Cloud-native Backend Architectures: PaaS, FaaS or Containerization?

Today’s web applications are increasingly demanding in terms of performance, security and ease of maintenance. With the rise of cloud-based solutions, new alternative technologies have become available for developers to deliver solutions that meet today’s requirements.

In this article we will briefly review the options available for cloud-based backend development.

Challenges in Traditional Backend Architectures

Let’s first look at the challenges we face with classic software development architectures. Today, we typically see a monolithic or microservice-based solution in a 3-tier architecture.

In these cases, the first thing we face is the deployment, CI/CD and operation itself. The developer may also need skills that he may not necessarily have. This could be, for example, PowerShell or a deeper knowledge of the DevOps tool or runtime environment.

Another important element of a deployment process is the rollback event, in case some kind of error occurs during the deployment. The design of both the deployment and rollback process can be quite complex depending on the complexity of the application.

In many cases, the deployment process is also expected to minimize the loss of service when a new version is installed.

Expectations may also include scaling, which may or may not be complex to fully address, and this can be influenced by a number of factors. For a modern web application, scalability is one of the most important criteria to be able to respond immediately to increased usage without problems.

Possible Solutions: Cloud-native Backend Architectures

When looking for cloud technologies, it’s easy to see that the solutions offered by different providers, be it Google, Microsoft or Amazon, are very similar. As a result, when choosing the right technology, it’s not necessary to know the specific settings and features of the different vendors, it’s enough to know the basics of the technology and how it works.

With this knowledge, we can make the decisions that will allow us to choose the right technology and architecture for our needs.

Once we have chosen the solutions we want to use for the design and development of the software, we can then look at the specific features, pricing and ecosystem offered by the different vendors.

In the following we will look at some possible solutions that could be good alternatives to native cloud environments.

Functions-as-a-Service (FaaS)

This technology is very different from traditional backend architectures, both in terms of architecture and development approach. While in a classic application the backend logic is managed as a single unit, here each function is built and deployed as a separate unit.

The best-known solutions are Azure Functions, AWS Lambda and Google Cloud Functions, which automatically handle scaling, availability and event-based execution – for example, in case of HTTP requests or timed events.

Functions can be developed and deployed independently of each other, which fits well with microservice architectures. An additional benefit of the technology is that functions only run when they are really needed – resulting in significant cost optimization.

They can also be easily integrated with other cloud services, such as event management systems or data-based services. However, this approach requires a different development logic and approach.

Container-based Services

If you want to move an existing application to the cloud, containers are an obvious solution. In this case, the components of the application are packaged in a container using Docker, for example, and then run on a cloud service provider’s platform.

The best-known solutions are Azure Container Apps, AWS App Runner, Google Cloud Run, or for more control, Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS), Amazon EKS, or Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE).

The advantage of the container approach is that you can create customized runtime environments. This is particularly useful when the application cannot be run in a native PaaS or serverless environment, or when more complex networking and configuration needs arise.

Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS)

This approach is designed to simplify the running of applications by removing the need for the developer to configure and operate the environment. PaaS services, such as Azure App Service, Google App Engine or AWS Elastic Beanstalk, automatically manage infrastructure, scaling, version management and continuous availability.

Compared to a Container-based Services solution, PaaS offers fewer configuration options but is significantly faster and easier to deploy. There is no need to build your own image or maintain an orchestrator – but there is less flexibility to configure the environment or support specific runtime needs.

PaaS is recommended primarily when the goal is a stable, rapidly deployable service where infrastructure flexibility is not a primary concern and the tools offered by the cloud service are sufficient.

Conclusion

The cloud-native approach is not only a technological trend, but also a change of approach in modern backend development. The goal today is not only to deliver a working service, but also to be able to operate it in a flexible, scalable way with minimal operational costs.

FaaS, container-based and PaaS services are solutions optimized for multiple purposes, from which we can build architectures to meet the needs of our customers.

Various cloud service providers – be it Azure, AWS or Google Cloud – offer a range of related services to further increase application availability and automate deployment. By combining these components, we can build an ecosystem that can respond much faster to new demands and business requirements.

Is the FaaS, container-based or PaaS approach working best for you?  Why not talk about it over a good cup of coffee?