What is Cloud Functions?
Cloud Functions is Google’s serverless compute platform. Functions are automatically executed on events: HTTP requests, Pub/Sub messages, Cloud Storage uploads, or Firestore changes. There are no servers to manage.
Core Features
- Event triggers: HTTP, Pub/Sub, Cloud Storage, Firestore, Scheduler, and more
- Automatic scaling: From zero to thousands of instances based on load
- Concurrency (2nd Gen): Multiple requests per instance for better efficiency
- VPC Connector: Access to private resources in VPC networks
- Secret Manager integration: Secure management of credentials
Common Use Cases
Event Processing
Process data on Cloud Storage upload: scale images, transcode videos, or load files into BigQuery.
Webhooks and APIs
Lightweight HTTP endpoints for third-party webhooks or simple REST APIs without full backend infrastructure.
Scheduled Tasks
Execute regular tasks with Cloud Scheduler: generate reports, clean up data, or sync external APIs.
Benefits
- No infrastructure to manage
- Pay only for actual execution
- Fast deployment without container build
- Native integration with GCP events
Integration with innFactory
As a Google Cloud Partner, innFactory supports you with Cloud Functions: architecture, migration from monoliths to functions, performance optimization, and cost analysis.
Available Tiers & Options
1st Gen
- Simpler deployment
- Lower cold start
- Limited runtime
2nd Gen
- Longer timeout (60 min)
- Larger instances
- Concurrency support
- Slightly higher cold start
Typical Use Cases
Technical Specifications
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Cloud Functions?
Cloud Functions is Google's serverless compute platform. Functions are executed on events without managing servers.
What's the difference between 1st Gen and 2nd Gen?
2nd Gen is based on Cloud Run, offers longer timeouts (60 min vs 9 min), larger instances, and concurrency support.
Which programming languages are supported?
Cloud Functions supports Node.js, Python, Go, Java, .NET, Ruby, and PHP. Custom runtimes are possible via Cloud Run.
How is Cloud Functions billed?
Billing is based on number of invocations, compute time, and memory usage. A generous free tier is included.
Can I use Cloud Functions in a VPC?
Yes, via VPC Connector, Functions can access private resources. Serverless VPC Access enables secure connections.
