Review of Opportunities, Challenges and Solutions for FaaS Performance and Security Management
Maria Abdulrahman, Rahaf Alqahtani, Abul Bashar · 2024
Cloud computing has fundamentally transformed Information Technology (IT) service delivery, providing users ubiquitous access to data and applications through the Internet while establishing an economically viable virtual IT solution. This study explores the evolution from traditional cloud models to contemporary innovations like Serverless computing and Function-as-a-Service (FaaS). FaaS introduces automated resource provisioning, enabling elastic scalability, while Serverless computing revolutionizes infrastructure management, marking a pivotal departure from traditional cloud approaches. The technical section navigates through the intricacies of various cloud models, accentuating the paradigm shift towards event-driven execution in FaaS and Serverless computing. It analyzes the inherent limitations and challenges within FaaS, including the notorious "cold start" problem and complexities related to collaboration and DevOps. Furthermore, this study illuminates the unique security aspects of Serverless computing, pinpointing vulnerabilities that differ from those in traditional cloud architectures. To address these challenges, strategic solutions are Reviewed, underscoring diligent attention to Service Level Agreements (SLAs), innovative workflow management systems, and efficient resource allocation through online resource managers. The paper also outlines potential future research directions, encompassing expansions of FaaS capabilities and integration with Software Development Kits (SDKs). In conclusion, the paper emphasizes the transformative impact of FaaS and Serverless computing on cloud technology, advocating for sustained research efforts to steer the future trajectory of computing.