Credit: IBM
Getting started with the IBM Cloud, Part 4
Doug Tidwell shows you how to generate code that manages a cloud-hosted
NoSQL database
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This content is part of the series:Getting started with the IBM Cloud, Part 4
Stay tuned for additional content in this series.

About this video
In this video, I show you how to use serverless computing to work with the
Cloudant NoSQL database you created in Part 1. The IBM Cloud Functions platform, based on Apache
OpenWhisk, is a powerful serverless environment that is tightly integrated
with the overall IBM Cloud platform.
This video covers the basic concepts of serverless and the terminology and
architecture of IBM Cloud Functions. From there, it shows you how to
install the tools you need to work with serverless, including powerful
utilities to generate code (actions, in OpenWhisk
parlance) that gives you complete control over your database. With that
code generated, you’re only a couple of lines of code away from having a
simple web app that interacts with the actions hosted on the IBM Cloud
Functions platform.
When you’re finished with this video, you’ll understand the power of
serverless and have all the tools and techniques you need to make the most
of this important new trend in developing cloud-native applications.
To get started, create a free, non-expiring
IBM Cloud Lite account and you can do everything that I show in
this demo. Starting with the Cloudant database service you created in the
first video, we’ll go through three steps:
- Generate a package that contains all the actions you need to work with
your database service - Find the method name, endpoint, and authentication token your app
needs to invoke the action in the serverless environment - Plug those values into a simple Node app
That’s all you need to do to build a complete application that works with
your database service. Hundreds and hundreds of lines of code are
generated for you automatically by the IBM Cloud Functions platform.
You’ll be amazed by how little work you have to do to build a complete
application.
This video is the last of a four-part series that shows you the full power
of IBM Cloud’s Platform as a Service. The four videos show you how to
build:
- A basic Node.js application that includes a continuous delivery
pipeline and a Cloudant NoSQL database - A more advanced application that displays a web form and updates the
database - A containerized version of the advanced application, using Docker and
Kubernetes in the IBM Container Service - (This video) A Node.js application that uses a microservice hosted on
the IBM Cloud Functions serverless computing platform
More IBM Cloud
resources
Ready to take a deeper dive? Check out our newly updated “IBM
Cloud Essentials” course, which explores the fundamentals of cloud
computing, the IBM Cloud platform, services, and Cloud Foundry
applications.
The developerWorks
Mailbag is a series of videos that cover topics such as
containers, Cloud Foundry apps, microservices, git repositories,
serverless computing, chatbots, and other cloud-related technologies.
developerWorks has two introductory articles on the IBM Cloud Functions
Platform, both of which contain interactive sandboxes that let you build
and run code directly in your browser:
For a steady stream of tutorials and other technical resources to help you
learn, develop, and connect with the IBM Cloud, see the IBM Cloud articles and tutorials on
developerWorks. And be sure to visit our IBM Cloud Developer
Center.
Downloadable resources
Related topics
Credit: IBM