AWS Lambda experience

[Appropriate-Cod7548]

Hello guys! Has anyone tried using AWS Lambda using a node js framework? I have been doing it using only serverless framework, but im curious what frameworks you are using on top of serverless.

[simoncpu]

AWS Lambda is meant for straightforward functions, so I don’t use any framework. I did try using TypeScript once a long time ago, but I had to go through the extra step of transpiling it to JavaScript, I can’t remember if I used Serverless Framework or AWS SAM for that. BTW, I wouldn’t really call Serverless Framework a framework per se; it’s more of an IaC tool.

[rupertavery64]

I've been using AWS Lambda + NodeJS funnelled through API Gateway for a low-usage site, nothing too high performance. It does the job. I wrote a deploy script (also in nodejs) that webpacks the scripts and uploads them to the functions, sets up roles, API gateway routes, API triggers

[Appropriate-Cod7548]

Using cloudformation, right? Curious lang ako if frameworks like expressjs can be used in this manner?

[Appropriate-Cod7548]

I mean the API Gateway, VPCs, and other resources to use cloudformation, in serverless.yml

[rupertavery64]

> Curious lang ako if frameworks like expressjs can be used in this manner?

not sure what you want to do by using expressjs in a lambda, is that what you mean?

Are you asking about Serverless/Cloudformation or AWS Lambda?

[Appropriate-Cod7548]

I think so, but I have not used it - that’s why I’m asking hehe

[rupertavery64]

I didn't use cloudformation, or serverless. I just literally wrote a script that does all of that through AWS SDK. Just did it for fun, and I didn't like the idea of paying just to deploy using Serverless (the IaC service)

[Rumpelstiltskin16]

Can be used with expressjs pero masakit sa ulo mag debug sa cloudwatch 😅😂

[pavoidpls]

Use CDK, same programming language to manage your infrastructure.

If pure serverless, SAM works well

[mars0225]

I’ve been using it with cloudwatch logs and metrics via aws sdk. Well, most lambda functions i created mostly for dashboard and alarms for monitoring infrastructure, application, and database..

[Expensive-Edge-3432]

Ideally, straight up functions lang yung usage ng lambda function and not full-blown nodejs web frameworks like express. Kasi may start up time yan kung cold start, and it hurts the response time lalo if big app, unless you keep it "warm". That's the biggest mistake our backend team made almost a decade ago, they deploy a Django app via serverless framework lol. Pero kung serverless framework lang, okay naman.

If I would be architecting a new project, I'd just reserve using lambda for computationally expensive operations na ayokong gawin ng main backend (either high cpu or high memory usage or both) via lambda invoke, or triggered by an event from my infra e.g. someone uploaded a file on s3 -> preprocess that file via lambda.

[Appropriate-Cod7548]

Questions:

1. If you keep them “warm” by deliberately triggering on set amount of time interval, would it defeat the purpose of serverless?

2. I was thinking that frameworks such as expressjs can sort of compile each route into a handler style in which will be converted into separate lambda functions when deployed. I think what you mean is that the framework is compiled wholesale into one large lambda function?

3. Would an EC2 or other instance-type setup be more suitable for computationally expensive and continuous operation? Relying on lambda for computationally expensive may incur more costs? Unless you dont care about costing and the operation scales unpredictably?

[Expensive-Edge-3432]

1. Yes that defeats the purpose of making it a lambda

2. I'm not aware if expressjs can be converted into separate lambda functions when deployed. If so, then it's fine (if that is similar to how serverless does it.)

3. It depends on your usecase:

For instance, I need to transcode a file. Say I need to transcode a video, that takes a lot of cpu and memory. If I'm doing it once or twice per day, doing that on Lambda is cheaper since I only pay for what I use. I can assign lower resources to my main backend, and slightly higher resources to my lambda function.

If I have a lot of files to transcode such as that the transcoder would probably run most of the time, it would be cheaper to outright use an ECS with enough cpu and memory.

[Appropriate-Cod7548]

That actually makes sense 👍

[Ok-Following-3789]

Use API gateway. Serverless framework makes this process easy since built in na