How are Lambda functions implemented in AWS?

Key takeaways:

• AWS Lambda allows code execution without server management, using various programming languages triggered by AWS events.

• Lambda functions can be created via the AWS Management Console or serverless CLI, with options to author from scratch, use blueprints, or container images.

• Developers can write code in an online editor, configure runtime settings, and create test events for validation.

• AWS Lambda provides scalability, cost-effectiveness, and simplified infrastructure management for application development.

AWS Lambda is a service offered by Amazon Web Services that enables you to execute your code without the need to manage or configure servers. It allows you to write code in your preferred programming language triggered by specific events you define within your Amazon services. These code snippets, serverless or Lambda functions, provide a convenient and scalable approach to executing code in a serverless environment.

How to implement Lambda functions

There are two ways to implement the lambda functions in AWS:

1. Using the AWS Management Console

2. Using the serverless CLI

In this answer, we will use the AWS Management Console to implement Lambda functions. If you want to implement them using serverless CLI, check out our Answer on Creating and deploying your first-ever AWS Lambda function.

Lambda functions using the AWS Management Console

Use the steps below to implement the AWS Management Console Lambda functions.

1. To access your AWS account, navigate to the login page and click the “Sign in to the Console” option. Provide your unique login credentials, including your ID and password. Once successfully authenticated, locate the “AWS Services” section and choose Lambda from the available options.

2.  Once you have chosen Lambda from the list of services, click the “Create function” button.

3. On the “Create function” page, select your preferred option from the three available: “Author from scratch,” “Use a blueprint,” or “Container image.” We will select the “Author from scratch” option to create a simple example.

4. Then enter the basic information of your function, like function name, language and architecture. We will select “Python” to create a function in Python. Click the “Create function” button after entering the basic information.

5. Now, we will see the following page. We can select different options to create or upload our code, or we can add our code from the editor provided.
   

6. We can also change the runtime settings as we like. The handler name should be the same as the Lambda function name.

7. Create a test event to simulate the call and verify the function’s behavior.

Conclusion

AWS Lambda provides a serverless computing environment where developers can execute code without managing servers. Lambda functions are triggered by events in AWS services, offering scalability, cost-effectiveness, and simplified infrastructure management.