OpenFaaS is a serverless framework that allows users to build and deploy containerized functions. It provides an easy way to deploy stateless container functions that scale horizontally. OpenFaaS grew from an idea to run Lambda functions on containers and has since expanded to support Kubernetes and external providers. It aims to provide portability, ease of use, simplicity and avoid vendor lock-in while leveraging existing Docker skills.

1. OpenFaaS framework
Serverless functions for Docker & Kubernetes
CNCF INTRO & DEMO
by Alex Ellis

2. What is Serverless?
MicroserviceMicroserviceMicroservice
Monolith
Microservice
Function
Serverless evolution

4. OpenFaaS
DRIVING FACTORS
PortabilityEase of use
Simplicity
Open
Platform

5. How did OpenFaaS come about?
STORY SO FAR
• “Lambda but on containers for Alexa”
• Dockercon Cool Hacks - “push Docker beyond what it was made to do”
• Major changes since Dockercon
• Top trending Open Source project overall
• > 4.4k stars
• Kubernetes & external provider support
• Asynchronous processing via NATS
• CLI - templating
• Regular contributors & Slack Community

6. What is OpenFaaS?
"A SERVERLESS FRAMEWORK BUILT ON CONTAINERS"
• Basic primitive: containers in OCI format
• Container security
• r/o filesystem, privilege drop, content trust
• Manage functions with scheduler/orchestrator
• Rich container eco-system - commercial & community
• Avoid vendor lock-in
• Run anywhere - cloud or on-prem
• Leverage existing skills in teams (including Windows)
• Anything can be a function.

7. Comes in one flavor: Cloud Native

8. HTTP
body
stdinrequest
stdoutresponse
“/usr/bin/node
handler.js”
headers
body
headers
Forked process
Function watchdog

9. YAML stack format
provider:
name: faas
gateway: http://localhost:31112
shrink-image:
image: functions/resizer:latest
fprocess: "convert - -resize 50% fd:1"
url-ping:
lang: python
handler: ./sample/url-ping
image: alexellis/url-ping
$ faas-cli -action build -f ./sample.yml
$ faas-cli -action deploy -f ./sample.yml
SAMPLE
def handler(req):
print(‘You said ‘ + req)

10. Deployed in 60 seconds
QUICK DEMO

11. What’s next for OpenFaaS?
SET REPLICAS = 10,000
• Roadmap - supporting users
• Evaluating - ADP, CodeFresh, IRT Saint Exupery, Reevoo
• Additional language templates - CSharp, Ruby
• Curating UX
• Guides, manual & tutorials for developer-clouds
• Website & branding
• Contributors, sponsorship and finding a home
• Speaking & SWAG
• LinuxCon North America + CNCF London - Sept
• Dockercon EU - October
• Kubecon (?) - November

12. @alexellisuk
https://github.com/alexellis/faas

13. Fun examples
FUNCTIONS / DEMOS
• Dockercon closing keynote (video)
Derek
• https://github.com/alexellis/derek
Twitter + Elastic search / Youtube Downloader
• https://github.com/alexellis/journey-expert
Other functions
• https://github.com/alexellis/faas-contributor-stamp
• https://github.com/alexellis/faas-office-sample
• https://github.com/alexellis/faas-img2ansi