Serverless computing basics in Intro to Computing - Practice Problems & Coding Challenges

Challenge - 5 Problems

🧠 Conceptual

intermediate

Understanding Serverless Event Triggers

Which of the following best describes how serverless functions are typically triggered?

A Serverless functions are triggered automatically by specific events like file uploads or HTTP requests.

B Serverless functions run continuously on a dedicated server waiting for manual start.

C Serverless functions require a user to log in to start the server manually.

D Serverless functions run only when the server is restarted.

💡 Hint

Think about how serverless functions respond without needing a server always running.

Serverless functions are event-driven, meaning they start automatically when an event occurs, such as a user uploading a file or sending a web request.

❓ trace

intermediate

Tracing Serverless Function Execution

Consider a serverless function that runs when a user uploads a photo. The function resizes the photo and stores it. What is the correct order of steps in this process?

A 2,1,3,4

B 1,2,3,4

C 1,3,2,4

D 3,1,2,4

💡 Hint

Think about what happens first and what triggers the function.

The user uploads the photo first, which triggers the serverless function. Then the function resizes the photo and saves it back.

❓ Comparison

advanced

Comparing Serverless and Traditional Servers

Which of the following statements correctly compares serverless computing with traditional server hosting?

A Traditional servers automatically scale with demand, serverless does not.

B Serverless requires managing physical servers, while traditional hosting does not.

C Serverless automatically scales and charges only for actual usage, traditional servers usually have fixed costs regardless of usage.

D Traditional servers run code only when triggered by events, serverless runs code continuously.

💡 Hint

Consider how billing and scaling differ between the two.

Serverless computing automatically scales with demand and charges based on actual usage, while traditional servers often have fixed costs and require manual scaling.

❓ identification

advanced

Identifying Serverless Benefits

Which of the following is NOT a typical benefit of using serverless computing?

A Pay only for the compute time used.

B No need to manage or maintain servers.

C Automatic scaling based on demand.

D Guaranteed zero latency for all requests.

💡 Hint

Think about what serverless can and cannot guarantee about performance.

Serverless computing offers many benefits, but it cannot guarantee zero latency because network and cold start delays can occur.

🚀 Application

expert

Choosing Serverless for a Use Case

You are designing an application that sends notifications only when users perform specific actions, which happen irregularly. Which reason best explains why serverless computing is a good choice here?

A Serverless allows you to pay only when notifications are sent, saving costs during idle times.

B Serverless computing is not suitable for event-driven tasks like notifications.

C Serverless functions run continuously, so notifications are sent instantly without delay.

D Serverless requires you to provision servers in advance for peak notification times.

💡 Hint

Consider how serverless billing works with irregular usage.

Serverless computing charges only for actual execution time, making it cost-effective for irregular, event-driven tasks like sending notifications.