When should I use Lambda vs EC2?

Use Lambda for event-driven, short-running tasks (under 15 minutes). Use EC2 for long-running processes or when you need full server control.

What is cold start in Lambda?

Cold start is the delay when Lambda spins up a new execution environment. It can add 100ms to several seconds depending on runtime and memory.

Lambda

Definition

AWS Lambda is a serverless compute service that runs your code in response to events without requiring you to provision or manage servers.

Use Cases

Coca-Cola: Vending Machine Integration — Uses Lambda to process IoT data from vending machines worldwide (Reduced infrastructure costs by 80% compared to EC2)

Provider Equivalents

AWS: Lambda
Azure: Azure Functions
GCP: Cloud Functions
OCI: Functions

Frequently Asked Questions

When should I use Lambda vs EC2?: Use Lambda for event-driven, short-running tasks (under 15 minutes). Use EC2 for long-running processes or when you need full server control.
What is cold start in Lambda?: Cold start is the delay when Lambda spins up a new execution environment. It can add 100ms to several seconds depending on runtime and memory.

Lambda in Cloud Architecture

Understanding Lambda is important for cloud engineers and developers with foundational cloud experience. Cloud architects encounter this concept when designing systems for reliability, scalability, security, and cost-efficiency across Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI).

In cloud Cloud, Lambda is one of several foundational concepts that practitioners must master to design production-ready systems. Related concepts in the same domain include the terms listed in the See Also section below.

Canvas Cloud AI provides an AI-powered designer for cloud architecture diagrams where practitioners can visualise how Lambda fits into a broader system. Users describe their architecture in plain English and receive a diagram, Terraform export, and Learning Guide — all without leaving the browser.

Category: cloud

Difficulty: intermediate