Serverless Computing: AZ-900 Curriculum Overview

This document provides a comprehensive overview of the Serverless Computing domain within the Microsoft Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) curriculum. It covers the fundamental shift from managing infrastructure to event-driven, abstract computing environments.

Prerequisites

Before diving into serverless architectures, learners should have a foundational understanding of the following:

• Basic Cloud Concepts: Understanding of Cloud Models (Public, Private, Hybrid) and Service Types (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS).
• Shared Responsibility Model: Awareness of which layers of the stack are managed by the cloud provider versus the consumer.
• Compute Basics: General knowledge of what a Virtual Machine (VM) is and how traditional applications are hosted.
• Consumption-Based Model: Understanding that in the cloud, you typically pay for the resources you consume.

Module Breakdown

The curriculum for serverless is structured to move from high-level definitions to specific Azure implementations.

Learning Objectives per Module

Module 1: The Core of Serverless

• Define Serverless Computing as an abstraction of servers, infrastructure, and operating systems.
• Identify the three pillars of serverless: Abstraction of servers, Event-driven scale, and Micro-billing.
• Explain how serverless differs from IaaS and PaaS.

Module 2: Azure Functions

• Describe Azure Functions as a "Function-as-a-Service" (FaaS) offering.
• Explain how functions execute code based on specific events (HTTP requests, timers, or queue messages).
• Compare Azure Functions to Virtual Machines and Containers.

Module 3: Azure Logic Apps

• Identify Azure Logic Apps as a "Platform-as-a-Service" (PaaS) for automating workflows.
• Understand the low-code/no-code nature of Logic Apps for connecting disparate services (e.g., Office 365, Twitter, SharePoint).

Module 4: The Economic Model

• Explain the Consumption-Based Model: Billing only occurs when the code is actually running.
• Analyze why serverless is ideal for variable workloads that experience unpredictable spikes.

Visual Overview

Event-Driven Logic

This flowchart illustrates how serverless resources remain dormant until a specific trigger occurs.

Cost Efficiency Visualization

The following diagram compares the cost of a traditional Virtual Machine (Fixed Capacity) against the Serverless model (Consumption-Based).

Success Metrics

To demonstrate mastery of the serverless domain, learners should be able to:

1. Differentiate: Explain the difference between Azure Functions (code) and Logic Apps (workflows).
2. Evaluate: Determine if a workload is "serverless-ready" based on its predictability and duration.
3. Identify: Select the correct Azure service for a given scenario (e.g., "Use Logic Apps to send an email when a record is updated in a database").
4. Articulate: Describe the shared responsibility of serverless—Microsoft manages the underlying server hardware and OS patching; the user manages the code/logic.

Real-World Application

[!TIP] Serverless is not just for developers; it is for anyone looking to reduce operational overhead.

• Automated Image Resizing: When a user uploads a high-resolution photo to Azure Storage, an Azure Function can automatically trigger to create a thumbnail version.
• System Integration: An Azure Logic App can monitor a corporate Twitter account; when a negative sentiment is detected, it can automatically create a ticket in a customer service system like Zendesk.
• IoT Data Processing: Thousands of sensors send temperature data every minute. A serverless function can process this telemetry in parallel, scaling up to handle the load and scaling to zero when the sensors go offline.

[!IMPORTANT] Remember: "Serverless" does not mean there are no servers. It means you do not have to manage or provision them.