Moving beyond webhooks with Serverless Extensibility

Glenn Block, Auth0 Extend (@gblock)

1990s – 2000s: Extensibility was easier when it was your servers

https://www.flickr.com/photos/darkseed/41932055

➢ Each company had their own instance of the LOB software➢ The software loaded up 3rd party add-ons and plugins (often in the same

process)➢ System administrators installed the plugins

LOB Product Add-on

In-process / cross-process invocation

Extensibility in your company server

2006: Cloud and SaaS changed everything(and brought new challenges)

https://www.azernews.az/media/pictures/data_center_150614.jpg

2007: Webhooks revolutionized the web

"The idea here is to create new infrastructure. New opportunities. I've been thinking a lot about the possibilities of a web hook enabled web, and it makes me really excited."

Jeff Lindsey

➢ The SaaS doesn't have to build the customizations➢ The doesn't have to host them➢ Code runs completely isolated and secure from the SaaS and from other

customers➢ Customers can choose any language / stack to implement➢ Relatively straightforward to implement*

SaaSWebhookEndpoint

Webhook invocation

Webhooks revolutionized Saas Extensibility

Continue Asynchronously

Webhooks also brought pain….

To the customer

➢ The customer has to build it. A Webhook is a service.

➢ The customer has to host it➢ The customer has to run and monitor it➢ The customer has to pay for it

But for SaaS extensibility,the costs still inhibit their usage

2014

Auth0 Rules

Serverless Extensibility, The next frontier

Serverless Extensibility

Serverless Extensibility

A SaaS product directly invokes a Serverless platform to handle runtime execution of 3rd party extensions

Serverless Extensibility

SaaSServerlessProvider

Webhook invocation

Synch or Asynchronous

In productCode Editor

SaaS Product

Stamplay

Plexure

Twilio

https://auth0.com/extend

Thanks!

Glenn Block, Auth0 Extend (@gblock)glenn.block@auth0.com

➢ Serverless Extensibility: https://auth0.com/blog/why-is-serverless-extensibility-better-than-webhooks

➢ Auth0 Extend:https://auth0.com/extend➢ ZERO CRM:https://github.com/auth0/extend➢ Twilio functions: https://www.twilio.com/functions➢ Stamplay: https://codeblocks.stamplayapp.com➢ Plexure: https://www.plexure.com➢ Plexure: https://www.factoryfour.com

Where to learn more