Welcome to ServerlessCode, a blog for tutorials, tips, and projects using AWS Lambda. Lambda is a way to run code, similar to Platform as a Service offerings like OpenShift or Heroku, but with a different model for when code is run. Lambda only runs code as events happen, cutting out the need for your code to always be running to be available.
When an event happens, your Lambda function can be started and running in 200ms, fast enough to serve API requests or react to time-sensitive events. Because your code doesn’t run all the time, you also aren’t billed all the time, which means running low-traffic services can be practically free.
The real power in Lambda, though, is in the AWS ecosystem. Lambda is a good tool on its own, but it really shines as a “last-mile” connector between AWS services. It makes it possible (and easy) to program almost any integration between AWS and external (or internal) events.
I’m Ryan, and I work on this blog to have fun teaching/learning with others, and help people build better projects (that might be cheaper to run). If you have a suggestion, question, or comment send me an email at ryan@serverlesscode.com or find me on Twitter @ryan_sb.