Function Compute (FC) is an event-driven, fully managed computing service. Write and upload your code, and Function Compute automatically prepares the elastic, reliable computing resources needed to run it, with no servers or infrastructure to manage.
By default, Function Compute bills you based on resource usage. Resource usage is calculated by multiplying the resources configured for a function by its execution duration. Resources are allocated only when required and are promptly released after use. For more information, see Billing overview.
Differences from traditional computing resources
In a traditional client-server model, servers are always on and running services, regardless of whether they receive requests.
Function Compute, however, uses a serverless architecture. It executes functions only when requests are received and promptly releases function instances afterward. This way, you pay only for the resources that you consume and no longer need to manage servers.
What can Function Compute do
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Application scenario |
Why use Function Compute |
Example |
Build web applicationsFunction Compute provides ready-to-use templates for popular web applications that help you quickly build and iterate your applications. As your business expands, features such as log query, performance monitoring, and alerting help ensure that your web applications run efficiently and reliably. |
Function Compute is highly elastic, which makes it ideal for web applications that handle traffic bursts, such as during sales promotions. |
Use the Flask framework template to create a function and efficiently develop your web application. An existing web application can also be migrated to a web function. For more information, see Use a web function to quickly create a web application. |
Real-time data processingAs an event-driven service, Function Compute can be automatically triggered by various sources, such as HTTP requests, Object Storage Service (OSS), and message queues. For example, use an OSS trigger to process uploaded files in real time. Multiple functions, message queues, and databases can also be orchestrated to collect large amounts of data from Internet of Things (IoT) devices. When your scenario changes, adapt your application by modifying event triggers and integrating new components, without making major changes to your business code. |
Function Compute integrates with multiple Alibaba Cloud services to help you easily build an event-driven architecture for various data processing scenarios. |
You can use Function Compute to automatically decompress ZIP files uploaded to OSS. For more information, see Use Function Compute to automatically decompress ZIP files uploaded to OSS.  |
AI model serviceAfter an AI model is trained, use Function Compute to provide an inference service. Package the data model into a function that runs only when a user request is received. |
GPU-accelerated instances in Function Compute allow developers to focus on their business logic without managing the underlying GPU infrastructure, greatly simplifying implementation. |
Use a Large Language Model (LLM) container image and a GPU function to quickly deploy a chatbot application. For more information, see Deploy a Google Gemma model service at a low cost using Function Compute.
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How to use Function Compute
Refer to the following Quick Start tutorials to learn about Function Compute console operations and the development workflow of Function Compute:
In addition to the console, Function Compute can be used in the following ways:
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Use Function Compute with the Serverless Devs tool. For more information, see What is Serverless Devs.
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Use Function Compute through an API or SDK. For more information, see SDK Reference.