Serverless at the Edge: Building Low-Latency Global Applications

The Edge Computing Revolution

As user expectations for instant responses grow, traditional cloud architectures face latency challenges. Edge computing brings computation closer to users, while serverless eliminates infrastructure management.

Key Technologies

Cloudflare Workers: JavaScript at 300+ global locations

AWS Lambda@Edge: Functions at CloudFront edge locations

Vercel Edge Functions: Seamless integration with Next.js

Deno Deploy: TypeScript-first edge runtime

Use Cases

API routing and authentication

Personalization and A/B testing

Image optimization and transformation

Real-time data processing

Architecture Patterns

Successful edge architectures typically follow these patterns:

Edge-First: Handle as much as possible at the edge

Hybrid: Edge for routing, origin for complex logic

Cache-Heavy: Maximize cache hit rates at edge

Cost Considerations

While edge computing offers performance benefits, careful cost analysis is essential. Monitor request volumes and optimize for cacheable responses.