May 1, 2024
Updated July 6, 2025
16 minute read
Function-as-a-Service (FaaS) is a cloud computing paradigm where cloud providers host and manage functions that are ready to be executed when triggered by an event. These functions are typically stateless and ephemeral and are designed to be lightweight and scalable. FaaS is a serverless computing model, meaning that developers do not need to manage the underlying infrastructure, such as servers, operating systems, or runtime environments, as the cloud provider takes care of these aspects.
Benefits of FaaS
FaaS offers several benefits, including:
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Find a path to becoming a FaaS. Learn more at:
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Reading list
We've selected 25 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
FaaS.
Dives deep into every major facet of building a serverless architecture on AWS, from the fundamentals to more advanced topics, like serverless security and testing.
Provides a practical guide to building serverless applications specifically on the AWS platform. It covers key AWS services like Lambda and API Gateway, essential for understanding FaaS in a real-world context. It's valuable for those looking to solidify their understanding through hands-on examples and learn common serverless patterns and architectures.
Delves into specific architectural patterns tailored for serverless systems, with a focus on event-driven architectures and autonomous services. It's valuable for deepening understanding of how to design complex systems using FaaS and related technologies. It addresses contemporary topics in serverless architecture.
A practical, action-oriented book focusing on building event-driven applications using AWS Lambda. It's excellent for deepening understanding of FaaS implementation on AWS and learning how to integrate Lambda with other services in an event-driven manner.
Explores patterns for building applications that thrive in the cloud, including concepts highly relevant to FaaS such as event-driven architectures and microservices. It helps solidify understanding of cloud-native principles and provides a mental model for designing resilient and scalable applications in a serverless context.
Provides a catalog of patterns for building microservices, many of which are highly applicable to designing FaaS-based applications. It offers solutions to common challenges in distributed systems and microservices, deepening the understanding of architectural choices in a serverless context.
Provides a comprehensive overview of serverless architectures and how to use Python and AWS to build and deploy serverless applications. It covers a broad range of topics, including building, deploying, and managing serverless applications on AWS.
While not exclusively about FaaS, this book foundational text on microservices, an architectural style often implemented using FaaS. It provides essential background knowledge on designing, building, and deploying fine-grained services. Understanding microservices is crucial for designing effective serverless applications.
Similar to the AWS-focused serverless book, this provides a practical guide but for the Azure platform. It's useful for understanding FaaS implementation on a different major cloud provider and learning Azure-specific serverless services. Valuable for those working in or exploring the Azure ecosystem.
Focuses on building scalable, event-driven microservices, a common pattern implemented with FaaS. It delves into the concepts and technologies behind event-driven architectures, providing valuable depth for designing sophisticated serverless systems that react to events.
Focuses on building event-driven microservices using patterns like Event Sourcing and CQRS, which are highly relevant to advanced serverless architectures. It provides practical guidance for implementing complex distributed systems often found in FaaS environments.
Highly-regarded resource for understanding the fundamental trade-offs and challenges in designing distributed systems, which underpins serverless and FaaS architectures. It provides crucial depth on data storage, processing, and communication, essential for building robust serverless applications. It's a valuable reference for anyone working with data in cloud environments.
Provides a step-by-step guide to building and deploying serverless web applications using Node.js and Azure. It covers a broad range of topics, including building, deploying, and monitoring serverless web applications on Azure.
Addresses the practical challenges of migrating from monolithic applications to microservices, a common scenario when adopting serverless and FaaS. It provides valuable patterns and strategies for incrementally transitioning to a more fine-grained, serverless-friendly architecture.
Offers a strategic perspective on serverless computing, moving beyond just the technical implementation. It's useful for understanding the benefits, challenges, and management aspects of adopting serverless architectures, providing a broader business and operational context for FaaS.
Focuses on achieving business value with the cloud, with a strong emphasis on serverless as a key enabler. It provides a higher-level perspective on cloud adoption and the strategic advantages of serverless, relevant for professionals and leaders.
A good starting point for beginners, this book introduces serverless computing through the lens of AWS. It focuses on practical application using AWS Lambda and API Gateway, making it useful for gaining a broad understanding and getting hands-on experience with a major FaaS platform.
Advocates for a message-based approach to designing microservices, which aligns well with the event-driven nature of many FaaS architectures. It encourages thinking about system behavior through message flow, offering a different perspective valuable for designing loosely coupled serverless systems.
Helps understand the different cloud service models (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS) and the design decisions involved in using them. Understanding the distinctions between these models provides crucial context for appreciating the unique value proposition and architectural implications of FaaS.
Presents a catalog of design patterns for cloud computing. While not exclusively serverless, many of the patterns are applicable to FaaS architectures and help in understanding common solutions to recurring problems in cloud-based systems. Useful as a reference tool.
A classic in software design, Domain-Driven Design (DDD) provides principles for managing complexity in software systems. While not directly about FaaS, DDD concepts are invaluable when designing the boundaries and interactions of serverless functions and microservices for complex applications.
Offers a broad introduction to cloud computing, covering principles, architecture, security, and more. It's suitable for beginners looking for a general understanding of the cloud environment before diving specifically into FaaS. Provides foundational knowledge.
While Kubernetes container orchestration platform, understanding it is increasingly relevant for FaaS, especially in hybrid or on-premises serverless deployments. provides a solid understanding of Kubernetes concepts and practices, which can be valuable background for advanced FaaS topics and platforms.
For more information about how these books relate to this course, visit:
OpenCourser.com/topic/k2xdz8/faa
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