# Getting Started


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
title: "Introduction"
description: "Learn about getting started with Catalyst Serverless that provides powerful FaaS and PaaS solutions for multiple environments."
last_updated: "2026-03-18T07:41:08.632Z"
source: "https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/serverless/getting-started/introduction/"
service: "Serverless"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


# Catalyst Serverless

Serverless, powered by Catalyst, allows you to experience powerful **Function-as-a-Service (FaaS)** and **Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS)** cloud services. This pro-code, cloud-powered service provides the components and backend support for engineering anything from basic microservices and data processing workloads to robust enterprise-level applications. This secure and scalable infrastructure, powered by Catalyst, enables you to build your entire application with ease and manage monitoring and operations through {{%link href=&#34;/en/devops/getting-started/introduction/&#34; %}}Catalyst DevOps{{%/link%}}.

In the Catalyst Serverless application building environment, the infrastructure is automatically tailored to your requirements. Serverless will automatically scale up or scale down depending on the load to ensure your application has the optimum server infrastructure required to always run smoothly, and this enables you to manage your solution in a cost effective manner. Catalyst also eliminates the risk of incurring costs for server downtime, and ensures you only pay for the services you avail by only billing you for the API calls made to your application&#39;s endpoints.

Using Serverless components, you can code your business logic in a manner that is tightly coupled with the rest of the application&#39;s code or as independent software modules, based on your business needs. Catalyst provides you with high-end security, a powerful and reliable infrastructure, and a well-integrated and accesible development platform that cater to enhance your coding experience.

Catalyst Serverless aims to ease your efforts in building and hosting a service end-to-end by providing you with essential toolkits that enable you to easily incorporate all other {{%link href=&#34;/en/&#34; %}}Catalyst services{{%/link%}} and components in your business logic. You can build your logic in a Catalyst-specific structure through {{%link href=&#34;/en/serverless/help/functions/introduction/&#34; %}}Catalyst Serverless Functions{{%/link%}} where your coding efforts are reduced, or in own independent structure and host it through {{%link href=&#34;/en/serverless/help/appsail/introduction&#34; %}}AppSail&#39;s{{%/link%}} platform. 

Serverless also provides end-to-end security to protect the access to the functions, services, and applications you build with Catalyst, preventing your efforts from implementing and maintaining security, such as with {{%link href=&#34;/en/serverless/help/security-rules/introduction&#34; %}}Security Rules{{%/link%}}. You can additionally orchestrate workflows in your applications with the Serverless component called {{%link href=&#34;/en/serverless/help/circuits/introduction&#34; %}}Circuits{{%/link%}}.

You can code the backend of your applications and services in the following {{%link href=&#34;/en/serverless/help/functions/stack/&#34; %}}programming environments{{%/link%}} in Catalyst and avail their SDK toolkits: 

* {{%link href=&#34;/en/sdk/java/v1/overview/&#34; %}}**Java**{{%/link%}}
* {{%link href=&#34;/en/sdk/nodejs/v2/overview/&#34; %}}**Node.js**{{%/link%}}
* {{%link href=&#34;/en/sdk/python/v1/overview/&#34; %}}**Python**{{%/link%}}

You can host your applications as web apps or mobile apps by availing the following SDK toolkits:

* {{%link href=&#34;/en/sdk/web/v4/overview/&#34; %}}**Web**{{%/link%}}
* {{%link href=&#34;/en/sdk/android/v2/overview/&#34; %}}**Android**{{%/link%}}
* {{%link href=&#34;/en/sdk/ios/v2/overview/&#34; %}}**iOS**{{%/link%}}
* {{%link href=&#34;/en/sdk/flutter/v2/overview/&#34; %}}**Flutter**{{%/link%}}

You can plug the SDK toolkits into your business logic and utilize all Catalyst features for an efficient, secure development experience.

You can initialize Functions and AppSail services remotely using {{%link href=&#34;/en/cli/v1/cli-command-reference/&#34; %}}Catalyst&#39;s powerful CLI{{%/link%}} and code them using an IDE of your preference. You can also use the highly-integrated Catalyst console to work with Serverless components and manage your projects.

Using our extensive collection of {{%link href=&#34;/en/api/introduction/overview-and-prerequisites/&#34; %}}Catalyst APIs{{%/link%}}, you can quickly access various Catalyst components and implement their functionalities, not only of Serverless&#39; components, but of other Catalyst services as well, like {{%link href=&#34;/en/cloud-scale/getting-started/introduction/&#34; %}}Catalyst Cloud Scale{{%/link%}} and {{%link href=&#34;/en/devops/getting-started/introduction/&#34; %}}Catalyst DevOps{{%/link%}}.

You can also familiarize yourself with Serverless Functions and other Catalyst services by trying out some of our {{%link href=&#34;/en/tutorials/&#34; %}}tutorials{{%/link%}}.

Get started with Catalyst Serverless, using this {{%link href=&#34;/en/serverless/getting-started/quick-start-guide&#34; %}}Quick Start Guide{{%/link%}}.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
title: "Components of Catalyst Serverless"
description: "Learn about getting started with Catalyst Serverless that provides powerful FaaS and PaaS solutions for multiple environments."
last_updated: "2026-03-18T07:41:08.633Z"
source: "https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/serverless/getting-started/components-of-serverless/"
service: "Serverless"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


# Components of Catalyst Serverless

{{%fieldset title=&#34;FAAS&#34; %}}
{{%fieldset-card icon=&#34;functions-icon&#34; path=&#34;/en/serverless/help/functions/introduction/&#34; title=&#34;Functions&#34;%}}Custom-built coding structures which contain the intense business logic of your application.{{%/fieldset-card%}}
{{%fieldset-card icon=&#34;security-rules-icon&#34; path=&#34;/en/serverless/help/security-rules/introduction/&#34; title=&#34;Security Rules&#34;%}}Define the invocation and access rules of your Serverless Basic I/O and Advanced I/O functions{{%/fieldset-card%}}
{{%/fieldset%}}
&lt;br /&gt;
{{%fieldset title=&#34;COMPUTE&#34; %}}
{{%fieldset-card icon=&#34;app-executor-icon&#34; path=&#34;/en/serverless/help/appsail/introduction/&#34; title=&#34;AppSail&#34;%}}
Build and host solutions of any scale in any framework of Java, Node.js, or Python, with this powerful PaaS.{{%/fieldset-card%}}
{{%/fieldset%}}
&lt;br /&gt;
{{%fieldset title=&#34;ORCHESTRATION&#34; %}}
{{%fieldset-card icon=&#34;circuits-icon&#34; path=&#34;/en/serverless/help/circuits/introduction/&#34; title=&#34;Circuits&#34;%}}Orchestrate tasks and automate workflows in Catalyst.{{%/fieldset-card%}}
{{%/fieldset%}}
&lt;br /&gt;

As represented above, Catalyst Serverless includes the following components:

* Functions
* AppSail
* Circuits
* Security Rules

### Functions

{{%link href=&#34;/en/serverless/help/functions/introduction/&#34; %}}Serverless Functions{{%/link%}}  are custom-built coding structures that contain the core backend logic of your application or service. Using Serverless Functions reduces your code setup, building, and maintenance efforts and the time you would typically spend before starting to code your logic.

- Serverless offers the following functions types and templates for various purposes:
    - {{%link href=&#34;/en/serverless/help/functions/basic-io/&#34; %}}{{%bold%}}Basic I/O Function{{%/bold%}}{{%/link%}}: Code basic input/output operations and simple HTTP operations between the various components of Catalyst services.
    - {{%link href=&#34;/en/serverless/help/functions/advanced-io/&#34; %}}{{%bold%}}Advanced I/O Function{{%/bold%}}{{%/link%}}: Access the ideal code structure to use multiple APIs and handle native HTTP responses between the components of various Catalyst services. You can also code complex server-client operations, and parse and channel large volumes of data. 
    - {{%link href=&#34;/en/serverless/help/functions/integration-functions/&#34; %}}{{%bold%}}Integration Function{{%/bold%}}{{%/link%}}: These functions offers you the advantage of using a Serverless function on the backend to perform operations in other Zoho services by establishing an integration with them. 
    - {{%link href=&#34;/en/serverless/help/functions/event-functions/&#34; %}}{{%bold%}}Event Function{{%/bold%}}{{%/link%}}: This type of function can be used to handle event-based logic associated with an {{%link href=&#34;/en/cloud-scale/help/event-listeners/introduction/&#34; %}}Event Listener{{%/link%}}. An Event Listener is an event bus service component found in the {{%link href=&#34;/en/cloud-scale/getting-started/introduction/&#34; %}}Catalyst Cloud Scale service{{%/link%}}. You can use this function to execute an operation, or a set of operations, after the occurrence of a configured event.
    - {{%link href=&#34;/en/serverless/help/functions/cron-functions/&#34; %}}{{%bold%}}Cron Function{{%/bold%}}{{%/link%}}: {{%link href=&#34;/en/cloud-scale/help/cron/introduction/&#34; %}}Cron{{%/link%}}, a component of {{%link href=&#34;/en/cloud-scale/getting-started/introduction/&#34; %}}Catalyst Cloud Scale{{%/link%}}, is an automatable job scheduler. This type of function can be coded as a periodic function associated with a configured Cron. 
    - {{%link href=&#34;/en/smartbrowz/help/browser-logic/introduction/&#34; %}}{{%bold%}}Browser Logic{{%/bold%}}{{%/link%}}: You can code {{%link href=&#34;/en/smartbrowz/help/browser-logic/implementation/&#34; %}}browser logic{{%/link%}} functions that can be used to perform any task you would manually do in a browser. The {{%link href=&#34;/en/smartbrowz/getting-started/introduction/&#34; %}}SmartBrowz{{%/link%}} Catalyst service lets you control and manage a browser through code and the Browser functions lets you code in the business logic to ensure the same.&lt;br /&gt;

Each of these function types can be initialized in {{%link href=&#34;/en/sdk/java/v1/overview/&#34; %}}**Java**{{%/link%}}, {{%link href=&#34;/en/sdk/nodejs/v2/overview/&#34; %}}**Node.js**{{%/link%}}, or {{%link href=&#34;/en/sdk/python/v1/overview/&#34; %}}**Python**{{%/link%}}, and when you initialize these functions you will be provided with a customizable boilerplate for coding your logic faster. 

### AppSail

The {{%link href=&#34;/en/serverless/help/appsail/introduction/&#34; %}}AppSail{{%/link%}} component is a powerful platform-as-a-service (**PaaS**) offering, with which you can build and host any scale of applications from simple microservice to large enterprise solutions, even independently of Catalyst, in the supported development environments. You have the flexibility to code using any framework without any restrictions, incorporate and manage any dependencies, and efficiently manage the platform of your service after you deploy it. AppSail will ensure the required server instances are generated and are scaled based on the needs.

The platform management feature enables you to view the generated instances, set thresholds, view statistics and reports of the instances, and terminate them manually, when needed. These reports offer crucial aid during the debugging stages.

### Circuits

With {{%link href=&#34;/en/serverless/help/circuits/introduction/&#34; %}}Circuits{{%/link%}}, you can orchestrate and automate workflows in your Catalyst application directly from the console. Use circuits to implement concurrent or sequential executions of {{%link href=&#34;/en/serverless/help/functions/basic-io/&#34; %}}Serverless&#39; Basic I/O Functions{{%/link%}}. You can manage and execute multiple parallel processing tasks, configure conditions, incorporate data, and design workflows that repeatedly execute tasks for any desired outcome. There are several {{%link href=&#34;/en/serverless/help/circuits/key-concepts/#circuit-states-1&#34; %}}Circuit states{{%/link%}}, flow control options, and input and output paths you can utilize to design a comprehensive workflow. Catalyst enables you to use the drag-and drop builder to construct complex workflows in a few simple steps from the console. 

You can design a workflow with any scale of functionality, and as elaborate or as simple as you require based on your requirements.

### Security Rules

The {{%link href=&#34;/en/serverless/help/security-rules/introduction/&#34; %}}Security Rules{{%/link%}} component fulfills fundamental requirements for securing {{%link href=&#34;/en/serverless/help/functions/basic-io/&#34; %}}Basic I/O{{%/link%}} and {{%link href=&#34;/en/serverless/help/functions/advanced-io/&#34; %}}Advanced I/O{{%/link%}} endpoints. Security Rules is a {{%badge%}}JSON{{%/badge%}} file which contains the security definitions of the function, including the HTTP methods that can be accessed by a function, and whether authentication is necessary to access the function&#39;s endpoint. You can configure these based on your requirements.

Security Rules is automatically enabled by Serverless when a Basic I/O or an Advanced I/O function is created in the console, or initialized locally using the {{%link href=&#34;/en/getting-started/installing-catalyst-cli/&#34; %}}Catalyst CLI{{%/link%}} and deployed to the console. 

&lt;br /&gt;

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
title: "Benefits"
description: "Learn about getting started with Catalyst Serverless that provides powerful FaaS and PaaS solutions for multiple environments."
last_updated: "2026-03-18T07:41:08.635Z"
source: "https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/serverless/getting-started/benefits/"
service: "Serverless"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


# Benefits 

* Serverless components, like {{%link href=&#34;/en/serverless/help/functions/introduction/&#34; %}}Functions{{%/link%}} and AppSail , help you build, host, and manage your applications without concerning yourself with infrastructure requirements, server setup and management, resource allocation, or server downtime.

* Serverless {{%link href=&#34;/en/serverless/help/circuits/introduction/&#34; %}}Circuits{{%/link%}} optimize and expedite the creation of complex workflows that automate redundant tasks.

* With Serverless Functions, you can access and implement the functionalities of multiple Catalyst service components using {{%link href=&#34;/en/getting-started/catalyst-sdk/&#34; %}}Catalyst SDKs{{%/link%}}. You also benefit from a range of platform-agnostic access points through {{%link href=&#34;/en/api/introduction/overview-and-prerequisites/&#34; %}}Catalyst APIs{{%/link%}}.

* Serverless&#39; {{%link href=&#34;/en/serverless/help/functions/integration-functions/&#34; %}}Integration Functions{{%/link%}} enable you to integrate with other Zoho services and utilize their functionalities in your Catalyst application.

* Manage event-driven architecture in your applications through {{%link href=&#34;/en/serverless/help/functions/event-functions/&#34; %}}Event Functions{{%/link%}}, that also enable you to handle events occurring in other Zoho services through {{%link href=&#34;/en/cloud-scale/help/event-listeners/zoho-event-listeners/&#34; %}}Zoho Event Listeners{{%/link%}}.

* Using AppSail, you can seamlessly and securely host independent applications built using any frameworks and dependencies you require, with ease. AppSail allows you to manage the server instances and the platform where your service is hosted.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
title: "Use Cases"
description: "Learn about getting started with Catalyst Serverless that provides powerful FaaS and PaaS solutions for multiple environments."
last_updated: "2026-03-18T07:41:08.635Z"
source: "https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/serverless/getting-started/usecases/"
service: "Serverless"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


# Examples of How Catalyst Serverless Can Improve Businesses


* When organizations change their platform provider, either for an upgrade or for financial reasons, they often find that their options for exact alternatives are limited. They require their new providers to be compatible with their existing codebase and setup, and to keep data loss to a minimum. Using the Serverless component AppSail, developers can easily migrate and host applications in a few simple steps and manage running instances with zero data loss, and severely minimize the operational downtime typically caused during migration.

* You can accelerate your application&#39;s output and optimize its processing time by designing and implementing workflows using {{%link href=&#34;/en/serverless/help/circuits/introduction/&#34; %}}Serverless&#39; Circuits{{%/link%}}. Consider a company that has a huge CSV file consisting of millions of cold lead records. Instead of manually sorting and distributing the records, you can utilize {{%link href=&#34;/en/serverless/help/functions/basic-io/&#34; %}}Basic I/O functions{{%/link%}}. Create a Circuit where once the file is uploaded to the Cloud Scale {{%link href=&#34;/en/cloud-scale/help/data-store/introduction/&#34; %}}Data Store{{%/link%}}, an {{%link href=&#34;/en/cloud-scale/help/event-listeners/introduction/&#34; %}}Event Listener{{%/link%}} triggers an {{%link href=&#34;/en/serverless/help/functions/event-functions/&#34; %}}event function{{%/link%}}. This event function can start a circuit where the records are split into manageable numbers and distributed amongst the lead managers as individual CSV files using the {{%link href=&#34;/en/cloud-scale/help/mail/introduction/&#34; %}}Mail{{%/link%}} component.
&lt;br /&gt;

You can find out more on how Catalyst Serverless has benefited several businesses across various sectors by clicking {{%link href=&#34;https://catalyst.zoho.com/customers/&#34; %}}here{{%/link%}}.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
title: "Quick Start Guide"
description: "Learn about getting started with Catalyst Serverless that provides powerful FaaS and PaaS solutions for multiple environments."
last_updated: "2026-03-18T07:41:08.636Z"
source: "https://docs.catalyst.zoho.com/en/serverless/getting-started/quick-start-guide/"
service: "Serverless"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


# Catalyst Serverless - A Quick Start Guide

This section covers the overall steps involved in creating and developing your Catalyst applications by leveraging the Catalyst Serverless components. You can engineer, test, and deploy robust applications and microservices of any scale using the various components of Serverless.

1. **Create a Project** - Access the {{%link href=&#34;https://console.catalyst.zoho.com/baas/index&#34; %}}Catalyst console{{%/link%}} to {{%link href=&#34;/en/getting-started/quick-start-guide/#step-1-create-a-catalyst-project&#34; %}}create a new project{{%/link%}}. After the project creation is complete, you will be able to access all components of Serverless and other Catalyst services from the console.

{{%note%}}{{%bold%}}Note:{{%/bold%}} You can familiarize yourself with the various services and components and gain a more practical understanding of Catalyst by using the step-by-step guide present in the {{%link href=&#34;/en/tutorials/&#34; %}}Tutorials section{{%/link%}}.{{%/note%}}

Additionally, you can also create a new project in the local environment by {{%link href=&#34;/en/getting-started/quick-start-guide/#step-4-initialize-the-project-from-the-cli&#34; %}}initializing it from the CLI{{%/link%}}. You can initialize project resources like functions, or client services along with the project. You must first {{%link href=&#34;/en/getting-started/quick-start-guide/#step-2-install-catalyst-cli&#34; %}}install Catalyst CLI{{%/link%}} and {{%link href=&#34;/en/getting-started/quick-start-guide/#step-3-log-in-from-your-cli&#34; %}}log in{{%/link%}} to your remote account before you can access the Catalyst commands and work with your application locally.

2. **Engineer your application** - You can initialize your function components as a {{%link href=&#34;/en/serverless/help/functions/basic-io/&#34; %}}{{%bold%}}Basic I/O{{%/bold%}}{{%/link%}},{{%link href=&#34;/en/serverless/help/functions/advanced-io/&#34; %}}{{%bold%}}Advanced I/O{{%/bold%}}{{%/link%}}, {{%link href=&#34;/en/serverless/help/functions/event-functions/&#34; %}}{{%bold%}}Event{{%/bold%}}{{%/link%}}, {{%link href=&#34;/en/serverless/help/functions/cron-functions/&#34; %}}{{%bold%}}Cron{{%/bold%}}{{%/link%}}, {{%link href=&#34;/en/serverless/help/functions/integration-functions/&#34; %}}{{%bold%}}Integration{{%/bold%}}{{%/link%}}, or {{%link href=&#34;/en/smartbrowz/help/browser-logic/introduction/&#34; %}}{{%bold%}}Browser Logic{{%/bold%}}{{%/link%}}. You can then code your application locally using an IDE of your preference. 

{{%note%}}{{%bold%}}Note:{{%/bold%}} You can also add new functions in an existing project directory using the Catalyst CLI command: {{%link href=&#34;/en/cli/v1/working-with-functions/add-functions/&#34; %}}{{%badge%}}catalyst functions:add{{%/badge%}}{{%/link%}}.{{%/note%}}

Catalyst Serverless functions can be coded in:
* {{%link href=&#34;/en/sdk/java/v1/overview/&#34; %}}Java{{%/link%}}
* {{%link href=&#34;/en/sdk/nodejs/v2/overview/&#34; %}}Node.js{{%/link%}}
* {{%link href=&#34;/en/sdk/python/v1/overview/&#34; %}}Python{{%/link%}}

When you initialize your functions, you can choose the stack and install the  required dependencies. A few configuration files pertaining to Catalyst will also be installed in your {{%link href=&#34;/en/cli/v1/project-directory-structure/introduction/&#34; %}}local project directory{{%/link%}}.

You can refer the code templates present in {{%link href=&#34;/en/getting-started/catalyst-sdk/&#34; %}}Catalyst SDKs{{%/link%}} to incorporate Catalyst CloudScale components in your application, such as for backend functionalities like database, storage, caching, etc and build anything from a simple microservice to a robust enterprise application. There are exclusive SDKs present for each of the supported programming languages, and you also have SDKs available for engineering {{%link href=&#34;/en/sdk/web/v4/overview/&#34; %}}Web{{%/link%}}, {{%link href=&#34;/en/sdk/android/v2/overview/&#34; %}}Android{{%/link%}}, {{%link href=&#34;/en/sdk/ios/v2/overview/&#34; %}}iOS{{%/link%}}, and {{%link href=&#34;/en/sdk/flutter/v2/overview/&#34; %}}Flutter{{%/link%}} applications.

Addionally, you can employ {{%link href=&#34;/en/serverless/help/circuits/introduction/&#34; %}}Circuits{{%/link%}} to orchestrate your applications workflow from the console. {{%link href=&#34;/en/serverless/help/security-rules/introduction/&#34; %}}Security Rules{{%/link%}} will contain default security definitions for your {{%link href=&#34;/en/serverless/help/functions/basic-io/&#34; %}}Basic I/O{{%/link%}} and {{%link href=&#34;/en/serverless/help/functions/advanced-io/&#34; %}}Advanced I/O{{%/link%}} functions.

You can also build and deploy your application or service as an {{%link href=&#34;/en/serverless/help/appsail/introduction&#34; %}}AppSail solution{{%/link%}} as an entire package. The PaaS component enables you to develop solutions independent of Catalyst and simply host them onto the platform.

3. **Test your application** - You can test your project resources like the functions or AppSail locally using the {{%link href=&#34;/en/cli/v1/serve-resources/serve-all-resources/&#34; %}}{{%badge%}}catalyst serve{{%/badge%}} CLI command{{%/link%}}. You can also test the endpoints of your application by accessing them through their catalyst-generated URLs, or test functions by {{%link href=&#34;/en/cli/v1/working-with-functions/functions-shell/#functions-shell-command-execution&#34; %}}launching a shell for functions{{%/link%}} by using the CLI command {{%badge%}}catalyst functions: shell{{%/badge%}}. 

4. **Deploy to console** - Deploy your project resources to the console from the CLI using the {{%link href=&#34;/en/cli/v1/deploy-resources/deploy-all-resources/&#34; %}}{{%badge%}}catalyst deploy{{%/badge%}}{{%/link%}} command after you test them locally. You can also upload functions directly in the console.

5. **Log and Monitor** - You can now avail the components of {{%link href=&#34;/en/devops/getting-started/introduction/&#34; %}}Catalyst DevOps{{%/link%}} to log and monitor your function. You can also secure your function endpoints, and perform all operations management tasks with DevOps.

6. **Deploy to production** - When your application or microservice is ready to be deployed, you can {{%link href=&#34;/en/deployment-and-billing/environments/production-environment/&#34; %}}migrate your resources to the production environment{{%/link%}}.

You can continue to monitor your applications with {{%link href=&#34;/en/devops/getting-started/introduction/&#34; %}}Catalyst DevOps{{%/link%}}.


{{%note%}}{{%bold%}}Note:{{%/bold%}} The sequence of steps specified here might differ based on your business or application logic, or your specific use case. The flow mentioned in the deploying and testing phases of the application can be altered based on your requirements. This is a generic set of guidelines that is suitable for a typical small to mid-scale, client-based application or microservice.{{%/note%}}