This document provides an introduction and overview of AWS Lambda. It discusses how Lambda allows executing code without provisioning or managing servers by uploading code and configuring triggers. Code can be written in Node.js, Java, or Python and executed in response to events from AWS services or API calls. Metrics and logs of Lambda function invocations are automatically sent to CloudWatch for monitoring. An example of using Lambda for thumbnail image creation in response to S3 uploads is also provided.

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A quick introduction to
AWS Lambda
Oliver Geisser

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AWS Compute Options
EC2
Virtual Machine
Execution
ECS
Docker Container
Execution
Function
Execution
Lambda

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Overview
Upload Code Configure Trigger
(Event Source)
Lambda invokes
your code
Pay per
invocation

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Your Code
Language Runtimes
• Node.js (0.10.36)
• Java 8
• Python 2.7
Execution Environment
• Amazon Linux AMI
• Your code has complete control
• Threads, Sockets, Filesystem, etc.
• Requirement: your code should be stateless

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Programing Model
Concepts with language specific implementations
• Stateless function handler
• Event data as parameter
• Context support
• Logging support
Deployment
• Package (ZIP file) your code & libs
• Upload directly to Lambda or to S3

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Invocation Types
Event
• Asynchronous invocation
• One-Way – no response
Request/Response
• Your code provides the response
• Synchronous invocation

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Integration Model: Push vs. Pull
Pull
• Lambda polls the Event Source in a loop
Push
• Event Source invokes Lambda

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Pull Example: Kinesis
Pull
• Lambda polls
Kinesis in a loop
• Invokes function for
new data

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Push Example: S3
Push
• S3 invokes Lambda
with event invocation
• Triggered by any S3 action

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AWS Services triggering Lambda
AWS Service Push vs. Pull Event vs. Req/Resp
S3 Push Event
Dynamo DB Pull Event
Kinesis Pull Event
SNS Push Event
SES Push Event
Cognito Push Req/Resp
Cloud Watch Push Event
Cloud Formation Push Req/Resp
Alexa Push Req/Resp

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On-Demand Invocation
Lambda API
• Directly call the Lambda function via the API
AWS API Gateway
• Maps API Gateway calls to Lambda function invocations
Scheduled
• Fixed rate and CRON expression support

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Monitoring
Metrics
• Automatic metrics
through Cloud Watch
Logs
• All requests
• Logs generated by your
code

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Example: Thumbnail Creation

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Miscellaneous Remarks
Container Model is not documented
• There is a „container model“ behind the scenes
• It‘s not documented
• But „Freezing“ and „Thawing“ of containers is noticeable
„Cold“ Start Up Time
• There are language dependent different „cold“ startup times
• Java is much slower than Node.js
• This has a cost impact

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Thank you
Oliver Geisser
Twitter: @ogeisser