Azure Functions is a serverless compute service that allows you to run small pieces of code without managing any infrastructure. It’s designed for event-driven execution and supports dynamic scaling, making it a powerful choice for flexible, efficient cloud computing.
What Does Serverless Mean?
In a serverless model, Azure manages the infrastructure behind the scenes. You don’t need to provision or maintain servers. Instead, code is triggered by events, and resources are allocated only when needed.
This means:
- No idle costs—you only pay for execution time.
- Resources scale automatically based on demand.
How Azure Functions Work
Azure Functions respond to various event triggers, including:
- Timers (scheduled tasks)
- REST API calls or HTTP requests
- Messages from other services like Azure Queue Storage or Event Hubs
- Webhooks or HTTP callbacks
You can write Azure Functions using popular programming languages such as:
- C#
- Python
- JavaScript
- Java
Developers create small, modular pieces of code that typically run in seconds or less.
Billing and Cost Efficiency
Functions use a micro-billing model, meaning:
- You are charged by the second.
- Billing is based on actual execution time and resources consumed.
- This makes Azure Functions an ideal choice for variable workloads or applications with unpredictable traffic.
To compare this billing approach with other pricing models, see AZ-900: Describe the consumption-based model and AZ-900: Compare cloud pricing models.
Stateless and Durable Functions
Azure Functions can be either:
- Stateless, which means they start fresh for each event.
- Durable (stateful), where context is maintained between executions using Azure Storage. These are called Durable Functions.
Durable Functions are useful for chaining processes or tracking long-running workflows.
Development and Deployment
Azure Functions can run:
- Locally for development and testing.
- In Azure, where they automatically scale and connect to other Azure services.
You can use them alongside services like Azure Logic Apps, Azure Storage (Container or Blob Storage, Disk Storage or File Storage), and Event Grid for building complex workflows.
Conclusion
Azure Functions enable you to run small, event-driven tasks in the cloud with high efficiency and no server management. Whether your workload is constant or sporadic, this service helps reduce costs and simplify development.
Want to learn how to create and manage serverless functions in Azure? Explore our AZ-900 video course at https://idodata.com/az-900-microsoft-azure-fundamentals/ – or go back to the AZ-900 list of topics.
Please click here to find out more about Microsoft’s AZ-900 exam.
