Google Cloud Functions refers to a server-less running of an environment for constructing and linking cloud services. Using Google Cloud Functions it is possible to create single-purpose functions which may be linked to events which are emitted from the cloud. The Cloud Function gets activated whenever an event that is being viewed is fired. The code will run in fully-managed environment but you will not have to get additional infrastructure for it or worry about server management.

What Are The Features And Advantages Of Google Cloud?

• To begin with there is no hassle of server management. You can simply create a code; Google will run it for you and scale it when needed. So, the Google Cloud can help to isolate the infrastructure allowing you to concentrate exclusively on writing a code and building applications quicker. The Cloud Functions may be written in JavaScript or Python and you can run this on any standard nodes. So, both local testing and portability are not issues as far as these codes are concerned.

• Cloud Functions will also offer a connecting logical layer which will enable you to write codes and then connect cloud services. You can even listen and respond when there are file uploads to cloud or a change in logs or incoming messages on a cloud sub-topic. So, Cloud Functions basically ass to the already existing cloud services. You can address many use cases with programming logic. These functions will also be able to access the Google Service Account credentials. Besides, these functions are also backed by many Google Cloud customer libraries that make these integrations even simpler.

• Cloud events refer to things which occur in a cloud environment and these could be data changes inside a database or new files added to storage or a new VM. Such events will happen whether or not you respond to these. You may generate responses using a trigger which is really a declaration that reveals your interest in a specific event.

• The biggest advantage of Cloud Functions is that it is server-less; so, you do not have to manage servers or configure software, patch OS or update frameworks. Google will manage the infrastructure and software and you simply add codes. Resources are provisioned automatically as events occur. So, functions may well range from just a few innovations on a day to millions of innovations on another day without you having to do much work.

• Asynchronous workloads such as lightweight ETL and cloud automations like triggering app building will not need to have their own servers or developers. You can just deploy a function that is connected to the event you choose and your job is over.

• These Cloud Functions are short-term and they are spun up on demand in response to events. So, you basically have to pay only for the time that the function is running and not once the function is over. Without worrying about infrastructure provisioning, you can simply count on Cloud Functions to scale up or down depending on the workload size.

• All codes can be executed in response to data changes. The Cloud Functions can therefore respond to a variety of events from cloud services like cloud storage, Stack Driver Logging etc. This may be helpful in processing files right after uploading these in order to produce thumbnails from the image uploads, or for processing logs, transcoding videos, validating content, filtering real-time data etc.

• You can even use Cloud Functions with artificial intelligence or machine learning models for easily injecting AI into your apps. So, with just one API request you may classify images, convert speech into text, analyze videos etc. You can even use these for creating Virtual Assistants like Amazon Alexa or Facebook Messenger or Google Assistant. Cloud Functions will also allow you to treat all these platforms such as GCP, Google assistant and Firebase etc as building blocks and connect these or extend these using codes, quickly shifting them from conceptualization stage to production stage.

• Since Cloud Functions will support codes which have been written in JavaScript and Python you will not need to learn new languages and frameworks. You will only have to bring in new codes.

Managed AWS cloud was the first to introduce server-less computing with the Lambda in 2014. In 2016, the Google introduced Cloud Functions and soon afterwards Microsoft launched the Azure Functions. It is almost three years since these functions have been introduced and each of these providers continues to provide compelling services. However, server-less is a buzzword and its associated ecosystem is still not mature enough. The Google Cloud Functions had stagnated slightly between Alpha and Beta releases. This service continues to support only a single runtime setting using NodeJS. The power to execute functions as responses to events will be useful only when you can do something in the execution pipeline. This is actually where Cloud Functions and other services will differ from one another. One will outshine the others depending on their power to transfer data to backend services, transform data, perform calculations and store results and retrieve data faster.

Go server-less with Google cloud

You have got all answers to which of the following is a benefit provided by cloud functions. There is no end to cloud features and benefits still people are unaware of the benefits of going server less with cloud functions of Google cloud. This is where Google cloud wins in the battle of Google cloud vs VPS. 

Securing cloud functions through Google cloud avoids the work of managing servers or to configure the software. Not only this going server less also means there is no need now to keep an eye on the new updates of the frameworks or new patches of the operating system.

Google cloud functions are a cloud service provider who takes the responsibility to manage the software and the infrastructure. It is capable of scaling up and down at a very steep rate. 

All of this makes Google cloud a stellar technology and is the best provider of all the cloud functions and the benefits.