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Re:Apache OpenWhisk – A serverless, open-source cloud platform by CharlesW on Sunday February 18, 2018 @05:40PM (#16409256)
Like "cloud computing", the name "serverless" doesn't make much sense when used literally. It doesn't mean that there are no servers involved, just that there are none to be directly managed by the developer.

P2P also doesn't mean "no servers", but that every node is as much server as client.

Amazon popularized but didn't invent the term "serverless", which appears to have been first used in 2012.[1]

[1] http://readwrite.com/2012/10/15/why-the-future-of-software-a...

Re:Apache OpenWhisk – A serverless, open-source cloud platform by _hyn3 on Sunday February 18, 2018 @11:02PM (#16410677)
> It doesn't mean that there are no servers involved, just that there are none to be directly managed by the developer.

They already had stuff like that. S3. RDS. Elasticache. At least the cloud gives you the nebulous feeling of servers off in the ether somewhere.

But serverless is neither specific nor accurate. It doesn't work. It's nothing more than lazy marketing-speak.

Re:Apache OpenWhisk – A serverless, open-source cloud platform by gr__or on Monday February 19, 2018 @04:11AM (#16411699)
> S3. RDS. Elasticache.

A requirement for serverless would be having access to a general programming language which is why those examples don't really apply.

Re:Apache OpenWhisk – A serverless, open-source cloud platform by losteric on Sunday February 18, 2018 @05:51PM (#16409311)
Functions-as-a-service seems clearer to me
Re:Apache OpenWhisk – A serverless, open-source cloud platform by CharlesW on Sunday February 18, 2018 @05:56PM (#16409356)
Me too! It also works nicely when thinking about the IaaS ⟷ PaaS ⟷ FaaS continuum of abstraction.
Re:Apache OpenWhisk – A serverless, open-source cloud platform by dannyw on Monday February 19, 2018 @02:25AM (#16411294)
Eventually we'll get to LaaS, where instead of having to find, test, and integrate libraries, you type in some natural language like "send an email", and pop down a guaranteed-compatible-for-X-years, 100% uptime, edge-case-handled function that automatically bills per execution directly to your FaaS account, no registration or invoicing required.
Re:Apache OpenWhisk – A serverless, open-source cloud platform by closeparen on Monday February 19, 2018 @05:27AM (#16412002)
The name for "just give us your code and we'll run it" has been PaaS for a while.