Build Serverless Applications with Apache OpenWhisk

[drnugent]

Name: Dave Nugent

Twitter Handle: @drnugent

GitHub Username: drnugent

Employer: IBM

Talk Length: 30-60m

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Title: Build Serverless Applications with Apache OpenWhisk

Brief Description: Serverless computing refers to a model where the existence of servers is entirely abstracted away. Even though servers exist, developers are relieved from the need to care about their operation. They are relieved from the need to worry about low-level infrastructural and operational details such as scalability, high-availability, infrastructure-security, and other details. Serverless computing is essentially about reducing maintenance efforts to allow developers to quickly focus on developing code that adds value.
We will work through three labs in this session:

Lab1: Create, build, and run a cloud-native Node.js serverless app in less than 15 minutes
Lab2: Create, build, and run a cloud-native Python 3 serverless application that uses the Visual Recognition service to determine image content
Lab3: Create, build, and run three serverless functions as a sequence

We will use Apache OpenWhisk to run through the labs. Openwhisk is an open source, distributed Serverless platform that executes functions (fx) in response to events at any scale. OpenWhisk manages the infrastructure, servers and scaling using Docker containers so you can focus on building amazing and efficient applications.
Key concepts introduced will include triggers, rules, actions, composition and event driven architecture. Finally, serverless is relatively new and we will look at what the shortcomings are with the current technology and how to mitigate them.

• Remember to bring your laptop!

[a-axton]

This looks awesome! Will attendees need to setup/install anything on their machine before coming?

[drnugent]

We can do it however you like -- if attendees want to code on their own machines and setup OpenWhisk locally, that's totally possible. Here's a recording where I gave the talk at JSLA without local requirements: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rzx8SZ5CxAE&feature=youtu.be