May 1, 2024
Updated May 9, 2025
22 minute read
Serverless computing represents a significant shift in how applications are built and deployed in the cloud. At its core, serverless computing allows developers to write and deploy code without managing the underlying server infrastructure. This doesn't mean servers are no longer involved; rather, the cloud provider takes on the responsibility of provisioning, maintaining, and scaling the server infrastructure. Developers can then focus on building application features and business logic, leading to faster development cycles and innovation.
Working with serverless technologies can be an engaging and exciting prospect for several reasons. Firstly, the pay-per-use model means you only incur costs for the compute time your code actually consumes, potentially leading to significant cost savings, especially for applications with variable or unpredictable traffic. Secondly, the inherent auto-scaling capabilities of serverless platforms allow applications to seamlessly handle fluctuating loads, from a handful of requests to millions, without manual intervention. This elasticity empowers developers to build highly resilient and available applications. Finally, the reduced operational overhead, as server management is outsourced to the cloud provider, frees up development teams to concentrate on delivering value to users.
What is Serverless Computing?
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Find a path to becoming a Serverless Computing. Learn more at:
OpenCourser.com/topic/ao3viw/serverless
Reading list
We've selected 27 books
that we think will supplement your
learning. Use these to
develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a
deeper understanding of the topics covered in
Serverless Computing.
Provides a comprehensive overview of building serverless applications specifically on the AWS platform. It covers key AWS services like Lambda, API Gateway, and Kinesis, offering practical insights and real-world use cases. It's valuable for understanding the practical application of serverless principles within a major cloud ecosystem and is suitable for those looking to implement serverless solutions on AWS.
A recent publication focusing on leveraging AWS Lambda for building scalable and cost-effective serverless solutions. It covers basics to advanced deployment, including event-driven design, hyper-scaling, and operational techniques. is highly relevant for those specifically focused on AWS Lambda and seeking to deepen their expertise.
Offers a vendor-agnostic view of serverless computing, covering AWS, Azure, GCP, Kubernetes, and open-source options. It provides a broad understanding of the serverless landscape and helps in selecting appropriate technologies. It's a good resource for gaining a wider perspective beyond a single cloud provider.
Focuses on building serverless applications with Azure Functions, providing a step-by-step guide to building and deploying serverless applications using the Azure Functions platform. It great resource for anyone who wants to learn more about using Azure Functions for serverless development.
This handbook focuses on best practices and real-world applications of serverless architecture, particularly using the AWS Well-Architected Framework's Serverless Lens. It's designed for technology leaders and architects, offering insights into operational excellence, security, reliability, performance, cost optimization, and sustainability in a serverless context.
While not solely focused on serverless, this book foundational text for understanding microservices architecture, which is highly relevant to serverless computing. It covers design, testing, deployment, and operational concerns of microservices. It is essential background reading for anyone designing complex serverless systems and is widely regarded as a key resource in the field.
Provides a practical guide to designing and implementing serverless architectures. It covers topics such as selecting the right cloud provider, designing for scalability, and handling security. It valuable resource for anyone who wants to learn more about the practical aspects of serverless computing.
Provides a comprehensive overview of serverless architectures, including the benefits, challenges, and best practices for designing, developing, and deploying serverless applications. It great resource for anyone who wants to learn more about serverless computing.
Focuses on the use of containers and Kubernetes for serverless computing. It provides a step-by-step guide to building and deploying serverless applications using Docker and Kubernetes. It great resource for anyone who wants to learn more about the use of containers for serverless development.
Focuses on the use of serverless technologies for data processing, covering topics such as streaming data processing, batch data processing, and machine learning. It great resource for anyone who wants to learn more about using serverless technologies for data processing.
An example-driven tutorial focusing on building event-driven serverless applications using AWS Lambda. It covers fundamental concepts, common patterns, and building larger applications by combining smaller examples. While published in 2016, it remains a useful resource for understanding the core mechanics of AWS Lambda and event-driven design, particularly for those new to the service.
Delves into the fundamental concepts behind building scalable and reliable data systems, which are critical for serverless applications. It provides a deep understanding of data storage, processing, and communication, offering valuable insights for designing robust serverless architectures. It's a highly regarded book for anyone working with distributed systems.
Focused on programming AWS Lambda functions, this book guides developers through the process of building and deploying serverless applications on AWS. It covers development environments, programming Lambda functions, and operational considerations. It's a practical guide for developers working with AWS Lambda.
Another valuable resource for understanding microservices patterns, which are highly applicable to serverless architectures. It explores various patterns for decomposing applications into smaller services, communication styles, and data management. provides architectural depth for designing serverless solutions.
Serverless architectures often leverage event-driven patterns. provides a deep dive into designing and implementing event-driven systems, which is highly relevant for building reactive and scalable serverless applications. It offers valuable architectural knowledge that complements serverless-specific technical guides.
Provides a practical approach to building Function as a Service (FaaS) solutions using Azure Functions with C#. It good resource for developers specifically working with Azure Functions and the C# language.
Serverless computing key aspect of cloud-native development. explores various patterns for building cloud-native applications, including concepts relevant to serverless, microservices, and distributed systems. It helps in understanding how serverless fits within the broader cloud-native landscape.
Targets developers looking to build full-stack applications using serverless technologies, specifically with React, AWS, and GraphQL. It provides a practical, hands-on approach to building modern applications leveraging serverless services. It's a good resource for those interested in the practical application of serverless in a full-stack context.
Provides a broad overview of Google Cloud Platform, including a section on serverless applications with Cloud Functions and managing containers with Kubernetes. While not exclusively serverless, it offers valuable context for those exploring serverless options within the Google Cloud ecosystem.
Discusses the shift to the 'Modern Cloud' and the principles behind it, with serverless being a significant component. It focuses on the socio-technical aspects and how organizations can leverage modern cloud technologies, including serverless, for business advantage. It's relevant for understanding the strategic importance of serverless.
Given the mention of 'Serverless on Kubernetes' in the course list, this book provides essential knowledge on Kubernetes, a platform often used in conjunction with or as an underlying layer for serverless deployments. It covers deploying and managing containerized applications, which is relevant for understanding serverless options like Cloud Run or AWS Fargate.
Offers a comprehensive guide to serverless computing, including a self-assessment tool. It covers integrating recent advances and process design strategies according to best practices. It can serve as a reference for understanding various aspects of serverless computing and identifying areas for improvement.
DevOps principles are crucial for successfully implementing and operating serverless applications. This foundational book on DevOps provides valuable insights into creating a culture and practices that support rapid, reliable, and secure software delivery, which is highly applicable to serverless environments.
For more information about how these books relate to this course, visit:
OpenCourser.com/topic/ao3viw/serverless
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