Definition
Serverless computing is a cloud execution model where the cloud provider dynamically manages the allocation and provisioning of servers. Developers write and deploy code without needing to manage the underlying infrastructure, allowing them to focus solely on application logic. The cloud provider automatically scales resources up or down based on demand, executing code in response to events and charging only for the compute time consumed. This approach significantly reduces operational overhead and cost, enabling faster development cycles. For instance, a web application can use serverless functions to handle user authentication without provisioning dedicated servers. It is important to distinguish serverless from simply virtualized environments, as serverless abstracts away even the concept of virtual machines. Concepts related to serverless computing frequently appear on AWS certification exams and cloud security certifications like CCSP.