Benefits of Azure functions in Mobile applications

Author: Nitin Agarwal | on October 27th, 2017 | Microsoft

In our last article, we discussed performance testing that undoubtedly plays a significant role in the seamless working of any website. Azure Functions, being one of the latest talks of the cloud-based organizations, is now topping our list.
Azure offers capabilities to every cloud developer all over the globe
With cloud computing making some exceptionally innovative, compute-on-premise transformations in technology, even the devices that are connected via the Internet are not untouched. Programmers are now capable of scaling solutions for every need. Developers may even require scaling solutions that involve reconciling transactions, ingestion of data, data processing, and responses to real-time scenarios. Azure Functions are an incredible introduction in Platform as a Service cloud computing services.
To understand their significance better it is vital to have an insight of Event Driven programming.
Event Driven Programming serves the backdrop
On the occurrence of an event, a code executes. For example, if you left-click with the mouse on the save button in MS Word, the document gets saved. This programming holds incredible similarity with microservice architectures used in code generated in cloud.

Azure function it is!

PaaS, analogy of Platform as a service, gave birth to Azure Functions to enable developers execute small and independent software codes (also known as the functions) in the cloud. These functions are impressively small and capable of carrying out the intended operation independently without relying on the external factors. Their high-functional cohesion makes them worthy to be a contributing aspect of a bigger software setting.
Here is something you should know about Azure Functions

1. Call Azure Functions the successful serverless architecture implementation or the Function as a Service (FaaS). FaaS relates to the services the cloud computing offers to its users in order to ensure simplified and less time-taking development, run, and management of functionalities. This involves eliminating all the complexities of building an infrastructure as well as its maintenance.
2. Azure Functions works just like the event driven programming. A piece of code will trigger an event that is the origination of an external source of Azure. Cloud will act as a platform for the code execution in such a scenario. Other ways in which triggering of Azure occurs is HTTP triggers, service bus, Azure queues changes, CRON expressions, and storage blog container changes.

One of the most prominent case studies of similar functionality has been Amazon’s AWS Lambda or Google’s Cloud Functions.

The figure (above) illustrates the difference in Azure Functions and AWS Lambda.

1. Azure Functions, on account of the fact that they are serverless architecture implementation, does not necessitate the requirement of an infrastructure. This is one of the very many benefits the developer enjoys working with Azure Functions as he/she will not have to deal with maintenance, deployment, and scalability issues of an infrastructure. He/she will only have to deal with the code at hand and its independent functioning.
2. Azure functions are chargeable and their cost depends on the time consumption for execution as well as the number of execution. External events such as the schedules, Azure events, and HTTP calls trigger the Azure Functions. The major ease to use Azure comes from the leverage of using different programming and scripting languages such as Node JS, JavaScript, C#, Bash, Powershell, PHP, Batch/CMD, and Python. Also, functions made in Azure are open source. So the developers are at freedom of adding the language at which they have expertise. This single runtime advantage for all languages (mentioned above) assists in simplifying the needs and reduces the complexity.
3. Mobile backend is serverless too – A set of HTTP APIs can act as a mobile backend. By utilizing the WebHook Uniform Resource Locator, mobile client calls these APIs. For an instance, after downloading an image and in order to upload it to the storage, the mobile application may ask for access by calling an Azure Function.
   
4. You’re free at using your own libraries – Only when you are using Azure Functions. You can use NuGet or even NPM.
5. Incredible ease of development – Developers will be able to set up the integration and deploy code via Visual Studio, GitHub, and other tools essential for development purposes. The service integrations that Azure Function supports are Azure Event hubs, Cosmos DB, Event Grid, Notification hubs, mobile apps, storage, service bus, on-premises, and Twilio.
6. Azure function saves from the trouble of managing virtual machines. Rather, there are a number of discreet nature functions inside the app, allowing the creation of multiple instances to be used in a variety of applications or systems.
7. Stream processing in real time – The best example of real time processing of stream is Internet of Things sending messages to Stream Analytics of Azure. Azure function deals with data processing and is responsible for creation of Azure SQL database record.
   

Wildnet leverages the capabilities Azure Function offers
Wildnet Technologies, is one of the prime performers in cloud computing. Keeping up with the latest innovative technological introductions, it strives to bring some notable Azure Function capabilities to various industries across the globe. Realizing its incomparable potential in simplifying and cutting down the processing costs, Wildnet is working on this platform to develop business-specific applications.
For any queries related to Azure Function or application development, write to us.

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