Objective assessment .NET
Workloads on AWS Lambda
questions and answers
AWS Lambda: Benefits and Basic Functionalities
Benefits of AWS Lambda:
1. Cost Efficiency:
o Pay-Per-Use Pricing: You only pay for the compute time
consumed during code execution, measured in milliseconds. No
charges apply when the code is idle.
o No Server Costs: Eliminates expenses for provisioning,
maintaining, or scaling servers (e.g., EC2 instances).
2. Automatic Scaling:
o Lambda dynamically scales to handle thousands of requests per
second without manual intervention. Each trigger (e.g., an API
call or file upload) invokes a separate instance of the function.
3. Reduced Operational Overhead:
o Serverless Management: AWS handles server provisioning,
patching, and infrastructure management, allowing developers to
focus on code.
o Rapid Deployment: Deploy code directly via the AWS Console,
CLI, or CI/CD pipelines without managing deployment
environments.
4. Event-Driven Architecture:
o Seamless Integration: Lambda natively integrates with AWS
services like S3, DynamoDB, API Gateway, SNS, and Kinesis. For
example:
Process images when uploaded to S3.
Trigger real-time data analysis from DynamoDB streams.
o Asynchronous Workflows: Chain Lambda functions with Step
Functions for complex workflows.
, 5. Flexible Language Support:
o Supports Node.js, Python, Java, C#, Go, Ruby, and custom
runtimes via container images (up to 10 GB).
6. High Availability:
o Lambda functions run across multiple Availability Zones (AZs) by
default, ensuring fault tolerance.
Basic Functionalities of AWS Lambda:
1. Code Execution:
o Stateless Functions: Each invocation is independent; use
external storage (e.g., S3, DynamoDB) for state persistence.
o Execution Limits:
Timeout: 15 minutes (adjustable).
Memory: 128 MB to 10 GB (scales CPU proportionally).
2. Triggers:
o Event Sources: Configure triggers from AWS services (e.g.,
S3 PutObject, API Gateway HTTP requests, CloudWatch Events).
o Example: An S3 upload event invokes a Lambda function to
generate thumbnails.
3. Deployment and Versioning:
o Deployment Packages: Upload code as a ZIP file or container
image.
o Versioning & Aliases: Publish versions (e.g., v1, v2) and use
aliases (e.g., prod, dev) to manage releases and rollbacks.
4. Environment Variables:
o Store configuration settings (e.g., API keys, database URLs)
securely. Use AWS Secrets Manager for sensitive data.
5. Monitoring and Logging:
o Amazon CloudWatch Integration: Track metrics (invocations,
errors, duration) and set alarms.
, o Logging: Lambda automatically streams logs to CloudWatch
Logs for debugging.
6. Security:
o IAM Roles: Assign execution roles with least-privilege
permissions (e.g., access to specific S3 buckets).
o VPC Support: Deploy functions in a VPC to access private
resources (e.g., RDS databases).
7. Concurrency Controls:
o Reserved Concurrency: Reserve execution slots to prevent
throttling.
o Provisioned Concurrency: Pre-initialize instances to reduce
cold-start latency.
Example Use Cases:
1. Real-Time File Processing:
o Trigger a Lambda function when a file is uploaded to S3 to resize
images or transcode videos.
2. API Backends:
o Use API Gateway to route HTTP requests to Lambda, creating
serverless REST APIs.
3. Data Processing:
o Analyze streaming data from Kinesis or DynamoDB streams in
real time.
4. Scheduled Tasks:
o Run cleanup scripts every night via CloudWatch Events (e.g.,
delete expired S3 objects).
5. Chatbots:
o Process user messages from Amazon Lex (chatbot) with natural
language processing.
Key Questions & Answers:
, Q1: What is the maximum execution time for a Lambda function?
A: 15 minutes. Adjustable in the function configuration.
Q2: How does Lambda handle scaling during traffic spikes?
A: It automatically scales by launching parallel instances of the function,
limited only by account-level concurrency limits.
Q3: What is a "cold start" in Lambda?
A: A delay (typically <1 second) when a function is invoked after being idle.
Mitigate using provisioned concurrency.
Q4: Can Lambda access resources in a VPC?
A: Yes, but you must configure the function with VPC subnets and security
groups (may increase cold-start time).
Q5: How to secure sensitive data in Lambda?
A: Use environment variables with AWS Secrets Manager or Parameter Store
for encrypted secrets.
Q6: What happens if a Lambda function fails?
A: For asynchronous invocations, Lambda retries twice. Use Dead Letter
Queues (SNS/SQS) to capture failed events.
Q7: How to monitor Lambda performance?
A: Use CloudWatch metrics (e.g., Invocations, Errors, Duration) and X-Ray for
tracing.
Q8: Can Lambda functions call other AWS services?
A: Yes, if the execution role grants permissions (e.g., s3:GetObject).
Conclusion:
AWS Lambda simplifies building scalable, cost-effective applications by
abstracting infrastructure management. Its event-driven nature and
integration with AWS services make it ideal for microservices, real-time
processing, and automating workflows. By understanding its benefits (cost,
scalability, ease of use) and functionalities (triggers, versioning, monitoring),
developers can leverage Lambda to accelerate innovation.
AWS Lambda: Comprehensive Q&A on Benefits and Functionalities
1. Benefits of AWS Lambda
Q1: What makes AWS Lambda cost-effective?
A: Lambda uses a pay-per-use pricing model, charging only for the
Workloads on AWS Lambda
questions and answers
AWS Lambda: Benefits and Basic Functionalities
Benefits of AWS Lambda:
1. Cost Efficiency:
o Pay-Per-Use Pricing: You only pay for the compute time
consumed during code execution, measured in milliseconds. No
charges apply when the code is idle.
o No Server Costs: Eliminates expenses for provisioning,
maintaining, or scaling servers (e.g., EC2 instances).
2. Automatic Scaling:
o Lambda dynamically scales to handle thousands of requests per
second without manual intervention. Each trigger (e.g., an API
call or file upload) invokes a separate instance of the function.
3. Reduced Operational Overhead:
o Serverless Management: AWS handles server provisioning,
patching, and infrastructure management, allowing developers to
focus on code.
o Rapid Deployment: Deploy code directly via the AWS Console,
CLI, or CI/CD pipelines without managing deployment
environments.
4. Event-Driven Architecture:
o Seamless Integration: Lambda natively integrates with AWS
services like S3, DynamoDB, API Gateway, SNS, and Kinesis. For
example:
Process images when uploaded to S3.
Trigger real-time data analysis from DynamoDB streams.
o Asynchronous Workflows: Chain Lambda functions with Step
Functions for complex workflows.
, 5. Flexible Language Support:
o Supports Node.js, Python, Java, C#, Go, Ruby, and custom
runtimes via container images (up to 10 GB).
6. High Availability:
o Lambda functions run across multiple Availability Zones (AZs) by
default, ensuring fault tolerance.
Basic Functionalities of AWS Lambda:
1. Code Execution:
o Stateless Functions: Each invocation is independent; use
external storage (e.g., S3, DynamoDB) for state persistence.
o Execution Limits:
Timeout: 15 minutes (adjustable).
Memory: 128 MB to 10 GB (scales CPU proportionally).
2. Triggers:
o Event Sources: Configure triggers from AWS services (e.g.,
S3 PutObject, API Gateway HTTP requests, CloudWatch Events).
o Example: An S3 upload event invokes a Lambda function to
generate thumbnails.
3. Deployment and Versioning:
o Deployment Packages: Upload code as a ZIP file or container
image.
o Versioning & Aliases: Publish versions (e.g., v1, v2) and use
aliases (e.g., prod, dev) to manage releases and rollbacks.
4. Environment Variables:
o Store configuration settings (e.g., API keys, database URLs)
securely. Use AWS Secrets Manager for sensitive data.
5. Monitoring and Logging:
o Amazon CloudWatch Integration: Track metrics (invocations,
errors, duration) and set alarms.
, o Logging: Lambda automatically streams logs to CloudWatch
Logs for debugging.
6. Security:
o IAM Roles: Assign execution roles with least-privilege
permissions (e.g., access to specific S3 buckets).
o VPC Support: Deploy functions in a VPC to access private
resources (e.g., RDS databases).
7. Concurrency Controls:
o Reserved Concurrency: Reserve execution slots to prevent
throttling.
o Provisioned Concurrency: Pre-initialize instances to reduce
cold-start latency.
Example Use Cases:
1. Real-Time File Processing:
o Trigger a Lambda function when a file is uploaded to S3 to resize
images or transcode videos.
2. API Backends:
o Use API Gateway to route HTTP requests to Lambda, creating
serverless REST APIs.
3. Data Processing:
o Analyze streaming data from Kinesis or DynamoDB streams in
real time.
4. Scheduled Tasks:
o Run cleanup scripts every night via CloudWatch Events (e.g.,
delete expired S3 objects).
5. Chatbots:
o Process user messages from Amazon Lex (chatbot) with natural
language processing.
Key Questions & Answers:
, Q1: What is the maximum execution time for a Lambda function?
A: 15 minutes. Adjustable in the function configuration.
Q2: How does Lambda handle scaling during traffic spikes?
A: It automatically scales by launching parallel instances of the function,
limited only by account-level concurrency limits.
Q3: What is a "cold start" in Lambda?
A: A delay (typically <1 second) when a function is invoked after being idle.
Mitigate using provisioned concurrency.
Q4: Can Lambda access resources in a VPC?
A: Yes, but you must configure the function with VPC subnets and security
groups (may increase cold-start time).
Q5: How to secure sensitive data in Lambda?
A: Use environment variables with AWS Secrets Manager or Parameter Store
for encrypted secrets.
Q6: What happens if a Lambda function fails?
A: For asynchronous invocations, Lambda retries twice. Use Dead Letter
Queues (SNS/SQS) to capture failed events.
Q7: How to monitor Lambda performance?
A: Use CloudWatch metrics (e.g., Invocations, Errors, Duration) and X-Ray for
tracing.
Q8: Can Lambda functions call other AWS services?
A: Yes, if the execution role grants permissions (e.g., s3:GetObject).
Conclusion:
AWS Lambda simplifies building scalable, cost-effective applications by
abstracting infrastructure management. Its event-driven nature and
integration with AWS services make it ideal for microservices, real-time
processing, and automating workflows. By understanding its benefits (cost,
scalability, ease of use) and functionalities (triggers, versioning, monitoring),
developers can leverage Lambda to accelerate innovation.
AWS Lambda: Comprehensive Q&A on Benefits and Functionalities
1. Benefits of AWS Lambda
Q1: What makes AWS Lambda cost-effective?
A: Lambda uses a pay-per-use pricing model, charging only for the
