Fun with Serverless JavaScript

Introducing serverless at IJS in Munich, co-presenting with Alexa

Transcript

1. Fun With
   Serverless JS
   Lorna Mitchell, IBM
   

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2. The Serverless Revolution
   The big secret is: there ARE servers!
   @lornajane
   

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3. What is Serverless?
   Backend functions, deployed to the cloud,
   scaling on demand. Pay as you go.
   @lornajane
   

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4. The Serverless Revolution
   FaaS: Functions as a Service
   Developer focus:
   • the outputs
   • the inputs
   • the logic in between
   Charges are usually per GBsec
   @lornajane
   

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5. When To Go Serverless
   • For occasional server needs (contact form on static site)
   • For very variable traffic levels (millions of browsers
   requesting update)
   • To provide extra compute resource without extending
   existing platform (classic example: PDF generation)
   @lornajane
   

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6. Serverless Platforms
   • Amazon Lambda
   • IBM Cloud Functions (aka OpenWhisk)
   • Twilio Functions
   • Azure Functions
   • Google Cloud Functions
   • Iron Functions
   • .... and more. Every day there are more.
   @lornajane
   

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7. Getting Started
   @lornajane
   

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8. Amazon Lambda
   • Install awscli command line tool (there is also a web
   interface)
   • Set up permissions via IAM and then use aws configure to
   get that set up
   • Write some code, then zip it (e.g. index.js -> hello.zip)
   @lornajane
   

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9. Amazon Lambda
   Create your lambda function by supplying the zip file and some
   options:
   aws lambda create-function \
   --function-name hello1 \
   --runtime nodejs6.10 \
   --role "arn:aws:iam::283476131276:role/service-role/Alexa"
   --description "A demo first Lambda function" \
   --handler index.handler \
   --zip-file fileb://hello.zip
   @lornajane
   

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10. Amazon Lambda
    (if you want to edit your code and redeploy it)
    aws lambda update-function-code \
    --function-name hello1 \
    --zip-file fileb://hello.zip
    Run your lambda function:
    aws lambda invoke --function-name hello1 output.txt
    @lornajane
    

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11. Hello World Lambda
    exports.handler = function(event, context) {
    context.succeed("Hello, World!");
    };
    @lornajane
    

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12. Hello World OpenWhisk
    exports.main = function(args) {
    return({"message": "Hello, World!"});
    };
    @lornajane
    

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13. IBM Cloud Functions
    Get the wsk CLI tool or the bx tool with wsk plugin, then log in
    Zip and deploy/update your code like this:
    zip hello.zip index.js
    wsk action update --kind nodejs:6 demo/hello1 hello.zip
    demo is the package name
    @lornajane
    

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14. Bluemix OpenWhisk
    Run your action from the CLI:
    wsk action invoke --blocking demo/hello1
    Enable web access and web request your action:
    wsk action update demo/hello1 --web true
    curl https://openwhisk.ng.bluemix.net/api/v1/web/ \
    Lorna.Mitchell_Working/demo/hello1.json
    @lornajane
    

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15. Serverless + HTTP
    FaaS + HTTP = Microservices!
    @lornajane
    

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16. The Fun Part
    @lornajane
    

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17. Alexa: Amazon Echo
    You speak, the device sends the sound to
    the cloud and speaks back the response
    @lornajane
    

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18. Invoking Alexa
    @lornajane
    

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19. Invoking Alexa
    @lornajane
    

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20. Invoking Alexa
    @lornajane
    

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21. Invoking Alexa
    @lornajane
    

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22. Example: Project Codename
    Existing npm library:
    https://www.npmjs.com/package/project-name-generator
    Skill code on GitHub:
    https://github.com/lornajane/alexa-project-codename
    "Alexa, ask Project Codename for a new project name"
    @lornajane
    

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23. Project Codename: Code
    function main(args) {
    var generate = require('project-name-generator');
    var random = generate().spaced;
    var response = {
    "version": "1.0",
    "response" :{ "shouldEndSession": true,
    "outputSpeech": {
    "type": "PlainText",
    "text": "project codename. " + random } }
    }
    return(response);
    }
    exports.main = main;
    @lornajane
    

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24. Project Codename: Run
    wsk action invoke --blocking alexa/project-codename
    ... random 2-word responses appear.
    @lornajane
    

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25. Redis Integration
    As an example, storing the new project codename in Redis:
    if(args.redisURL) {
    bluebird.promisifyAll(redis.RedisClient.prototype);
    var client = redis.createClient(args.redisURL);
    return client.setAsync(["codenames", random])
    .then(function (result) {
    return response;
    });
    } else {
    return response;
    }
    @lornajane
    

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26. A Fun Conversation
    @lornajane
    

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27. Quiz: the Setup
    This skill asks the user a simple maths question
    • Intent: Quiz
    • Slots: Number (there are predefined data types)
    The "dialog" feature helps to prompt the user for input
    There is a "session" to store data between requests
    @lornajane
    

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28. Quiz: the Conversation
    Human Alexa, ask Lorna for a quiz
    Alexa Ready? What is three plus five?
    Human Eight!
    Alexa Well done! Eight is correct.
    OR
    Human Fourty-two!
    Alexa You said fourty-two, but the correct answer is eight.
    @lornajane
    

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29. Quiz: Step by Step
    Human Alexa, ask Lorna for a quiz
    { "version":"1.0",
    "session":{ "new":true },
    "request":{
    "type":"IntentRequest",
    "intent":{"name":"Quiz",
    "confirmationStatus":"NONE",
    "slots":{
    "Number":{ "name":"Number", "confirmationStatus":"NONE" }
    } },
    "dialogState":"STARTED"
    } }
    @lornajane
    

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30. Quiz: Step by Step
    Alexa Ready? What is three plus five?
    {
    "outputSpeech":{ "type":"PlainText",
    "text":"Ready? What is 3 plus 5?" },
    "directives":[
    { "type":"Dialog.ElicitSlot",
    "slotToElicit":"Number" }
    ],
    "shouldEndSession":"false"
    }
    Store "What is three plus five?" and "8" in the session
    @lornajane
    

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31. Quiz: Step by Step
    Human Eight!
    { "version": "1.0",
    "session": { "new": false },
    "request": {
    "type": "IntentRequest",
    "intent": { "name": "Quiz",
    "confirmationStatus": "NONE",
    "slots": {
    "Number": { "name": "Number", "value": "8", "confirmationStatu
    } },
    "dialogState": "IN_PROGRESS"
    } }
    @lornajane
    

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32. Quiz: Step by Step
    Alexa Well done! Eight is correct.
    {
    "outputSpeech":{
    "type":"PlainText",
    "text":"Well done! 8 is correct"
    },
    "shouldEndSession":"true"
    }
    @lornajane
    

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33. Serverless In The Real World
    Beyond the trivial example, many things are possible:
    • connect to a datastore
    • make an API call
    • trigger other actions
    • ... your imagination is the limit
    @lornajane
    

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34. The Serverless Revolution
    @lornajane
    

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35. Resources
    • Project codename skill:
    https://github.com/lornajane/alexa-project-codename
    • Serverless framework:
    https://github.com/serverless/serverless
    • IBM Cloud Functions:
    https://www.ibm.com/cloud-computing/bluemix/openwhisk
    • My blog: https://lornajane.net
    @lornajane
    

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