Lambda / Cloud Run Functions

AWS Lambda and Google Cloud Run Functions are serverless computing services that allow code execution in response to events without provisioning underlying infrastructure. These solutions enable developers to focus on business logic rather than server management. They are ideal for data transformation pipelines, particularly when workloads are intermittent or unpredictable. These functions are automatically triggered by events such as HTTP requests, database modifications, or file uploads to cloud storage.

One of the main advantages of Lambda and Cloud Run Functions is their pay-as-you-go pricing, which charges only for execution time, reducing infrastructure costs. Additionally, these services offer automatic scalability, adjusting resources dynamically based on demand without manual intervention. They also simplify maintenance with integrated monitoring and logging tools to track performance in real-time and troubleshoot proactively.

However, these functions have some limitations. Execution time is often restricted to a few minutes, making it difficult to process large data volumes in a single run. Additionally, the temporary container used to execute functions can introduce latency due to cold start times.

Theodo’s point of view

At Theodo, we use AWS Lambda and Google Cloud Run Functions to efficiently and scalably execute data transformation pipelines. We recommend these technologies for short, autonomous, and reactive tasks that require on-demand execution and optimized cost management.