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To stay competitive, organizations explore ways to improve their technical workflows and streamline their IT infrastructure. Swift and resilient deployments onto cutting-edge platforms are crucial for attaining the minimal lead times necessary to facilitate this evolution. Two of the most commonly used technologies for hosting these deployments are serverless functions and containers.
According to the 2022 CNCF annual survey, containers have become mainstream, with 44% of respondents stating they use containers for nearly all applications and business segments. Additionally, a 2023 report by Datadog titled “The State of Serverless” indicates that the majority of organizations running workloads on AWS (70%) or Google Cloud (60%) now have at least one serverless deployment.
Although similar, containers and serverless computing serve distinct purposes. The choice between them depends on the specific needs and goals of your business. In this article, we define container and serverless computing, their components, use cases, and similarities. We also explore the key differences between serverless and containers and provide steps to choose between both.
Serverless computing is a cloud computing solution in which the cloud provider manages the underlying infrastructure required to run applications. In this model, developers are freed from managing servers, operating systems, and infrastructure maintenance. With serverless, developers only pay for the actual resources consumed by their applications, as the cloud provider dynamically allocates resources based on demand.
Developers employing a serverless architecture decompose their applications into small, independent functions, which are triggered by specific events. These functions can be written in various programming languages like Python, Node.js, or Java. When an event occurs, the associated function is executed, and the cloud provider handles resource provisioning accordingly.
In contrast to microservices, serverless applications operate on an event-driven basis, executing individual functions upon event triggers. Microservices, on the other hand, can run continuously and handle multiple tasks. The benefit of serverless applications lies in their cost-effectiveness, as they only consume resources when actively processing events, leading to lower operational expenses compared to continuously running microservices. This distinction makes serverless architecture particularly advantageous for applications with fluctuating usage patterns or frequent spikes in demand.
Here are the main components of serverless architecture:
Cloud provider: The foundation of serverless architecture is the choice of cloud provider. They manage the physical infrastructure, including servers, networking, and storage. This frees developers from provisioning, scaling, and maintaining servers, significantly reducing operational overhead.
Function as a Service (FaaS): FaaS is a core component of the execution engine for serverless applications. FaaS platforms like AWS Lambda, Azure Functions, Google Cloud Functions, and DigitalOcean Functions, allow developers to upload code snippets (functions) triggered by specific events. These events can be HTTP requests, database changes, or messages in queues. The cloud provider allocates resources, executes the code, and scales automatically based on demand.
Event-driven model: Serverless applications are event-driven, meaning they react to specific occurrences. Events trigger the execution of functions, promoting a modular and asynchronous development approach. This model fosters loose coupling between functions, enhancing scalability and resilience.
Serverless APIs (APIs as a Service, AaaS): Serverless APIs offer a way to expose functionalities developed as functions through well-defined interfaces. This allows for integration with other services and applications, creating a more robust and scalable ecosystem.
Integration services: Serverless architectures often leverage integration services like message queues and event buses. These services facilitate communication and data exchange between various functions and external systems, enabling the construction of complex workflows and microservices architectures.
Monitoring and logging: As with any application, monitoring and logging are crucial for serverless deployments. Cloud providers offer tools to track function execution, identify errors, and gain insights into resource utilization. These tools are essential for troubleshooting, debugging, and optimizing serverless applications.
Serverless computing offers distinct advantages like event-driven execution, seamless scaling, and cost optimization. Some significant serverless use cases include:
Containers are a virtualization technology that simplifies the process of packaging, distributing, and deploying applications. They encapsulate applications and their dependencies in self-contained, portable environments, ensuring consistent execution across diverse computing environments. Unlike traditional virtual machines, this lightweight virtualization architecture optimizes efficiency and performance by sharing system resources with the host server.
A container comprises an application, runtime, system tools, libraries, and settings within a standalone, executable package. Multiple container images construct a container, specifying its exact content and configuration. For instance, an application might use separate containers for its web server, application server, and database.
Containers, unlike virtual machines, focus on individual applications rather than emulating an entire computer system. They are simpler and require fewer resources. With similar application complexity, more containers can run on a physical hardware unit compared to virtual machines. However, virtual machines can host multiple applications. Notably, containers share a single kernel on a physical machine, whereas each virtual machine has its kernel.
Here, we delve into some essential components making up the container architecture:
Containers are extensively used in cloud computing because they’re lightweight, portable, and manageable. Several common use cases for container architecture include:
Both serverless functions and containers typically shield developers from concerns about underlying servers or infrastructure. They encapsulate host hardware and operating systems, freeing DevOps teams from hardware considerations. Scalability is simplified through hardware upgrades, such as enhanced CPU, memory, or networking capabilities. Notably, Kubernetes swiftly scales containers, while Function-as-a-Service (FaaS) offerings dynamically adjust to traffic influx.
However, when using containers on-premises, hardware provisioning may require manual intervention, typically managed by dedicated infrastructure teams.
Both options integrate seamlessly with leading continuous integration platforms. Automated deployment tools facilitate the rollout of new container images or serverless functions following successful builds.
In summary, while differing in implementation, both serverless and container technologies offer scalability and compatibility with modern development practices.
Containers and serverless are two distinct approaches to deploying and managing applications on the cloud. Each has a set of advantages and disadvantages.
Overcome the challenges of container management with DigitalOcean’s App Platform, which addresses key limitations through automation and managed services:
By using buildpacks, App Platform ensures that container images are secure and up-to-date without constant oversight from developers.
Autoscaling features eliminates inefficiencies by dynamically adjusting resources based on real-time demand, cutting costs associated with idle containers.
App Platform manages the underlying infrastructure, relieving your team from the complexities of system administration and ongoing maintenance.
Embrace the ease of container management with DigitalOcean’s App Platform and focus more on development and less on upkeep.
Here are some major differences between the two:
Choosing between containerization and serverless architecture requires careful consideration of your specific business needs. Here are a series of questions to guide you through the decision-making process:
Remember, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. This framework provides a starting point for a thoughtful decision-making process that considers both technical and business factors to ensure the approach you choose aligns with your unique business requirements.
DigitalOcean enables seamless serverless architecture and container management cost-effectively, enabling businesses to craft scalable solutions.
Serverless development with DigitalOcean Functions: DigitalOcean Functions is a serverless FaaS platform included with the DigitalOcean App Platform. It allows developers to quickly write, deploy, and manage functions without managing infrastructure.
The service handles infrastructure, scaling, security, and more automatically. Functions can execute code in response to events like API calls. Here are a few benefits and key features:
DigitalOcean Functions offers transparent pricing with a predictable rate of $0.000017 per GB-second, with additional cost savings for high-volume usage and free monthly tiers. Visit our tutorials to learn more: What is Serverless, How To Write a Serverless Function, and Best Practices for Rearchitecting Monolithic Applications to Microservices.
Container management with DigitalOcean: While containers offer significant benefits for software development, managing them effectively requires robust tools. DigitalOcean provides a comprehensive suite of container management solutions that streamline development workflows and enhance scalability, security, and performance.
DigitalOcean’s container management solutions:
DigitalOcean App Platform: DigitalOcean App Platform simplifies container management by automating tasks such as deployments, scaling, and health monitoring, allowing developers to focus on their applications rather than infrastructure. This platform also features autoscaling capabilities, which optimize costs by dynamically adjusting resources based on traffic, ensuring efficient use of infrastructure without sacrificing performance.
DigitalOcean Kubernetes (DOKS): DigitalOcean Kubernetes (DOKS) container orchestration platform simplifies deployment, management, and scaling of applications within a Kubernetes environment.
DigitalOcean Container Registry (DOCR): Offering secure and private storage, DOCR integrates seamlessly with Kubernetes and Docker to manage container images effectively.
Load balancers: With DigitalOcean Load Balancers, ensure optimal application availability and exceptional user experiences through efficient traffic distribution across your infrastructure.
API and CLI Tools: Automate tasks and integrate seamlessly with existing workflows using DigitalOcean’s API and CLI tools.
Persistent storage with DigitalOcean Volumes: Manage data efficiently for stateful containerized applications using scalable block storage solutions offered by DigitalOcean Volumes.
DigitalOcean understands the unique challenges faced by startups and SMBs, and our solutions are specifically designed to address your needs.
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