Introduction to AWS Lambda: Serverless Computing Simplified

AWS Lambda is a serverless computing service provided by Amazon Web Services (AWS) that allows you to run code without provisioning or managing servers. This enables developers to focus on writing code rather than dealing with the infrastructure. Lambda automatically scales your applications by running code responding to triggers such as data changes, system state shifts, or user actions.

Why Choose Lambda? The Benefits of a Serverless Approach

  1. Cost Efficiency: Pay only for the compute time you consume. There are no charges when your code is not running.
  2. Automatic Scaling: AWS Lambda automatically scales your application by running code responding to each trigger.
  3. Reduced Operational Complexity: Eliminate the need to provision and manage servers.
  4. Flexible: Supports multiple programming languages, including Node.js, Python, Java, Go, and Ruby.

Getting Started: Signing Up and Logging In to AWS Console

  1. Sign Up: If you don’t already have an AWS account, visit AWS Sign Up and create one.
  2. Log In: Once your account is set up, log in to the AWS Management Console.

Creating Your First Lambda Function: A Step-by-Step Guide

  1. Navigate to AWS Lambda: In the AWS Management Console, search for and select “Lambda.”
  2. Create a Function: Click on the “Create function” button.
  3. Choose the Blueprint: Select “Author from scratch”.
  4. Function Name: Enter a name for your function (e.g., “SimpleGetAPI”).
  5. Runtime: Choose the runtime (e.g., Node.js, Python).
  6. Role: Create a new role with basic Lambda permissions.

Adding Code to Your Lambda Function: Crafting Your GET Response

  1. Primary Code: Use the inline code editor to write your function. For a simple GET API, you can use the following example code in Node.js:

    exports.handler = async (event) => {

    const response = {

        statusCode: 200,

        body: JSON.stringify(‘Hello from Lambda!’),

    };

    return response;

};

  1. Save: Click the “Deploy” button to save your function.

Deploying Your Function and Integrating with API Gateway

  1. Navigate to API Gateway: In the AWS Management Console, search for and select “API Gateway”.
  2. Create API: Click “Create API” and select “HTTP API”.
  3. Name Your API: Enter a name for your API (e.g., “SimpleGetAPI”).
  4. Attach Lambda Integration: In the “Integrations” section, select “Add Integration” and choose “Lambda”.

Creating and Configuring Your HTTP API in AWS

  1. Routes: In the “Routes” section, add a new route with the method “GET” and the path “/”.
  2. Attach Integration: Select the Lambda function created earlier.
  3. Deploy API: Click on “Deploy” to make your API live.

Testing Your GET API: Retrieving Your Lambda Response

  1. Invoke URL: Copy the invoke URL provided by API Gateway after deployment.
  2. Test in Browser or Postman: Paste the invoke URL into a browser or use Postman to send a GET request.
  3. Response: You should receive a “Hello from Lambda!” response.

Success! Your Simple GET API is Now Live

Congratulations! You have successfully created a simple GET API using AWS Lambda and API Gateway. This basic setup can be expanded to include more complex logic and additional endpoints, enabling you to build scalable and cost-effective serverless applications.

References

Develop HTTP APIs in API Gateway

Tutorial: Create a REST API with a Lambda proxy integration