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MSFTCOST08-BP02 Consider serverless architecture for your Microsoft .NET applications - Microsoft Workloads Lens - AWS Well-Architected Framework
Implementation guidanceResources

MSFTCOST08-BP02 Consider serverless architecture for your Microsoft .NET applications

AWS Lambda enables .NET developers to build serverless applications without managing servers, paying only for actual usage. Using modern .NET versions, developers can create scalable functions in C# or F# that run on-demand in the cloud, reducing costs and development time.

Desired outcome: By adopting serverless architecture with AWS Lambda for .NET applications, organizations may achieve improved scalability and cost efficiency, paying only for resources used while eliminating server management overhead. Using AWS tools like Microservice Extractor may further simplify the modernization of existing applications.

Common anti-patterns:

  • Maintaining continuously operational and over-sized servers for .NET applications instead of leveraging serverless architecture, resulting in unnecessary costs and underutilized resources.

  • Keeping large and monolithic .NET applications intact rather than breaking them down into microservices or serverless functions, leading to reduced flexibility and scalability.

Benefits of establishing this best practice:

  • Organizations only pay for actual compute resources consumed during function execution, eliminating costs associated with idle server capacity and infrastructure management.

  • Development teams can focus on code rather than server maintenance, reducing operational overhead and accelerating deployment cycles.

  • Applications automatically scale based on demand without manual intervention, ensuring optimal performance during peak loads while maintaining cost efficiency during low-usage periods.

Level of risk exposed if this best practice is not established: High

Implementation guidance

Begin by identifying suitable .NET applications or components that can benefit from serverless architecture. Start small by migrating discrete functions to AWS Lambda using modern .NET versions (Core or later). Utilize AWS Microservice Extractor for .NET to analyze and decompose existing monolithic applications into smaller, manageable services. Implement proper monitoring and logging from the outset using AWS CloudWatch, and establish clear deployment pipelines using AWS CI/CD tools. Gradually, expand the serverless footprint as the team gains experience and confidence with the architecture.

Implementation steps

  1. Install and configure AWS Microservice Extractor for .NET to analyze existing monolithic applications and identify potential microservice candidates

  2. Assess existing .NET applications and identify functions suitable for serverless migration, prioritizing stateless operations and event-driven processes

  3. Set up the AWS Lambda development environment with .NET SDK and necessary AWS tools (AWS Toolkit for Visual Studio and AWS CLI)

  4. Create and test initial Lambda functions using modern .NET versions, implementing proper error handling and logging

  5. Configure automated deployment pipelines using AWS CI/CD services (CodePipeline and CodeBuild) for consistent function updates

  6. Monitor function performance and costs using AWS CloudWatch, and optimize resource allocation based on actual usage patterns

Resources

Related documents:

Related tools:

*What Is AWS Microservice Extractor for .NET?