Description
AWS Lambda dev tool for Serverless. Supports packaging, local invoking with Application Load Balancer and API Gateway, S3, SQS, SNS, DynamoStream server mocking.
- Plug & Play (easy to install, configure and use)
- Highly customizable
- Functions are bundled by esbuild
- Local server uses NodeJS
httpmodule - Packaging is made by node-archiver
Supported Runtimes
- NodeJS
- Python
- Ruby
Minimum requirements
- Node v18.20.4+
- Serverless 2.0.0+ < 4.0
Table of Contents
Installation
Quick start
npx degit github:inqnuam/serverless-aws-lambda/templates/simple my-project cd my-project && yarn install yarn start
Manual installation
Usual node module installation...
yarn add -D serverless-aws-lambda
# or
npm install -D serverless-aws-lambdaThen add the plugin to your serverless plugins list
service: myapp frameworkVersion: "3" configValidationMode: error plugins: - serverless-aws-lambda
Usage
Start the local server
SLS_DEBUG="*" sls aws-lambda -s devDuring development the env variable SLS_DEBUG="*" is strongly recommanded as it will print a bunch of useful information.
It is also possible to set server port from the CLI with --port or -p.
This will overwrite serverless.yml custom > serverless-aws-lambda > port value if it is set.
For more options see advanced configuration.
Invoke
Lambda execution lifecycles.
Succefull execution:
Failed execution:

Events
Local server supports Application Load Balancer, API Gateway and Function URL endpoints out of box.
See plugins for more triggers (SNS, SQS, etc.).
Appropriate event object is sent to the handler based on your lambda declaration.
functions: myAwsomeLambda: handler: src/handlers/awsomeLambda.default events: - alb: listenerArn: arn:aws:elasticloadbalancing:eu-west-3:170838072631:listener/app/myAlb/bf88e6ec8f3d91df/e653b73728d04626 priority: 939 conditions: path: "/paradise" method: GET
All available local endpoints will be printed to the console when SLS_DEBUG="*" is set.
myAwsomeLambda is available at http://localhost:PORT/paradise
However if your declare both alb and http or httpApi inside a single lambda events with the same path you have to specify desired server by setting alb or apg inside your request's:
- header with
X-Mock-Type. - or in query string with
x_mock_type.
Please note that invoking a lambda from sls CLI (sls invoke local -f myFunction) will not trigger the local server. But will still make your handler ready to be invoked.
AWS Console Test button
To invoke your Lambda like with AWS Console's Test button, prefix your Lambda name by @invoke/.
Example:
http://localhost:3000/@invoke/myAwsomeLambda
Function URL
Function URL is available with @url/ prefix. (must be enabled inside lambda declaration).
Example:
functions: myAwsomeLambda: handler: src/handlers/awsomeLambda.default url: true
http://localhost:3000/@url/myAwsomeLambda
Serverless Invoke local
Works out of box.
see options
Example:
serverless invoke local -f myAwsomeLambda
AWS SDK
Invoking with aws-sdk Lambda Client requires to set client endpoint to local server host.
Example:
import { LambdaClient, InvokeCommand } from "@aws-sdk/client-lambda"; const client = new LambdaClient({ region: "us-east-1", endpoint: "http://localhost:3000" }); const DryRun = "DryRun"; const Event = "Event"; const RequestResponse = "RequestResponse"; const cmd = new InvokeCommand({ FunctionName: "myAwsomeLambda", InvocationType: RequestResponse, Payload: Buffer.from(JSON.stringify({ foo: "bar" })), }); client .send(cmd) .then((data) => { data.Payload = new TextDecoder("utf-8").decode(data.Payload); console.log(data); }) .catch((error) => { // 🥲 console.log("error", error); });
AWS Lambda Response Stream
Stream responses are supported out of box through Function URL invoke or AWS SDK invoke.
See example:
functions: myAwsomeLambda: handler: src/handlers/awsomeLambda.default url: # required only for Function URL invoke invokeMode: RESPONSE_STREAM
// awsomeLambda.ts import stream from "stream"; import { promisify } from "util"; const pipeline = promisify(stream.pipeline); import { createReadStream } from "fs"; export const handler = awslambda.streamifyResponse(async (event, responseStream, context) => { responseStream.setContentType("image/png"); // https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a030000/a030800/a030877/frames/5760x3240_16x9_01p/BlackMarble_2016_928m_europe_labeled.png const streamImage = createReadStream("BlackMarble_2016_928m_europe_labeled.png"); await pipeline(streamImage, responseStream); });
Example with AWS SDK:
import { LambdaClient, InvokeWithResponseStreamCommand } from "@aws-sdk/client-lambda"; const client = new LambdaClient({ region: "eu-west-3", endpoint: "http://localhost:3000", }); const cmd = new InvokeWithResponseStreamCommand({ FunctionName: "myAwsomeLambda", InvocationType: "RequestResponse", Payload: Buffer.from(JSON.stringify({ hello: "world" })), ClientContext: Buffer.from(JSON.stringify({ anything: "some value" })).toString("base64"), }); const data = await client.send(cmd); for await (const x of data.EventStream) { if (x.PayloadChunk) { console.log(x.PayloadChunk.Payload); } }
Environment variables
Lambdas are executed in worker threads. *Only variables declared in your serverless.yml are injected into process.env.
*In local mode following env variables are set for sls invoke, serverless-offline and AWS SAM compatibility.
- IS_LOCAL
- IS_OFFLINE
- AWS_SAM_LOCAL
If NODE_ENV is present it will be injected in both local mode, while deploying also during bundle process for optimized output.
Package
serverless-aws-lambda bundles every (nodejs) handler separetly (with esbuild) and creates the artifact zip archive.
Archive will include bundeled handler and sourcemap (if enabled in esbuild).
- assets
By default bundle produced assets (css, png, svg etc.) are excluded.
To include all assets set assets to true.
For all functions set it at top-level package:
package: individually: true assets: true # default false functions: myAwsomeLambda: description: inherits assets from top-level package handler: src/handlers/awsomeLambda.default
or by function:
functions: myAwsomeLambda: package: assets: false description: don't includes assets handler: src/handlers/awsomeLambda.default
include assets by file extension:
functions: myAwsomeLambda: package: assets: .css description: include only css files handler: src/handlers/awsomeLambda.default
functions: myAwsomeLambda: package: assets: - .css - .svg description: include only css and svg files handler: src/handlers/awsomeLambda.default
- preserveDir :
To preserve your project directories structure inside the archive set preserveDir globally or at function level.
package: individually: true preserveDir: true # default true functions: myAwsomeLambda: description: directories preserved handler: src/handlers/awsomeLambda.default dummyLambda: package: preserveDir: false description: directories NOT preserved handler: src/handlers/dummyLambda.default
- files
include additional files or directories into the package.
functions: myAwsomeLambda: handler: src/handlers/awsomeLambda.default package: files: - ./resources/some/file.png - ./resources/anotherFile.pdf - ./images
By default files are inherited from top level package's files.
This can be disabled with inheritFiles at function level.
functions: myAwsomeLambda: handler: src/handlers/awsomeLambda.default package: inheritFiles: false files: - ./resources/some/file.png - ./node_modules/my-module
files may be added to the archive with custom path:
functions: myAwsomeLambda: handler: src/handlers/awsomeLambda.default package: files: - { at: "./resources/some/file.png", as: "./documents/important.png" }
Adding files with a filter:
functions: myAwsomeLambda: handler: src/handlers/awsomeLambda.default package: files: - { pattern: "./resources/some/*.png" }
If you need to preserve pattern's directories structure inside the archive but search for files in another directory set dir value.
This will search for all .png files inside ./resources/images but only images directory will be created inside the archive.
functions: myAwsomeLambda: handler: src/handlers/awsomeLambda.default package: files: - { pattern: "images/*.png", dir: "./resources" }
Adding inline files:
functions: myAwsomeLambda: handler: src/handlers/awsomeLambda.default package: files: - { text: "Hello world", dir: "./documents/hello.txt" }
Deploy
Adding the param online: false will omit the deployement of your Lambda.
functions: myAwsomeLambda: handler: src/handlers/awsomeLambda.default online: false
To deploy a lambda by stage(s) set online's value to target stage(s)
functions: lambdaOnlyInDev: handler: src/handlers/awsomeLambda.default online: dev
functions: lambdaOnlyInDevAndTest: handler: src/handlers/awsomeLambda.default online: - dev - test
Extended properties
virtualEnvs
a key-value object which will only be available inside defineConfig.
by default virtualEnvs are inherited from custom > virtualEnvs if exists.
Advanced configuration:
To have more control over the plugin you can passe a config file via configPath param in plugin options:
custom: serverless-aws-lambda: configPath: ./config.default
See defineConfig for advanced configuration.
Plugins:
- AWS Local S3
- AWS Local SNS
- AWS Local SQS
- DocumentDB Local Streams
- DynamoDB Local Streams
- Jest
- Vitest
Benchmarks
Hardware and software:
- iMac Pro 2017 (10 cors, 32Gb RAM)
- macOS Ventura (13.2.1)
- NodeJS v18.16.0
- Serverless 3.32.2
- serverless-aws-lambda 4.5.9
- serverless-offline 12.0.4
- serverless-esbuild 1.45.1
Handler:
// src/handlers/visitor.js let count = 0; export const handler = async () => { count++; return { statusCode: 200, body: `Visit count ${count}`, }; };
functions: visitor: handler: src/handlers/visitor.handler events: - http: ANY /visitor
| 200 + 200 executions | Time (in seconds) | Memory used (mb) | CPU (core) usage | last invoke response | note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| serverless-aws-lambda cmd: serverless aws-lambda |
sequential: 0.644 concurrent: 0.414 |
idle: 125 peak: 169 |
idle: 0,1% peak: 15% |
Visit count 400 | |
| serverless-offline + serverless-esbuild cmd: serverless offline --reloadHandler |
sequential: 10.4 concurrent: 2.8 |
idle: 110 peak: 3960 |
idle: 0,1% peak: 537% |
Visit count 1 | most of concurrent invocations fail |
