Real use cases for Cloud Functions

In the next sections we will offer a brief overview of possible use cases and explain why a Cloud Function would need to be integrated in your project. You can learn more about its characteristics in this introduction page.

When should you use a Cloud Function?

In some cases, in order to manipulate and provide functionalities that can handle persistent storage or strict security parameters, a UI Component will not be enough. This is when a Cloud Function will come into play.

A few examples could be:

• Creating custom applications that handle operation logs, like Service Logbook, where maintenance notes and operator actions are captured by the frontend, but securely persisted by the Cloud Function within its isolated Document Store database.

• Creating custom applications that handle the browsing of documents, such as in the case of Document Management, where users can store and consult useful documentation regarding the machine. This option uses the Object Storage for persistent storage of data.

• Creating custom applications that need to store unstructured data (such as text files, images or CAD drawings).

  Note that these two last options use the Object Storage for persistent storage of data.

Via the use of the FunctionContext, you will be able to access some resources, configuration options, and also the Document Store or Object Storage.

In what cases should I use simple API integrations instead of Cloud Functions?

A classic example of a situation in which a simple API integration would be enough is if you want to write an automation script of some sort in a preferred programming language, or if you need to call the API from another system that does not live within the IXON Cloud.