingly popular among developers and enterprises due to its scalability, cost efficiency, and ease of implementation. However, managing and monitoring serverless applications can be challenging if you don’t implement a monitoring API. Check out more about the following serverless computing infrastructure.

What is Serverless Infrastructure?

Contrary to what the term serverless implies, serverless computing does not mean not using servers at all. Instead, it refers to a cloud computing model where the cloud provider takes care of all infrastructure management, so developers can focus on building and running their applications.

In a serverless architecture, the cloud provider manages server resources dynamically, automatically scaling them based on demand. Serverless computing frees developers to focus on their core competencies, such as writing code, without the need to manage servers, virtual machines, or containers.

As a result, it enables rapid development and deployment, as developers can concentrate solely on application logic, leaving infrastructure issues to the cloud provider. In addition, serverless architectures are event-driven and typically execute code in compute containers triggered by things such as database updates, HTTP requests, or document uploads.

Advantages of Serverless Infrastructure

Serverless infrastructure has several advantages, namely:

1. Architecture can be changed and expanded easily

Serverless computing can help scale applications quickly and give companies the flexibility to design and build scalable architectures. Developers can break down applications into smaller, independent functions or microservices, which can be developed, deployed, and scaled independently. 

Serverless platforms often support an event-driven architecture, which allows seamless integration with other services and systems. This flexibility empowers businesses to adapt and scale their applications as needed, accommodating changing requirements and future growth.

2. Faster launch times

In today’s digital world, speed is the most important thing. To stay competitive, businesses need to continually release new and innovative products and services. Serverless computing enables faster rollout times by simplifying the development and deployment processes. 

With the simplified development model offered by serverless platforms, developers can quickly prototype, test, and iterate their applications. The ability to focus on business logic and delegate infrastructure management tasks to platform providers enables companies to deliver innovative solutions to customers in quick time.

3. Resource utilization

Traditionally, many servers have been inactive or underutilized, resulting in waste of resources and increased costs. Serverless computing optimizes resource utilization by allocating resources on demand. Resource allocation minimizes waste and ensures optimal utilization, leading to improved system performance.

4. Improved fault tolerance and availability

By design, serverless applications are distributed across multiple availability zones and manage failover and replication. These applications ensure that even if a single component or function fails, the system as a whole remains operational, minimizes downtime, and maintains service availability.

5. Cost savings

One of the most important advantages of serverless computing is cost efficiency. Businesses no longer need to invest in the provision and maintenance of dedicated servers. Instead, they only pay for the actual use of resources. This eliminates the need for upfront capital investment and reduces operating costs, making it an attractive option for companies.

Serverless Infrastructure Best Practices

Here are some serverless monitoring best practices:

1. Choose the right monitoring tools and set clear goals

Various monitoring tools are available for serverless computing. When choosing a monitoring tool, consider the specific needs and requirements of the company and explore the features and functions of its tools to exploit their maximum potential. Before implementing any monitoring solution, it is important to determine the company’s goals. 

Understand what metrics and insights are most important for serverless applications and identify key performance indicators (KPIs) such as response time, error rate, and resource utilization that align with enterprise application goals.

2. Monitor third-party dependencies

Serverless applications rely on a variety of third-party services and APIs. Monitoring the performance and availability of these dependencies is important. Take advantage of synthetic monitoring tools to regularly test the accessibility and responsiveness of external services. Configure alerts to notify when dependencies experience issues so that IT teams can take proactive action to reduce the impact on serverless applications.

3. Log aggregation and analysis

Centralized log aggregation is critical for serverless monitoring. Capture and analyze logs of various serverless application components to identify errors, exceptions, and other critical events. 

Take advantage of a reliable management platform for storing, searching, and analyzing logs effectively. Implement structured note-taking practices to facilitate easy searching and correlation of records across functions and services.

4. Implement automatic alerts and notifications

Configuring automatic alerts and notifications is important for proactive monitoring. Set up alert rules based on predefined thresholds for required metrics. When the metrics exceed the threshold, the monitoring system should trigger an alert via email, SMS or the integrated chat platform. 

This ensures that response teams are promptly notified of any anomalies or performance issues, allowing them to take immediate action and minimize the risk of downtime.

5. Perform load testing regularly

Load testing of serverless applications is critical to understanding their performance limitations and identifying potential scalability issues. Simulate realistic workloads by making multiple requests and monitoring system responses. 

By analyzing the metrics collected during load testing, IT teams can determine the behavior of applications under different loads and optimize their performance. Continuous load testing helps to proactively address scalability issues and ensure smooth operation during peak usage.

6. Implement security monitoring

Serverless infrastructure Monitoring is limited to performance and availability. Monitoring should also include security considerations. Monitor serverless applications for potential security vulnerabilities. 

Apply security monitoring tools and techniques to detect anomalies such as excessive resource consumption, unexpected document access, or unauthorized use of functions. Security monitoring ensures the integrity and confidentiality of the serverless infrastructure and protects against the risk of cyber threats. Ensure serverless infrastructure runs smoothly with a reliable monitoring API tool like Netmonk. It has been proven to serve more than 1000 companies, check out the full service information on Netmonk website right now!