Services

Services in Raindrop provide stateless, HTTP-based compute units that handle API endpoints, webhooks, and request-response patterns. Each service specializes in specific responsibilities and can communicate with other services through bindings or public endpoints.

Ready to implement services?

Check out the Services reference documentation for detailed API information, configuration examples, and implementation guidance.

What Services Provide

Stateless Request Handling Each HTTP request is processed independently without maintaining state between requests, enabling horizontal scaling and simple deployment patterns.

Specialized Responsibilities Services focus on specific domains like user authentication, file processing, or data validation, creating clear architectural boundaries.

Service Bindings Direct communication between internal services bypasses public internet routing for faster, more secure inter-service calls.

HTTP Integration Native support for web standards including routing, middleware, and response formatting for seamless API development.

When to Use Services

Good Fit

• API Endpoints: REST APIs, GraphQL endpoints, and webhook handlers that process HTTP requests
• Request-Response Patterns: Operations that receive input, process it, and return results immediately
• Stateless Operations: Data transformations, validations, and computations that don’t require persistent state
• Integration Points: External API clients, payment processing, and third-party service integrations

Consider Alternatives

• Stateful Operations: User sessions, shopping carts, or workflows that need persistent state work better with Actors
• Background Processing: Long-running tasks or asynchronous work should use Queues and Observers
• Scheduled Operations: Time-based maintenance and periodic tasks belong in Tasks

Integration Patterns

Database Access Services read from and write to shared databases, making them ideal for CRUD operations and complex queries across multiple entities.

Event-Driven Architecture Services can publish messages to queues and trigger observers, enabling loose coupling between components through asynchronous communication.

Microservice Architecture Multiple services can be developed, deployed, and scaled independently while communicating through bindings or HTTP calls.

Public Endpoints Services with public domains serve as entry points for external clients, mobile apps, and browser-based applications.

Services excel at handling discrete, well-defined operations that can be processed independently and scaled based on demand.