💡 Did you know?💡

AWS Lambda supports custom runtimes, which allow you to run arbitrary code in Lambda Functions.

AWS Lambda "provided" runtimes allow you to run Lambda functions in programming languages or environments not natively supported by AWS Lambda. With provided runtimes, AWS gives you the flexibility to bring in and manage custom runtimes, making it possible to run Lambda functions in virtually any language or environment you need.

👉 How to Create a Provided Runtime

• ⚙ Build the Runtime: Write a bootstrap script or binary that implements the Lambda Runtime API. It should handle initializing the environment, processing events, and returning responses.
• ⚙ Package and Deploy: Package your runtime as a .zip file, including the bootstrap file, language binaries, and any dependencies.
• ⚙ Add as a Layer or Inline with Code: Deploy the runtime either directly in your function package or as a reusable Lambda layer.

👉 Example Use Case

Imagine you want to use a compiled language like Rust (or C) for performance-sensitive tasks:

• ⚙ You create a Rust runtime by building an executable bootstrap file that implements the Lambda Runtime API.
• ⚙ You compile your Rust code into a standalone binary, package it with bootstrap, and deploy it as a Lambda layer, or directly alongside the bootstrap script.
• ⚙ The Rust layer can now be attached to any Lambda function, allowing you to run Rust code in response to events.

AWS Lambda provided runtimes are a powerful feature for teams needing flexibility beyond the native AWS runtimes, offering nearly endless possibilities for language support and runtime customization on Lambda.