AWS Serverless Anti-Patterns: What They Are and How to Avoid Them
Tags: awsserverless, awslambd, aws, antipatterns
Published: 2023-04-08 17:01:56

AWS serverless architecture is a cloud computing model that allows developers to build and run applications on the Amazon Web Services (AWS) platform without the need to manage servers or infrastructure. With AWS serverless, developers can focus on writing code while AWS manages the scaling, availability, and maintenance of the underlying infrastructure. This results in faster development cycles, reduced operational costs, and improved scalability. However, like any technology, AWS serverless architecture is not immune to design flaws and suboptimal practices. These flaws, known as AWS serverless anti-patterns, can negatively impact the performance, cost, and security of serverless applications on AWS. In this blog post, we will explore some of the most common AWS serverless anti-patterns and provide best practices for avoiding them.

Please find below a list of AWS Serverless anti-patterns that everyone should be aware of.

**1. Cold Start Overhead:** Poorly optimized Lambda functions with long cold start times can cause significant performance issues, especially for real-time applications with tight SLAs. Cold starts happen when a new instance of a Lambda function is created, and if the function takes a long time to initialize, it can negatively impact the user experience. Best practices to avoid this include reducing the size of the code bundle, using runtime initialization hooks, and leveraging AWS Lambda Provisioned Concurrency.

**2. Misusing Global Variables:** The use of global variables in Lambda functions can lead to unexpected behavior, making it harder to debug, monitor, and maintain the code. Best practices to avoid this include using local variables whenever possible, using environment variables for configuration, and leveraging AWS CloudWatch Logs for debugging.
 
**3. Poor Security Practices:** Lack of proper authentication and authorization, improper handling of sensitive data, and misconfigured access control policies can lead to severe security breaches. Best practices to avoid this include using AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) for access control, encrypting sensitive data, and following AWS Security Best Practices.
 
**4. Overreliance on Serverless Services:** Overuse of serverless services such as AWS Step Functions, API Gateway, and DynamoDB can cause higher operational costs and vendor lock-in. Best practices to avoid this include evaluating the need for each serverless service, considering multi-cloud architectures, and designing for portability.
 
**5. Poor Database Design:** Lack of proper indexing, inefficient query patterns, and reliance on a single database instance can cause performance bottlenecks, increase latency, and result in high costs. Best practices to avoid this include using appropriate indexing strategies, designing efficient query patterns, and leveraging AWS database services such as Amazon RDS, DynamoDB, and Aurora Serverless.
 
**6. Ignoring Concurrency Limits:** AWS imposes concurrency limits on Lambda functions, and ignoring these limits can result in decreased performance and higher costs. Best practices to avoid this include monitoring and optimizing Lambda function concurrency, using event-driven architectures, and leveraging AWS Lambda Provisioned Concurrency.
 
**7. Misusing Lambda Layers:** Improper use of Lambda Layers can cause code duplication and unnecessary overhead, leading to increased execution time and higher costs. Best practices to avoid this include using Lambda Layers for shared libraries and common code, keeping the size of layers to a minimum, and avoiding unnecessary dependencies.
 
**8. Improper Error Handling:** Inadequate error handling can cause unexpected behavior and make it harder to debug issues in production. Best practices to avoid this include implementing robust error handling, logging errors and exceptions, and using AWS CloudWatch Logs for troubleshooting.
 
**9. Ignoring AWS Service Limits:** AWS imposes several limits on various services, and ignoring these limits can lead to decreased performance, higher costs, and application downtime. Best practices to avoid this include monitoring service limits, designing for scalability, and using AWS Trusted Advisor to identify and address potential issues.
 
**10. Poor Resource Management:** Underutilization of resources, inefficient use of memory and CPU, and excessive use of serverless services can lead to increased costs and decreased performance. Best practices to avoid this include using appropriate resource allocation strategies, monitoring and optimizing resource usage, and leveraging AWS cost optimization tools such as AWS Cost Explorer and AWS Budgets.

Focusing on AWS Serverless anti-patterns is essential for anyone using Serverless computing, as it helps to identify common mistakes and improve the overall performance, security, and cost-effectiveness of their applications. By implementing best practices, businesses can maximize the benefits of AWS Serverless computing, including scalability, flexibility, and reduced operational costs.