Difference between Cloud Functions Gen.2 and Cloud...

allenliang · 10-31-2022 07:57 PM

Hello,

Cloud Functions Gen.1 and Cloud Run are both great products that I've been using for a while. I understand the differences and limitations of the first generation of Cloud Functions (e.g., 9 minute timeout, limited support for programming languages and tools/system libraries, etc.).

Recently, I tried out Cloud Functions (2nd generation), which I understand is powered by Cloud Run and Eventarc. The deployment appears in both Cloud Functions and Cloud Run. I will now need to grant my service account the Cloud Run Invoker role, and configure machine resources / max concurrency directly on the Cloud Run services.

I am excited to see the extended request processing time and improved concurrency features in the second generation of Cloud Functions (https://cloud.google.com/functions/docs/concepts/version-comparison). But I think Cloud Functions (2nd gen.) and Cloud Run are now two very similar products. I can directly deploy a Cloud Run service, instruct the CLI to build from source using Cloud Build, view metrics and logs, and manage my deployment on Cloud Run.

In comparison to Cloud Run, what are the features and recommended use cases of Cloud Functions (2nd gen.)?

Thanks

christianpaula

Hi @allenliang,

Welcome to Google Cloud Community!

Cloud Functions (2nd gen) and Cloud Run are both serverless computing platforms, but they have some key differences.

Cloud Functions (2nd gen) is a good choice for:

Event-driven workloads
Workloads that require access to Eventarc triggers
Workloads that benefit from a managed service

Cloud Run is a good choice for:

Long-running requests
Workloads that require more flexibility
Cost-sensitive workloads

Overall, the best choice for you will depend on your specific needs and requirements.

Reference:

Difference between Cloud Functions Gen.2 and Cloud Run