FaaS — Function as a Service

Definition: A cloud model where you ship individual functions and the platform handles servers, scaling, and idle time. Pay-per-execution makes it brilliant for spiky workloads and brutal for steady ones.

Example

Moving the image-resize job to FaaS cut idle cost to near-zero — but the always-on API server stayed on a VM where it belonged.

When you'll hear it

FaaS shows up most often in engineering planning, architecture reviews, and sprint retrospectives. When someone uses it, they're usually referring to function as a service — and they expect the room to already know what that means.

FAQs

What does FaaS stand for?

FaaS stands for Function as a Service.

What does FaaS mean in technology and engineering?

A cloud model where you ship individual functions and the platform handles servers, scaling, and idle time. Pay-per-execution makes it brilliant for spiky workloads and brutal for steady ones.

Where will I hear FaaS used at work?

FaaS comes up most often in engineering planning, architecture reviews, and sprint retrospectives. It's used as shorthand for function as a service, so people assume you already know the term.