openfaas-workshop

This is a self-paced workshop for learning how to build, deploy and run OpenFaaS functions.

This workshop starts by deploying OpenFaaS to your laptop with Docker for Mac or Windows and then shows how to build, deploy and invoke Serverless functions in Python. Topics will include: managing dependencies with pip, dealing with API tokens through secure secrets, monitoring functions with Prometheus, invoking functions asynchronously and chaining functions together to create applications. We finish by creating a GitHub bot which automatically respond to issues. The same method could be applied by connecting to online event-streams through IFTTT.com - this will enable you to build bots, auto-responders and integrations with social media and IoT devices.

Requirements:

We walk through how to install these requirements in Lab 1, but please do this before you attend an instructor-led workshop.

Functions will be written in Python, so prior programming or scripting experience is preferred
Install the recommended code-editor / IDE VSCode
For Windows install Git Bash
Preferred OS: MacOS, Windows 10 Pro/Enterprise, Ubuntu Linux

Docker:

Docker CE for Mac/Windows Edge edition
Docker CE for Linux

Note: As a last resort if you have an incompatible PC you can run the workshop on https://labs.play-with-docker.com/.

Instructor-led workshops

If you're taking an instructor-led workshops then a link will be shared to join the OpenFaaS Slack community. Use the designated channel for the workshop to discuss comments, questions and suggestions.

Lab 1 - Prepare for OpenFaaS

Install pre-requisites
Set up a single-node cluster with Docker Swarm
Docker Hub account
OpenFaaS CLI
Deploy OpenFaaS

Lab 2 - Test things out

Use the UI Portal
Deploy via the Function Store
Learn about the CLI
Find metrics with Prometheus

Lab 3 - Introduction to Functions

Scaffold or generate a new function
Build the astronaut-finder function
Add dependencies with pip
Troubleshooting: find the container's logs
Troubleshooting: verbose output with write_debug
Use third-party language templates

Lab 4 - Go deeper with functions

Inject configuration through environmental variables
- At deployment using yaml
- Dynamically using HTTP context - querystring / headers etc
Making use of logging
Create Workflows
- Chaining functions on the client-side
- Call one function from another

Lab 5 - Create a Gitbot

Build issue-bot - an auto-responder for GitHub Issues

Get a GitHub account
Set up a tunnel with ngrok
Create an webhook receiver issue-bot
Receive webhooks from GitHub
Deploy SentimentAnalysis function
Apply labels via the GitHub API
Complete the function

Lab 6 - HTML for your functions

Generate and return basic HTML from a function
Read and return a static HTML file from disk
Collaborate with other functions

Lab 7 - Asynchronous Functions

Call a function synchronously vs asynchronously
View the queue-worker's logs
Use an X-Callback-Url with requestbin and ngrok

Lab 8 - Advanced Feature - Timeouts

Adjust timeouts with read_timeout
Accommodate longer running functions

Lab 9 - Advanced Feature - Auto-scaling

See auto-scaling in action
- Some insights on min and max replicas
- Discover and visit local Prometheus
- Execute and Prometheus query
- Invoke a function using curl
- Observe auto-scaling kicking in

Lab 10 - Advanced Feature - Secrets

Adapt issue-bot to use a secret
- Create a Swarm secret
- Access the secret within the function

You can start with the first lab Lab 1.

Tear down / Clear up

You can find how to stop and remove OpenFaaS here

Wrapping up

If you're taking an instructor-led workshop, we'll now take Q&A and cover some advanced topics:

Auto-scaling
Security
- TLS / Basic Authentication
Object storage
Customisations for templates

The appendix contains some additional content.

Acknowledgements

Thanks to @iyovcheva, @BurtonR, @johnmccabe, @laurentgrangeau, @stefanprodan, @kenfdev, @templum & rgee0 for testing and contributing to the labs.

electrocasa / workshop