Lambda functions need production patterns different from traditional servers. Here's how to build reliable, performant Lambda applications.
Basic Handler Pattern#
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Cold Start Optimization#
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Error Handling#
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Request Validation#
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Middleware Chain#
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Async Processing#
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Observability#
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Configuration#
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Best Practices#
Cold Starts:
✓ Initialize outside handler
✓ Use provisioned concurrency for critical paths
✓ Keep deployment packages small
✓ Avoid VPC when not needed
Reliability:
✓ Implement proper error handling
✓ Use dead letter queues
✓ Set appropriate timeouts
✓ Implement retries with backoff
Observability:
✓ Structured logging
✓ Custom metrics
✓ Distributed tracing
✓ Alerting on errors
Security:
✓ Least privilege IAM
✓ Encrypt environment variables
✓ Validate all inputs
✓ Use secrets manager
Conclusion#
Production Lambda requires patterns for cold starts, error handling, and observability. Initialize connections outside handlers, implement proper middleware chains, and use structured logging. Monitor cold start times and consider provisioned concurrency for latency-sensitive functions.