Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) and serverless computing services
Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) and serverless computing services are modern approaches to infrastructure management and application deployment, but they serve different purposes and have distinct characteristics. Here are the key differences between the two:
- Purpose and Definition:
- Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC):
- IaC is a method of managing and provisioning infrastructure through code and automation scripts rather than manual processes.
- It allows for consistent and repeatable deployments by defining infrastructure components in code files, which can be version-controlled and automated.
- Serverless Compute Service:
- Serverless is an architectural pattern where the cloud provider automatically manages the infrastructure for application deployment.
- Developers only focus on writing the code, and the cloud provider handles the server provisioning, scaling, and maintenance.
- Scope:
- IaC:
- IaC can manage various infrastructure components, including servers, databases, and networks.
- Tools like Terraform, Ansible, and CloudFormation provide server-based and serverless resources.
- Serverless Compute Service:
- Serverless refers explicitly to computing services where the server management is abstracted away.
- Examples include AWS Lambda, Azure Functions, and Google Cloud Functions.
- Cost Model:
- IaC:
- Costs are associated with the resources provisioned and managed using IaC tools.
- Serverless Compute Service:
- Typically, you pay only for the actual compute time your code is executed, not for the idle time.
- There’s no need to pre-allocate or pay for undifferentiated server capacity.
- Scaling:
- IaC:
- Whether manual or auto-scaling, our scaling must be defined and managed within the IaC scripts or configurations.
- Serverless Compute Service:
- Automatic scaling is a fundamental feature. The service automatically scales up or down based on the number of incoming requests or events.
- Maintenance:
- IaC:
- While IaC automates the provisioning process, the underlying infrastructure (e.g., servers) may still require patching, updates, and maintenance.
- Serverless Compute Service:
- The cloud provider handles all maintenance, including server patching, updates, and security.
- Flexibility:
- IaC:
- Offers flexibility in defining and customizing the infrastructure setup based on the code and configurations.
- Serverless Compute Service:
- While it abstracts away infrastructure management, it might impose certain limitations on runtime, memory, execution duration, etc.
In summary, while IaC is a broader approach to automating the entire infrastructure setup, serverless compute services focus on abstracting server management for specific application deployments. The two can be used together; for instance, IaC tools can be used to deploy serverless functions.